Houston

A glut of polyethylene had squeezed U.S. producers for years. But the war in the Middle East disrupted the global plastics market, sending prices higher and improving margins for producers along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Restaurant owners are divided: some are hiring aggressively while others are holding off, hoping the crowds materialize before they commit to new staff.

The annual CERAWeek conference features speakers like U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and executives from oil and gas companies.

Immigration bolstered population growth and housing demand in big cities like Houston. What happens when immigration declines?

As a college counselor in Houston, Texas, Khadyajah Jenkins witnesses students’ lack of access to books first-hand.

A Houston nonprofit builds climate resilience, one house at a time.

Houston is one of the cheaper major metro real estate markets in the country. But homeownership there comes with expensive baggage, like high winds, flooding and power outages.

Organizations that help newcomers have started to cut programs and lay off staff due to the loss of funding.

“I have not seen us write more than two offers before getting an acceptance, whereas before it was writing offer after offer after offer,” said Houston real estate broker LaTisha Grant.

While you may be hard pressed to find the Houston Ship Channel on anybody’s bucket list, this 110-year-old dredging work is critical to U.S. oil and gas exports and has a free guided boat tour that’s been around since 1958.