http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/houston/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:35:15 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2418707/posts 31 December 2009 “LIKE DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN” SNIPPET: “There is overlap in space if not in time between NW 253 bomber Abdulmutallab and various unsavory characters and websites. Perhaps it’s just a case of like-minded people moving through similar places at similar times in their lives, but then again, maybe Abdulmutallab came into contact with some of these people, particularly in what appears to be his critical period of radicalization in London circa 2005-2007. At this point all I have are suspicions and some interesting data points to share.” INTERNET HAGANAH.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2418707/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:35:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418545/posts A woman called police on Monday and said a man was forcing his way into her apartment in the 5300 block of Elm Street. When officers went inside, they found something that made them concerned enough to call the bomb squad. They found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. It can shoot a missile nearly 1,000 feet through buildings and tanks. "It gives infantrymen the advantage with an ultra-light weapon that can stop vehicles, armored vehicles as well as main battle tanks and fortifications," said Oscar Saldivar of Top Brass Military and Tactical on the North Freeway. That type of rocket... Click2Houston.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418545/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:23:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418518/posts According to a news report out of Houston this morning, police there found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher like the one shown in the photo above, alleged to belong to a man by the name of Nabilaye I. Yansane, in a southwest Houston apartment complex. Though I have yet to see comments by members of the Obama Administration in response to the news about this weapon, I have some ideas about what they might say Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418518/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:54:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417980/posts HOUSTON — The man accused of trying to bring down a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas Day spent two weeks in Houston last year attending a seminar conducted by a Web-based Islamic education center. AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417980/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:31:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417870/posts The Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day attended classes here last year, a leader of a Houston Islamic educational institution said today. Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, vice president for the AlMaghrib Institute in Houston and imam of the Clear Lake Islamic Center, said he would provide more details on 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s studies in Houston this afternoon. Basyouni had asked a team of staffers to investigate a report that Abdulmutallab had attended classes at the institute in 2008. The Nigerian-born son of a prominent banker, Abdulmutallab is accused of attempting to blow up a... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417870/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:35:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417405/posts A leader of a Houston Islamic educational institution said Tuesday that the organization is investigating a report that the Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day attended classes here last year. Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, vice president for the AlMaghrib Institute in Houston and imam of the Clear Lake Islamic Center, said he has asked staffers to look into a report that 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had attended classes in Houston during a trip to the U.S. Houston Cronical http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417405/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:46:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416082/posts Gay Candidates Get Support That Causes May Not By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. December 27, 2009 HOUSTON — When an openly gay woman won the mayor’s race here this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years. Charles Pugh said his sexuality did not play a role in his race for Detroit’s City Council. Lupe Valdez won a bitter race in Texas in 2004, a year before the state banned same-sex... NYTimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416082/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:58:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416035/posts As some Houston leaders called on Sunday for measures to help guard against future terrorist attacks, others questioned why the Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit spent time last year in Houston. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is believed to have traveled to Houston in 2008, but no details of the trip were available Sunday. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston declined to discuss any connection Abdulmutallab might have to the city, saying details of the investigation remain classified. U.S. government officials did confirm that they are looking into his travel itinerary, but the FBI... chron.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416035/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:53:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2413957/posts Columbus-Bound Flight Delayed By Otters Wednesday, December 23, 2009 6:23 AM Updated: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:10 AM Video Print Story E-mail Story COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Columbus was delayed for more than an hour Tuesday night after otters making the trip in the plane's cargo hold escaped their cages and made a break for freedom. The otters were apparently being unloaded from the plane in Houston when they managed to get loose. "People thought it was a joke at first, I think," a passenger said. Another passenger said an otter made its way... WBNS 10TV Columbus http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2413957/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:42:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411427/posts Note: The following text is a quote: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThursday, December 17, 2009 Guyanese National Charged with Smuggling Indian Nationals to the United States A Guyanese national has been indicted on charges of conspiracy and alien smuggling in connection with her role in the smuggling or attempted smuggling of four Indian nationals to the United States. Annita Devi Gerald, aka Annita Rampersad, 52, was charged in a nine-count indictment returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas. Gerald was arrested by ICE special agents in Houston on Nov. 17, 2009, and has been held without... US DOJ.gov - Justice.gov - Press Release http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411427/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:11:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408936/posts When Parker finally appeared at 10:30, resplendent in a gold pantsuit and pearl necklace, a room jammed elbow-to-elbow with supporters erupted with a deafening cheer. Some were newcomers to political waters; some had been with her a dozen years ago when she claimed her first City Council seat. Election-night parties often are set pieces with familiar ear-splitting soundtracks -- her appearance was preceded by the endless refrains of "We Are Family" -- but if there was a difference to this occasion, it may have been the sense among some supporters that Parker's election was a step away from the political... houston chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408936/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:33:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2409064/posts While we argue amongst ourselves as to whether there really is an Islamic threat in America, Muslims remain focused and continue to push forward with their agenda. Group distributes Qur’ans to front doors By Khalil AlHajal DEARBORN — Many Dearborn residents have been wondering about the source of paperback Qur’ans found hanging from doorknobs throughout the city in recent months. The group distributing free copies of an English translation of the Muslim holy book hopes to create better perceptions of Islam by simply making the scripture available. Logan's Warning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2409064/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:05:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408628/posts The landmark election Saturday of America's first big-city lesbian mayor in Houston represents more than just a milestone in identity politics. It also signals an unmistakable evolutionary step in national politics, one that provides further evidence of a trend that helped make Barack Obama president: growth-oriented communities like the Texas metropolis, rather than aging big cities or nostalgia-inducing small towns, are setting the course of the country's political direction. Houston is one of a set of fast-growing cities and expanding suburbs whose changing face and increasingly post-racial politics helped make Barack Obama president. Their politics are defined by some of... Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408628/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:24:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408045/posts ...Friedman's departure left outgoing Houston Mayor Bill White and hair-care millionaire Farouk Shami as the two main contenders for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and lessened the chances of the race going to a runoff. While it does not clear the field for White, it gives him the advantage over a less-known and less experienced opponent. White has a track record in office and proof he can win elections. Shami says he will spend $10 million of his own money to win the nomination with his rags-to-riches life story, but he still will have to answer the ultimate question: Is Texas... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408045/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:53:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407257/posts A lesbian candidate won Houston's mayoral election Saturday night, a vote that made the city the largest in the U.S. to ever have an openly gay mayor. "This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," City Controller Annise Parker told supporters after former city attorney Gene Locke conceded defeat. Parker got 53 percent of the vote. More than 152,000 residents turned out to cast ballots in the fourth largest U.S. city. The... Assoc. Press, via MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407257/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:19:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407119/posts <p>Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker after a hotly contested runoff.</p> <p>Parker defeated former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote Saturday in a race that had a turnout of only 16.5 percent.</p> mywa7y http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407119/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406782/posts HOUSTON – The first openly gay person to be elected mayor of Houston says she hopes her victory in Saturday's election will change how the world views the city. Houston is the nation's fourth-largest city and the biggest to elect an openly gay mayor. Mayor-elect Annise Parker spoke Sunday at a press conference after defeating former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote in the hotly contested runoff election. Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406782/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:06:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406757/posts The southern city of Houston has become the largest US metropolis to elect an openly gay mayor when Annise Parker, an open lesbian, claimed a solid victory over her rival. "I know what this win means to many of us who thought we could never achieve high office," she said in her victory speech, at which she introduced her partner Kathy and their three children, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I understand, because I feel it, too. But now, from this moment, let us join as one community," said Parker, 53. According to local election data, Democrat Parker won about... Nine News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406757/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:56:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406450/posts HOUSTON (AP) - Annise Parker has an unbeatable lead over Gene Locke in Houston's hotly contested mayoral election, meaning she will become the city's first openly gay mayor. The Harris County elections Web site says 53.62 percent of voters who turned out Saturday chose Parker. Her rival, former city attorney Gene Locke, was pitching to become the city's second black mayor. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406450/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:58:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406443/posts Houston, Texas has become the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor after City Controller Annise Parker was declared the winner of a runoff election tonight. Social conservatives fought her election, funding a campaign aimed at turning out likeminded voters to support her opponent, former city attorney Gene Locke. But Parker's endorsements from labor, police, women's, gay rights and other groups were echoed by the Houston Chronicle, the area's major daily newspaper, and her campaign ran a superior get-out-the-vote effort. http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20091213/pl_usnw/DC25267_1 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406443/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:30:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406362/posts HOUSTON -- It was no great surprise when some religious leaders and conservative activists voiced fierce opposition to the mayoral candidacy of Annise Parker, a gay woman. But voters here have largely dismissed the issue as insignificant, even though she could become the first openly lesbian mayor of a major American city. Ms. Parker, a city controller who has been elected to local office six times with little controversy over her sexual preference, is the leading candidate in Saturday's election runoff. "This is about the best person for the job, period," said taxi driver Arthur Berry, 48 years old, who... http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB126057851102188215-lMyQjAxMDI5NjEwMjUxNzI4Wj.html http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406362/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:05:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406007/posts HOUSTON — Houston’s openly gay city controller has pulled ahead in the race to be mayor of the nation’s fourth largest city, just two days before a runoff election, according to a new poll. It’s believed if Annise Parker wins Saturday’s runoff, it would make Houston the nation’s largest city with an openly gay mayor. Montgomery County Courier http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406007/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:37:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405920/posts * HOUSTON - A would-be robber is shot to death by a tire store owner in north Houston, and officers are searching for three suspects who got away. The shooting took place after 8 p.m. Wednesday at the 11100 block of Bauman Road. Police say four men tried to stage a robbery at the El Mante Tire Shop at the 11000 block of Bauman Road at approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. The store owner, who has a license to carry a concealed handgun, drew his weapon and started shooting. One robbery suspect died in the shop, but three others escaped in... myfoxhouston http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405920/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:19:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402085/posts In the age of balloon boys and party crashers, regular people just don't know what to believe any more. Last week, I spent more than my share of hours trying to track down the truth about an incident on an AirTran flight out of Atlanta on Nov. 17. Flight 297 to Houston, with about 70 passengers onboard, departed gate C-16 at 4:43 p.m. Until something happened that caused the pilot to turn around and come back. Two and a half weeks later, the incident is in high dispute, thanks to some passengers who have spoken out on the Internet about... Marietta Daily Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402085/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 16:44:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400990/posts Houston, we have a problem.And the problem is unusually cold weather in Houston to the extent that city had its earliest recorded snowfall on Friday. Plus much of the rest of Texas also had quite cold weather which caused the cancellation of a global warming lecture at the University of Texas in Austin. Here is the e-mail received by the Houston Chronicle SciGuy blogger Eric Berger: Global Warming lecture postponed due to coolingGiven the travel advisories issued and the likelihood of freezing weather for the Austin area tomorrow evening, we are postponing the December 4 event, Global Warming - Lone... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400990/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 16:04:44 GMT