InvestigationClimateHoustonSample
Building permits issued inside a mapped floodway
We matched permit records against the flood maps the city already had.
What happens next: Any response from the city will be added to this story and dated.
Lampline Daily, at 6:30 a.m.
Five things that changed in Houston, each with the record behind it. Free.
More from Houston
ExplainerClimateSample
Why your flood zone may have changed
New maps, what they change for insurance, and how to check your address.
Paper Trail · 2 documents
InvestigationPublic money
Greg Abbott raked in $9 million from data center-related donors as he called for regulations
In June, as public opinion on data centers soured, Gov. Greg Abbott took his first big swing at reining in the industry, issuing a round of regulatory recommendations to the Legislature that included his call to end a major tax break for the facilities.
Paper Trail · 1 document
ExplainerClimate
Hoping for a ’new normal’ climate is pointless. We must learn to adapt
It’s increasingly common to hear climate-fuelled disasters described as the ‘new normal’. But our desire for normality and predictability is wishful thinking.
Paper Trail · 1 document
ExplainerPublic money
19 million Texans are registered to vote, breaking record
Texas voter registrations hit a record high of more than 19 million ahead of the pivotal midterm election on Nov. 3.
Paper Trail · 1 documentExplainerPublic money
False pamphlets causing backlash and confusion, Texas transgender rights group says
Pamphlets purporting to come from a transgender rights organization — mailed to families across Texas and igniting a storm of criticism from conservatives — came from a company formed last month in Wyoming.
Paper Trail · 1 document
ExplainerPublic money
Most polls have Talarico ahead of Paxton in the U.S. Senate race
Texas’ candidates in this year’s U.S. Senate race are neck and neck, according to recent polling. Since the runoff election on May 26, state Rep.
Paper Trail · 1 document
InvestigationPublic money
Texas environmental agency shuts down online permit filing system after data center controversy
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has shut down its automated electronic filing system after watchdog groups said the agency violated a directive from Gov.
Paper Trail · 1 documentNothing on this beat yet in the Houston edition. Pick another beat.
Your block
Permits, hearings, flood zone and open complaints for any address.
Voting: How to vote in Houston: registration, early voting, mail ballots and poll hours for November 3, with every rule linked to its official source.
Election night: Live results for Houston, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. One page, updated in place, every entry timestamped.
In brief
Reporters Explain · 60 Seconds
0:44Why your flood zone may have changed[Reporter name] explains how we found it
0:52Building permits issued inside a mapped floodway[Reporter name] explains how we found it
Weather alerts and headlines from our sources
Weather alertsNWS Houston/Galveston
Weather alerts
Source: National Weather Service (NOAA). NWS information is in the public domain.
HeadlinesOriginal reporting
Headlines from Lampline's sources
- WATCH: Nikole Hannah-Jones interrogates Chancellor Kamar Samuels on NYC school integration
Chalkbeat · New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones cross-examined New York City schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels this week at a town hall focused on…
- Mississippi turned a literacy crisis into success. Can Michigan do the same?
Chalkbeat · More than a decade ago, Mississippi was where Michigan is now: Near the bottom of the country in literacy outcomes and aggressively seeking solutions…
- Chicago Public Schools’ graduation rate increases to 83.4% for class of 2026
Chalkbeat · More than 83% of Chicago Public Schools students graduated on time last school year, an increase of almost 1 percentage point from the class of 2025,…
- States Are Forcing Hospitals To Offer More People Financial Aid. In Oregon, It’s Working.
KFF Health News · Oregon passed a law to require hospitals to proactively screen patients to see if they qualify for financial aid. Patients got immediate relief.…
- New Arrivals in the ER? Georgia Gears Up To Solve Rural Maternal Health Crisis
KFF Health News · Most of Georgia’s counties are without a labor and delivery unit. To fill the gap, the state is looking to equip emergency rooms to handle obstetric…
- Democrats Demand Tougher Standards for Companies Running Medicaid Systems
KFF Health News · A year after launching an inquiry into companies, including Deloitte, that receive billions in taxpayer dollars to build complex computer systems…
- Texas environmental agency shuts down online permit filing system after data center controversy
The Texas Tribune · Texas environmental officials disabled an online filing system after watchdog groups raised concerns about the agency issuing permits related to data…
- Most polls have Talarico ahead of Paxton in the U.S. Senate race
The Texas Tribune · We're tracking all major polls in the U.S. Senate race to give Texans a fuller picture of where this race is headed. Paxton has been consistently…
- 19 million Texans are registered to vote, breaking record
The Texas Tribune · The number of Texans registered to vote jumped 2% from March even as the state struggles to process backlogged voter records.
- Colorado Marijuana Regulators Failed to Protect Consumers From Potential Contamination, Audit Finds
ProPublica
- “The River Can’t Be Trusted”
ProPublica
- Town Leaders Said They Were Prepared for Floods. First Responders Disagree.
ProPublica
Headlines link to the original articles at each outlet. Chalkbeat, KFF Health News, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica are Lampline's republication sources.
Weather alerts from the National Weather Service for each edition's area, and headlines from Lampline's sources, as of Thursday, October 22, 2026, 12:44 a.m. ET. Lampline links to the original reporting.
Music releases
New this weekAll editions
Albums and EPs, October 16 to 23
- Fontaines D.C., Dopamine Chamber
Album · Fri, Oct 16, 2026
- Gucci Mane, Against All Odds
Album · Fri, Oct 16, 2026 · Atlanta
- James Brandon Lewis, Calling Antonín
Album · Fri, Oct 23, 2026 · New York
- Sen Morimoto, Time Is on Your Side
Album · Fri, Oct 23, 2026 · Chicago
See all music releases, with review notes and the source behind each listing.
From the publisher
One mystery for young readers. One book of fairy tales for the rest of us.
Mikey the Fact Detective: The Screenshot That Lied
A middle-grade mystery: a faked screenshot benches his best friend Dre before the championship, and Mikey has to prove it lied.
Once Upon a Time: Bedtime Stories for College Grads Who Will Never Own a Home
Satire fairy tales in Victorian dress, for college grads who will never own a home.
Two titles from the publisher's list, in print now.
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