John Tedesco
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Investigative journalist in Houston, Texas. Frazzled dad. Collector of news tips: johntedesco.net/blog/contact/
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Articles by John Tedesco
Australia’s Mandatory Climate Reporting Has Begun and Assurance Requirements Are Catching Many Organisations Short
PERTH, WA, AUSTRALIA, May 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Australia’s mandatory climate reporting regime is now commencing for the country’s largest reporting entities, with obligations progressively extending to additional organisations through to 2027. For Climate Change Response (CCR), headquartered in Perth with operations nationally, the practical impact is already becoming visible.
CCR Enhances AI and Climate Risk Capabilities Across Its Technology Suite as Global Disclosure Demands Increase
PERTH, WA, AUSTRALIA, May 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Climate Change Response (CCR) is continuing to enhance the artificial intelligence, automation, and climate risk analytics capabilities across its broader CCR technology suite as organisations face increasing pressure to manage climate disclosure, assurance, and governance obligations across multiple jurisdictions.
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Houstonians rethink spending, travel as US.-Iran war causes gas prices to surge
Octavia Johnson, John Tedesco Houstonians are feeling the sting of rising gas prices , with drivers switching vehicles or seeking ways to cut fuel costs as uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran conflict persists. During a recent road trip, Jacob Carver said he tries to avoid eating at restaurants and has scaled back trips in his Chevrolet Tahoe.
Houstonians rethink spending, travel as U.S.-Iran war causes gas prices to surge
The Shell gas station at 11639 Katy Freeway sold gasoline at nearly $3.90 per gallon as of Thursday, May 7, 2026. Gas prices have increased during the U.S.-Iran conflict. (Octavia Johnson/Houston Chronicle) Houstonians are feeling the sting of rising gas prices, with drivers switching vehicles or seeking ways to cut fuel costs as uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran conflict persists.
AES Regulations Set New Compliance Expectations - Integrated Systems and Technology Position Operators for Transition
As WA's AES framework moves to regulation, operators across a wide range of facilities are beginning to assess what it means for their day-to-day operations. PERTH, WA, AUSTRALIA, April 5, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- As Western Australia's Alternative Electricity Services (AES) framework moves from policy to regulation, operators across a wide range of sectors are beginning to assess what formal compliance will mean for their day-to-day operations.
Woman shot and killed on Metro bus; police search for suspect in west Houston
Police were searching for a suspect accused of shooting and killing a woman on a Metro bus Wednesday evening in west Houston. John Tedesco/Houston Chronicle Police were searching for a suspect accused of shooting and killing a woman on a Metro bus Wednesday evening in west Houston. John Tedesco/Houston Chronicle Police Wednesday evening were searching for a suspect accused of shooting and killing a woman hours earlier on a Metro bus in west Houston.
Why do so many trucks keep hitting the Houston Avenue Bridge? What to know.
A heavy load hauled by a truck struck the Houston Avenue bridge on Interstate 10 September 4, 2025, Texas Department of Transportation officials said. Houston TranStar The Houston Avenue Bridge spanning Interstate 10 was struck yet again by a truck, causing a traffic jam Thursday in a location that’s notorious for bridge strikes. So far this year, the Texas Department of Transportation has tracked 67 incidents — most of them minor — involving tall vehicles hitting the 60-year-old bridge.
Eye on the Sky A UAP Research and Field Study off New York’s Long Island Coast
1. Introduction “Eye on the Sky” was a year-long investigative field research study of significant importance. It was conducted at Robert Moses State Park (RMSP), a barrier island (Fire et al.). It began in July 2022 and continued to July 2023 off the south shore of Long Island, NY. This location is known for its unique environmental conditions and potential for discovering unexplained aerial phenomena based on a significant number of retrospective UAP cases reported off America’s coastline.
Photo essay: Houstonians mourn fallen members of the military on Memorial Day
Hundreds of Houstonians gathered at Houston National Cemetery on Monday to honor fallen members of the military on Memorial Day. “Heroes are not exceptional people. They’re just regular people that do exceptional job,” said keynote speaker Brady Bailey, who had been awarded a Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart during his multiple tours of duty with the Marine Corps. Sherri Cruise wept while taking in the difficulty of the day.
Harris County judge whose electoral win was deemed invalid will remain on bench as legal battle continues
A day after a fellow judge ruled that he may have incorrectly been named the winner of a 2022 election to Harris County’s 180th District Court, Judge DaSean Jones sat in the courtroom on the 18th floor of a downtown courthouse last week and presided over a trial.
Senior living communities in the Heights had no power, no emergency plans after Houston storm
Ever since the power went out Thursday night from the devastating storm that hit Houston , Brian Cotten has been living on water and peanut-butter sandwiches in his sweltering apartment at a senior living center in the Heights. “We were trying to help each other as best we could,” said Cotten, who lives with 230 residents at the Houston Heights Towers on 19th Street and serves as president of the community’s resident council. For two days, no one at the city was aware of the residents’ plight.
Texas flooding brings new urgency to Houston home buyout program
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. As a series of monster rainstorms lashed southeast Texas in early May, thousands of homes flooded in low-lying neighborhoods around Houston. The storms dropped multiple months’ worth of rainfall on Houston in the span of a few days, overtopping rivers and creeks that wind through the city and forcing officials to divert millions of gallons of water from reservoirs.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner resigns amid suspended-cases scandal
Chief Troy Finner abruptly retired Wednesday from the Houston Police Department in a late-night resignation given to Mayor John Whitmire amid an ongoing probe into how the department has suspended thousands of criminal investigations . At issue is an internal department computer code that police used in 264,000 cases to suspend investigations due to a lack of personnel. The crimes included roughly 4,000 sexual assault cases.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner resigns amid suspended-cases scandal Original
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Chief Troy Finner retired Wednesday from the Houston Police Department in a late-night resignation given to Mayor John Whitmire amid an ongoing probe into how the department has suspended thousands of criminal investigations, according to media reports.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner to resign amid suspended-cases scandal
Chief Troy Finner retired Wednesday from the Houston Police Department in a late-night resignation given to Mayor John Whitmire amid an ongoing probe into how the department has suspended thousands of criminal investigations, according to media reports. At issue is an internal department computer code that police used in 264,000 cases to suspend investigations due to a lack of personnel. The crimes included roughly 4,000 sexual assault cases.
With lawsuits and recount petitions rising, some Texas elections seem to go on forever
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. It has been 15 months since Democrat DaSean Jones was sworn in as a Harris County criminal district court judge. He’s presided over hundreds of cases since then. And he’ll be on the ballot again in November, this time for a seat on the Texas Supreme Court.
Dozens of Texas water systems exceed new federal limits on ‘forever chemicals’
In Texas, 49 public water utility systems have reported surpassing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water, according to data submitted to the federal agency. Experts say there are likely more since not all water systems have submitted their data. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are widespread and long lasting in the environment.
Ken Paxton agrees to community service to avoid trial, conviction in securities fraud case
Prosecutors on Tuesday agreed to drop the securities fraud charges facing Attorney General Ken Paxton if he performs 100 hours of community service and fulfills other conditions of a pretrial agreement, bringing an abrupt end to the nearly nine-year-old felony case that has loomed over the embattled Republican since his early days in office.
EPA gives ‘minor’ polluters a free pass
CHANNELVIEW — Living in an industry town, George Galindo is hardened to the sound of semi-trailers lumbering through his neighborhood. He’s accustomed to the sight of steel smokestacks and aluminum tank farms punctuating his community’s streets. What keeps 29-year-old Galindo up at night isn’t the big chemical plants or oil refineries.
Gulf Coast petrochemical buildout draws billions in tax breaks despite pollution violations
A booming petrochemical buildout on the Gulf Coast has drawn billions of dollars in public subsidies from state tax abatement programs despite regular violations of pollution permits, according to a new report released Thursday. The Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental nonprofit based in Texas and Washington, D.C., compiled data on all U.S. plastics projects built, expanded or proposed since 2012, almost all of them along the Gulf Coast.
Toxic air lingers in a Texas Latino community, revealing failures in state’s air monitoring system
This project was created through the Altavoz Lab Environmental Fellowship in partnership with Environmental Health Sciences and received additional funding from the Pulitzer Center. It was co-published by The Texas Tribune, Environmental Health News and palabra. Haz clic aquí para leer este reportaje en español. CLOVERLEAF — On a hot, humid October day, Cristina Lazo readies her youngest daughter for a bike ride and whispers in Spanish, I pray to God nothing happens to you.
The normatively troubling impact of attitudes toward the role of money in politics on external political efficacy
Big money plays a big role in American politics and society. The campaign spending unleashed by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision has reached jaw-dropping sums: $14.4 billion in the 2020 presidential cycle alone (Evers-Hillstrom 2021). Corporate profits have soared over the last decade, reaching their widest margins since the 1950s (Pickert 2022).
Appeals court reverses order blocking Texas immigration law
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Saturday reversed a lower court’s ruling that halted a new state law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The New Orleans-based appeals court immediately paused its order for seven days to give the federal government time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. If the higher court doesn’t intervene, the new law could go into effect on Saturday as the legal battle continues.
Texas law allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of being in country illegally blocked by federal judge
A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. District Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction that will keep it from being enforced while a court battle continues playing out. Texas is being sued by the federal government and several immigration advocacy organizations.
Judge says Texas school district can punish Black student for his hairstyle
A Texas judge on Thursday said the Barbers Hill Independent School District can punish a Black student who wears his hair in long locs without violating Texas’ new CROWN Act, which is meant to prevent hairstyle discrimination in schools and workplaces. The decision came after a monthslong dispute between the district and Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School who has been sent to in-school suspension since August for wearing his hair in locs.
Amid high rents, eviction filings in major Texas cities soar above pre-pandemic levels
As more renters struggle to afford housing, Texas landlords are filing more evictions than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic — and tenants have few, if any, protections to keep them housed. Landlords filed more than 177,000 eviction cases in the Houston, Dallas, Austin and Fort Worth areas in 2023, according to records tracked by Eviction Lab , a research center based at Princeton University that tracks eviction filings.
Amid high rents, eviction filings in major Texas cities soar above pre-pandemic levels
As more renters struggle to afford housing, Texas landlords are filing more evictions than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic — and tenants have few, if any, protections to keep them housed. Landlords filed more than 177,000 eviction cases in the Houston, Dallas, Austin and Fort Worth areas in 2023, according to records tracked by Eviction Lab, a research center based at Princeton University that tracks eviction filings.
As more students seek mental health services, college counseling centers struggle to hire staff
Texas colleges and universities are struggling to keep up with the demand for mental health services amid a statewide shortage of care providers. This isn’t just a public health crisis in Texas but across the United States, according to Zachary Zoet, the assistant director of Midwestern State University’s Counseling Center in Wichita Falls.
In her reelection bid, Rep. Shawn Thierry tests whether Democrats will tolerate anti-LGBTQ votes
That Senate Bill 14 would pass was not in doubt. The legislation, which would bar gender-transitioning care for children and teens, had universal Republican support and merely awaited final sign-off by the GOP-led House. The only surprise that May evening in the Capitol was when Rep. Shawn Thierry, a Democrat from Houston, strode to the front of the chamber and announced she was breaking with her party to support the bill.
Police: Shooting reported at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church
Shots were fired Sunday at Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, prompting a heavy police presence in what authorities described as an “ongoing, active scene.” “There is an active situation involving shots fired at Lakewood,” the church wrote in a post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “Law enforcement is on the scene. That is all the information we have at this time.
How soon before Houston runs out of land for grave sites? Here’s what the experts say.
I don’t plan to be buried in Houston. I wish to be cremated and have my ashes scattered in New York at my hometown lake or my high school track. For me, that would be enough. End-of-life planning is not the sexiest topic. While thinking of my own mortality this winter and remembering that I need to finally create a will, I started wondering if there will be enough space in the Houston region, among so much cement and highway, during the next 50 years for cemetery growth and burials to meet demand.
Texas voters supporting property tax cuts and infrastructure spending, but opposing later retirement for judges
Property tax cuts, a raise for retired teachers and billions in investments in infrastructure, research, tech and energy appeared headed for passage as voters showed their approval for more than a dozen constitutional amendments, according to early returns on Tuesday night. But a measure to allow judges to retire at a later age appeared to be going down, with barely over one-third of Texans voting for it.
Dumped, not recycled? Electronic tracking raises questions about Houston’s drive to repurpose a full range of plastics
This story was published by Inside Climate News. The message on the signs at the recycling drop-off site here was clear, and warmly welcomed by area residents who visited on a recent autumn Saturday to stuff bags of plastic waste into large green metal containers.
Two killed, two injured after domestic disturbance leads to 'running gun battle'
Two women are dead and two men have been hospitalized following a shooting stemming from a domestic dispute Sunday morning at a home on Cypressbrook Drive in northwest Harris County, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said his office began receiving calls for help at 10:16 a.m., with reports of a verbal altercation occurring between a married couple.
Houston police kill gunman after investigating social media post about group of armed men
A social media post about a group of armed men in Kashmere Gardens led to a confrontation Friday evening with Houston police that left one teenager shot dead by an officer.
No water, roads or emergency services: How climate change left a rural neighborhood nearly uninhabitable
Overview: In Liberty County, one neighborhood has been slowly abandoned as years of flooding and intense rains prompted a spiral of decline. This story is part of the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines. LIBERTY COUNTY — By the time they finally left Texas for good, Thad Todd, 64, and Linda Nelson, 58, had sworn off driving the flooded-out roads to their home.
Texas 'drag ban' law restricting sexual performances ruled unconstitutional
A federal judge in Houston ruled Tuesday that a new Texas law dealing with sexually explicit performances and children was unconstitutional, siding with drag performers and LGBTQ+ organizations that had challenged the law. During a two-day hearing last month, lawyers with the ACLU of Texas on behalf of the organizations argued the law amounted to an illegal ban on many public and private drag performances. They also argued the law is overly broad and chills free expression.
HISD had over 1,600 A/C issues during first weeks of school
On the heels of a summer that broke records for its brutal heat, many Houston ISD students returned to classrooms that failed to provide refuge from the scorching temperatures. Schools reported more than 1,600 issues with their air conditioning systems over the first two and a half weeks of school — a time span that included seven days of 100 degrees or more, according to the National Weather Service.
My grandmother’s life was cut short. We can all learn on how to live better, healthier.
As I get older, I can’t help but think of my grandmother who I never met. After moving to Houston, I wore my grandmother Marie’s art deco gold bracelet so much the clasp had become loose, and it needed to be repaired. I always felt close to her, maybe because my mom said we had similar brown eyes. It was comforting to wear a piece of my family history on my wrist. I stare at photos of her in a light blue dress and a cheetah print shawl where she’s beaming as the mother of the groom.
Texas enlists out-of-state volunteers to combat wildfires
HOUSTON — The first thing Wil Kitchenges saw when he reached Huntsville was a plume of smoke drifting across Interstate 45. The 46-year-old field operations chief was part of a team of first responders from the Florida Forest Service, called upon to help manage a rapidly spreading forest fire in Walker County, about 75 miles north of Houston. Kitchenges, who has 25 years of disaster management experience in Florida, knew immediately that this wildfire was major.
Whitmire supports former lawmaker's effort to regain law license after corruption conviction
Luther Jones, a former El Paso elected official who was disbarred a decade ago after being convicted of charges that he conspired to corrupt county and school governments, is seeking to have his Texas law license reinstated. Among his supporters: state Sen. John Whitmire, who is running to be Houston’s next mayor.
Ken Paxton impeachment trial begins with sniping
Accused of allowing the “slow creep of corruption” to taint his office, impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton fired back Tuesday as his lawyers disparaged the impeachment case against him as a dangerous exercise based on “ignorance, innuendo and outright lies.” Paxton’s impeachment trial before the Republican-dominated Texas Senate began with a series of highly anticipated votes on Paxton’s multiple bids to dismiss every article of impeachment. All 16 motions were soundly defeated.
Residents allowed home as firefighters battle Game Preserve wildfire near Huntsville
Evacuations and road closures were lifted Sunday morning for residents threatened by a massive, fast-moving wildfire north of Huntsville that broke out Friday evening and grew to more than 4,250 acres. The evacuations had been ordered for all residents living within three miles of Lost Indian Camp Road, where the fire originated, and later for residents living west of the fire near Interstate 45.
Fast-moving wildfire prompts evacuations near Huntsville
A fast-moving wildfire north of Huntsville sparked evacuations and highway closures Friday evening as it rapidly grew to 3,000 acres and firefighters scrambled to contain the blaze. Walker County officials requested assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service as the Game Preserve Fire spread along drought-stricken terrain near FM 247, prompting officials to close the road and evacuate the rural area.
Texas will soon ban gender-affirming care for trans youth. Here’s what you need to know.
Senate Bill 14, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state, will go into effect Friday despite efforts from LGBTQ+ organizations to stop the law. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill in June and it is part of multiple bills that impact the LGBTQ+ community. The legislation would make Texas the largest state to ban treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Supporters of the bill say children shouldn’t be allowed to make life-altering decisions.
Six takeaways from the Houston police investigation of the Travis Scott Astroworld concert
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The Houston Police Department released a 1,266-page report Friday detailing how Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival left 10 dead and hundreds injured on Nov. 5, 2021. The document reveals the wildly contrasting narratives between what Scott and the rapper’s team perceived happened mid-performance and what the dozens of concert promoters, security personnel and other key witnesses saw unfold.
By Ceili Doyle Verified, Briah Lumpkins Verified, Angelica Perez, Matt Sledge Verified, John Tedesco Verified
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houstonlanding.org
Texas A&M president resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of professor from Houston
After a week of turmoil over the botched hiring of a Black journalist to revive the Texas A&M University journalism department, M. Katherine Banks has resigned as the university’s president. Mark A. Welsh III, dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, will serve as acting president until the Board of Regents can meet to name an interim president.
Harris County voters could see more problems in 2024
Skip to content This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. A new state law eliminating the elections department in Harris County is likely to cause large disruptions and problems for voters in this fall’s elections and potentially 2024, experts say, throwing responsibility for dozens of state-mandated deadlines to new officials in the middle of the crucial process.
10 people have died in Harris County Jail in 2023. Five of them identified as mentally ill
A 49-year-old man this weekend became the 10th person to die in the custody of the Harris County Jail this year — and a Houston Landing analysis found that half of those individuals previously had been identified by officials as mentally ill. Oscar Villazana was charged with felonious assault in October after striking a family member.
Lawsuit seeks to block Texas from banning gender transition-related care for children
Several families with transgender children are asking a judge to block a new Texas law that would stop minors from accessing many types of transition-related health care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The families argue the new law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, violates their parental rights by stopping them from providing medical care for their children and discriminates against transgender teens on the basis of sex.
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