Houston All Smiles While US Economy Sinks

Flooding blocks roadways, strands residents

(NEWSER) - A deluge of heavy rain, wind, tornadoes, and nickel-sized hail is giving Houston-area residents a major headache today, the Houston Chronicle reports. A fast-moving storm front pummeled the city with winds reaching 60mph and up to 4.5 inches of rain, shutting part of Highway 288 and flooding a dozen other freeway intersections. Apparent twisters ripped roofs off of houses and garages in one residential area and damaged a mall in nearby Texas City, MSNBC reports. More»

But international forces would win the ensuing conflict

(NEWSER) - If Iran ever really closed off the Strait of Hormuz—as it threatened to last week —oil prices could spike more than 50% in a matter of days, analysts tell the New York Times , with even a partial closure likely resulting in a $50-per-barrel increase. “You would get an international reaction that would not only be high, but irrationally high,” says the head of one energy think tank. More»

Texas Rep. Gene Green's office may not have been intended target

(NEWSER) - Shots were fired at the Houston office of Rep. Gene Green yesterday morning, but there were no injuries at the Democrat's office. Police suspect it may have been a random attack. The shots, which shattered a window and damaged nearby properties, probably came from a pellet gun, police say. Green says his office isn't going to step up security because extra precautions were introduced after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. "The staff has been briefed and trained on what to do in a problem," he tells the Houston Chronicle . "I grew up in north side Houston and never thought I couldn't protect myself." More»

Winners were cities with high job creation, immigration

(NEWSER) - Which towns will prosper the most in the next 10 years? Forbes Magazine runs down the 52 biggest cities in the US in terms of future vitality, job growth, increase in population of children, and immigration numbers. The winners:

1. Austin, Texas: High immigration and a good reputation among educated workers are setting this liberal Texas community up for big things.

Says he was unaware, faces 10 years in prison

(NEWSER) - A Houston man told the cop who pulled him over he thought he might have hit something on the freeway, but couldn't be sure. That's when the officer pointed out his shattered windshield and the mangled corpse in his passenger seat, reports the Houston Chronicle . More»