As the coronavirus first swept across the country last year, Dr. Ben Carson contacted the chancellor of Texas A&M with an unusual request. Carson had learned that a compound from oleander, a toxic ornamental plant, had reduced reproduction of the virus in preliminary experiments, in monkey cells grown in the lab. While the results were tantalizing, the compound had not …

Between moving halfway across the country and competing in a national spelling bee, Chaitra Thummala has had a busy summer. The 12-year-old secured a second place finish at last week’s Scripps National Spelling Bee finals, taking home a $25,000 cash prize and poised to be the odds-on favorite for next year’s contest. Chaitra’s family moved from San Francisco to Frisco, …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A landscaper was brutally beaten in the front yard of a home he was working on by a man he said was mad over where he parked. Paciano Gonzalez-Hernandez said a man approached him on June 26 saying he was blocking his car in at a dead end in the 1700 block of Lexington. The man, …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — In dozens of locations across Houston and in the United States, you may notice those small shelters along sidewalks that contain dozens of free books you can borrow. They’re known as “Little Free Libraries,” and they’re quite the attraction for people who live near them. They also encourage literacy Beau Roessler, a 4-and-a-half-year-old, has taken the …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston teen was shot in the hip after a gun fell out of a bag and went off, police say. It happened in the 3800 block of Wipprecht Street in northeast Houston Friday afternoon. Lt. Isaac Jefferson with the Houston Police Department said a man and his 13-year-old godson were moving boxes from one car …

HOUSTON, Texas — In an annual ritual that they’re surely thrilled to revive, the State Fair of Texas has unveiled 32 semi-finalists for the 2021 Big Tex Choice Awards Food Competition, with 19 savory entries and 13 sweet. State Fair concessionaires offer entries they hope will win one of three titles: Best Taste – Savory, Best Taste – Sweet, and …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Keep your eye on the radar and an umbrella in your hand. We are in for more scattered downpours this weekend. You can expect some of the stronger downpours could produce a quick inch of rain, wind gusts to 40 mph, penny size hail, and frequent lightning. If you don’t get caught under one of those …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Officials from Texas EquuSearch are still looking for the girlfriend of an ex-NFL player who was reported missing just weeks after her 29th birthday this past April. Taylor Pomaski was said to have been last seen in Spring on April 25. Authorities with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Pomaski disappeared “under suspicious circumstances.” Her boyfriend, …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division is investigating after a body was found in the trunk of a parked vehicle in southwest Houston Friday evening. Officers arrived to the 4600 block of Wild Indigo Street around 5:30 p.m. and are still investigating the scene. The vehicle had been in the parking garage for days before someone …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — After promises from Mayor Sylvester Turner for more transparency from the Houston Police Department, specifically as it relates to body camera videos, we are starting to see more of those videos released. The first of these videos was released in early June. The case involved four officers shooting and killing an armed man, but its significance …