International clothing retailer Primark will open in the Willowbrook Mall on July 16, per the mall's website.

The details: The grand opening will start at 11 a.m. with giveaways and sweet treats, according to the Willowbrook Mall website. This will be the second Primark store in the Houston area, with the other being inside the Katy Mills mall, according to the Primark website.

• Opening July 16

• 2000 Willowbrook Mall, Houston

There are several places serving ice cream and cold treats in the Cypress and Cy-Fair area to beat the heat this summer. 

La Argentina Gelato
Founded by Florencia Mansilla, La Argentina offers a variety of gelato flavors she created, including pistachio, dulce de leche, Belgian chocolate and salted caramel. The ice cream shop also offers treats such as smoothies, banana splits and brownies with gelato. In addition, La Argentina offers coffee, specialty lattes and teas as well as empanadas.

• 8301 Jones Road, Ste. 101, Houston

• 8303 Hwy. 6 N., Ste. B, Houston
• 10611 Jones Road, Ste. E, Houston

• 20711 Tuckerton Road, Ste. 200, Cypress

Chick-fil-A Grand Parkway at Tomball Parkway opened June 25, according to a June 23 news release. 

The details: The new restaurant is locally owned and operated by Cindy Smith, who began working with Chick-fil-A in high school and has been with the brand for more than a decade, according to the news release.

The restaurant serves Chick-fil-A’s menu of chicken sandwiches, nuggets, salads, breakfast items and more. The location offers dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out, delivery and mobile thru service.

• 25527 Tomball Parkway, Tomball

Texas' Republican-led State Board of Education approved a sweeping rewrite of the state's social studies curriculum standards and a list of dozens of books that students will be required to read each school year, both of which are infused with biblical references. The new requirements will begin rolling out to public school classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.

The details: As many as 25 texts will be read each year in early elementary school grades, with about 10 books required in later grades. The reading list was created under a 2023 state law requiring “at least one literary work” per grade.

The new social studies curriculum standards will expand lessons about Texas and American history, deemphasizing some teachings about world cultures and people of color. The standards also expand the amount of content students will be expected to learn each year.

The debate: Proponents of the new standards and reading list said they will teach students to love their state and country, while critics said the policies do not include diverse perspectives.