As part of Airbnb's $1 million FIFA Host City Impact Program, the vacation rental company, alongside the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, will attempt to break an official Guinness World Records title for the longest continuous line of soccer balls.

What to expect: Houston officials will attempt to break the former world record by bringing in hundreds of youth soccer players and former Houston Dynamo player DaMarcus Beasley to place 1,000 balls at Hermann Park along the city's Green Corridor on April 11.

Upon successful verification by a Guinness World Records judge, the soccer balls will then be gifted to the Grow the Game Initiative, a program that expands access to soccer for underserved youth.

One more thing: The April 11 event, according to a March 24 news release, builds on an announcement in late December where Airbnb unveiled a more than $1 million investment to support the Green Corridor, a 14-mile sustainable route connecting FIFA World Cup venues.

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the park's cistern with a new major interactive public art project called "Undercurrents."

What's happening: "Undercurrents" will be an interactive installation by renowned multimedia artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, a Mexican Canadian artist who creates platforms using robotic lights, digital fountains and computerized surveillance.

The Buffalo Bayou Cistern installation, according to a March 24 news release, will include a mile's worth of LED lighting suspended in a web-like grid above the entire reflective service of the Cistern's waterline. Random patterns of light will also be triggered by a system of linked intercoms set up along the perimeter of the space.

More details: The Cistern will be closed at the end of March for the installation and will reopen for its debut April 24.

With a partial federal government shutdown ongoing, officials with the Houston Airport System said on March 23 that passengers could continue to see growing wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), including in some cases exceeding four hours at IAH.

As a result, federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have begun supporting TSA operations at airports nationwide, including in Houston, Houston Airport System officials announced in a March 23 news release.

Some context: Due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began Feb. 14, TSA officers are working without pay, which is creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide.

Diving in deeper: Per the release, with the addition of ICE agents at Houston airports, screening procedures for passengers remain unchanged. Additionally, officials noted the number of available TSA screening lanes can vary by airport and shift, depending on staffing levels.

There are several places to visit in the Greater Houston area to celebrate MLB’s Opening Day. Check them out below. This is not a comprehensive list and events are subject to change.

Stats Sportsbar
For the Astros Opening Day, Stats will be hosting a watch party with 23-ounce beers, $1 wings all night, $2 off Stats’ signature drinks and old fashioneds and $5.50 purple Gatorade shots.

• March 26, 5 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 10850 Louetta Road, Houston

• March 26, 3 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 2503 Covey Lane, Pearland

• March 26, noon-3 p.m.
• $62-$498 (March 26 game ticket)
• 501 Crawford St., Houston

As part of Harris County’s goal to reform its criminal justice system, county leaders want to expand the capabilities of public attorneys who represent criminal defendants who cannot afford a lawyer, known as “indigent” cases.

The big picture: March data from the Public Defender's Office show public attorneys have been appointed to about 15% of felony indigent cases and 30% of misdemeanor cases so far this year. However, county leaders want the office to be able to take on half of all indigent cases in the legal system.

To do so, officials told commissioners they will need more funding for increased staffing and expanded services.

Did you know? All defendants charged with a crime in Harris County have a right to an attorney regardless of their ability to pay. In 2025, more than 88,000 indigent defendants in Harris County were appointed legal counsel, approximately 17% of whom were public attorneys. 

Looking forward: The PDO and the Managed Assigned Counsel Office will present commissioners with a strategic plan for expanded services by Aug. 1.