The Houston Police Department secured three years of federal funding for a hiring initiative that will bring in 50 new full-time cadets.

The gist: Houston City Council on Jan. 21 approved the $6.25 million federal grant with a nearly $2.1 million cash match from the city, according to agenda documents.

The grant comes from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, within the U.S. Department of Justice, the documents show. The COPS program aims to increase the community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts of local law enforcement agencies, according to the DOJ’s website.

More details: The grant provides $125,000 per officer distributed across three years for 50 total recruits. Houston is required to provide at least a 25% cash match. However, the city’s actual contribution will exceed the minimum requirement as the projected cost per officer surpasses $125,000, city documents show.

Why it matters: HPD struggled with staff shortages in 2025, as the number of officers leaving the department has historically outpaced new recruits, according to Community Impact.

With one location in San Antonio and another near the Houston Heights, the third Pinkerton’s Barbecue location opened in mid January in the Upper Kirby area and will serve a similar menu as its other locations, along with rotating cheesecakes.

How we got here: Established in 2016, Pinkerton’s Barbecue serves Texas-style pit barbecue, including slow-smoked brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, sausage and chicken. 

The restaurant was founded by award-winning pitmaster Grant Pinkerton, a Houston native who graduated from Lamar High School and the University of Texas.

• 3801 Farnham St., Houston

Houston ISD board managers reviewed the results of a new family survey, officials said, which shows growing family confidence in their children’s education and the overall direction of the district.

The details: Matt Sawyer, HISD's deputy chief of data and impact, presented the results of the survey to board managers during the Jan. 15 meeting. Sawyer noted the results of the survey indicated improved feelings toward the district compared to the results of a similar survey conducted in May.

A closer look: Sawyer said the survey was sent out to around 104,700 families and included responses from more than 11,000 families from across the district, representing a roughly 25.7% response rate. Sawyer noted the survey included more than double the number of respondents who participated in a similar survey administered in the spring, noting the demographic breakdown of respondents closely resembled that of the district.

What’s next: HISD officials said in the news release that they will use the survey findings to maintain quality instruction and identify opportunities for continued acceleration and advancement.

Three Republicans are running for Texas attorney general in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: After three terms as Texas' top lawyer, incumbent Ken Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving his office open. Joan Huffman, Mayes Middleton, Aaron Reitz and Chip Roy are seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general.

Stay tuned: The winner of the Republican primary will face the winning Democratic candidate in November. The winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Three Democrats are running for Texas attorney general in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: After three terms as Texas' top lawyer, incumbent Ken Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving his office open. Anthony “Tony” Box, Joe Jaworski and Nathan Johnson are vying for the Democratic nomination to succeed Paxton as attorney general.

Looking ahead: The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.