Houston City Council approved new bylaws May 6 for the nonprofit foundation tied to BARC Animal Services in the first step toward trying to help increase operational funding for the shelter.

The setup: The Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department hired a consultant in early 2026 to help the city revitalize the BARC Foundation, a nonprofit formed in 2010 whose duties include fundraising to support the operation of the BARC Animal Services.

The consultant determined that the revitalization effort should include:

• Creating and approving new bylaws for the board
• Hiring an executive director to manage the day-to-day duties of the foundation
• Appointing new board members

Officials with the ongoing restoration of the Swift Building in the Heights announced May 6 three new tenants that will be joining the project when it opens in late 2026.

Read all about it: SweatHouz is a contrast therapy studio and will occupy approximately 1,800 square feet in the historic building. The studio will offer infrared saunas, cold plunges and guided wellness protocols.

Strong Pilates will also join the tenant mix with 2,500 square feet in the Swift Building. The studio focuses on high-intensity, low-impact workouts that blend Pilates with strength and cardio training.

Also joining the lineup is The Skin Clinic, a Houston-based aesthetics and skincare destination. The clinic offers advanced services focused on skin health and rejuvenation, according to the release.

Something to note: Construction on the Swift Building is still underway. Per the release, delivery is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2026. The project is over 80% leased.

• 621 Waverley St., Houston

Nine Houston ISD schools will be piloting a new education model in the 2026-27 school year that will include core subject studies, learning activities and training in artificial intelligence use.

What’s happening?: HISD’s Future 2 pilot program will debut at seven more schools than originally planned, joining Gregg Elementary School and Clemente Martinez Elementary School, which were already scheduled to utilize the model.

Schools recently added to the Future 2 launch for the 2026-27 school year are:

• Bonham Elementary School
• Shadydale Elementary School
• Southmayd Elementary School
• Deady Middle School
• Forest Brook Middle School
• Hartman Middle School
• Sugar Grove Middle School

As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.