Houstonian Jeffrey Louis is vying for a spot on the USA Olympic break-dancing team as the sport makes its Olympic debut this summer in Paris. Why it matters: Breaking — an urban dance style with roots in hip-hop culture that originated in the U.S. and was commercialized by 1980s pop culture — faced an uphill battle to get on the Olympic stage.

Data: CDC; Chart: Axios VisualsThe rate of cesarean births in Texas is more than the national average, according to new data.By the numbers: In Texas, the 2023 C-section rate was 34.5%, according to provisional CDC data.C-sections accounted for about 134,000 of the 388,000 births in Texas last year.That rate has fluctuated less than 1% each year over the last eight years.Zoom out: The national C-section delivery rate increased in 2023 to 32.4%, up from 32.1% in 2022, according to the CDC data.That's the highest rate since 2013 and the fourth annual increase after the rate generally declined from 2009-2019, says the CDC.The rates are well above the 10%-15% rate the World Health Organization considers "ideal."Yes, but: An increase in C-sections doesn't necessarily mean the rate of unnecessary procedures has risen.There are other factors at play, like sicker patients.What we're watching: Expanding access to doula care could lower the rates of C-sections.Doulas are there for psychological support during the often-overwhelming labor process, and to help with birth positions that could avoid the need for a C-section.

While Houston transit ridership is rebounding from the pandemic, many passengers are experiencing longer wait times for rides and want improvements, a new report finds.Why it matters: The annual Equity in Transit report, released Wednesday by transportation advocacy group LINK Houston, provides a playbook for the Metropolitan Transit Authority to improve service in the coming years.Driving the news: LINK Houston evaluated how well Metro is serving Greater Houstonians, particularly those who rely on public transit for work, education and healthcare.By the numbers: Weekly ridership in February 2024 was 86% of weekly ridership in February 2020 — the second-highest recovery among...

Another hotter-than-usual summer is in store for Texas, per federal forecasters.Why it matters: Extreme heat is a major public health threat and plays a role in droughts and wildfires.Hot weather, particularly heat waves, also threatens the reliability of the increasingly strained electricity grid.Threat level: The ways climate change is altering the character of American summers increasingly stands out.2023 was the warmest summer on record for Houston, according to the National Weather Service, with 45 days with temperatures of 100 or higher. The highest temperature in Houston last year was 109°F.What they're saying: Extremely hot days were "rare in the 1970s...

The City of Houston is attempting to keep secret the personnel file for a police officer who has been involved in four fatal shootings since 2022.Catch up quick: Axios filed an open records request with the City of Houston on April 15 for two officers' personnel files after the Houston Police Department released security and bodycam footage of a March shooting that identified officer Devin Inocencio as one of the shooters.The other personnel file requested was for officer Shaun Houlihan.Driving the news: On Monday, the city sent a letter to the Texas Attorney General's Office asking to withhold the files...

The hills are alive in "The Sound of Music" production at the Houston Grand Opera.Why it matters: "The Sound of Music" at the Wortham Theater stays true to Rodgers and Hammerstein's original vision for the musical. When it premiered on Broadway in 1959, it featured operatic singing and a full orchestra.The HGO's production, with its large orchestra and chorus, allows the audience to experience the grandeur of the musical, director Francesca Zambello tells Axios.Driving the news: "The Sound of Music" is already the bestselling production in the opera house's recent history in terms of single ticket sales, HGO CEO Khori...

Harris County has asked the Texas Supreme Court to allow its guaranteed income pilot program to proceed as courts decide whether it's legal.Why it matters: The fate of the Uplift Harris program remains uncertain as the state Supreme Court weighs a legal challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton.The 18-month program, if allowed to move forward, will send $500 a month to 1,900 low-income Harris County families.State of play: 8% of Harris County residents live in areas of persistent poverty, per the Houston Chronicle.Catch up quick: Harris County commissioners approved the program in June 2023, and by February, more than 82,500...

Data: Zillow; Note: Typical home value refers to the average of the middle third of Zillow home value estimates for every home in a given region with a county record, including single-family, condominium and co-operative homes; Table: Axios VisualsA ZIP code in The Woodlands, Shenandoah and Spring is among Houston's hottest, per Zillow data shared with Axios.The big picture: That area saw the metro's highest jump in typical home values compared to a year earlier, according to Zillow's latest analysis.State of play: More inventory, partly from new construction, is "a key reason home value appreciation in Texas has come back...

Prices in Texas' biggest real estate markets haven't budged much this year.Why it matters: Home prices statewide chilled out after peaking in 2022 but remain a third higher than pre-pandemic, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.State of play: The median home price in Texas was about $334,000 in February, research director Daniel Oney tells Axios.Here are examples of what roughly that amount can get shoppers in the state's major metros.Reality check: Austin ($440,000) and Dallas-Fort Worth ($390,000) houses typically sold for more than the state median, while homes in Houston ($330,000) and San Antonio...

A majority of likely Texas voters in the November election disapprove of using public dollars to subsidize private school tuition, according to a new survey.Why it matters: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott continues to support school vouchers despite fractured opinions within his own party and the Legislature's inability to pass a bill after two special sessions on the topic last year.Driving the news: The findings come from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, which surveyed 1,600 people this month on contested issues like vouchers, abortion and the border.The foundation released its findings Wednesday.The intrigue: 57% of respondents said they disapproved of using...

Southwest Airlines will stop flying in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in August, just a few years after returning to the airport.The big picture: The Dallas-based airline announced Thursday that it's cutting operations at four airports — including Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, Bellingham International Airport in Washington, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York — after losing $231 million in the first quarter.It's also reducing capacity at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport and will limit hiring but did not indicate it will lay off employees.Between the lines: As an entirely Boeing-fleet airline,...

The suburban sheriff's office investigating last month's deadly police shooting by several Houston-area officers has declined to release bodycam footage.Why it matters: The denial highlights inconsistent policies surrounding the release of police bodycam footage across the Houston region.Some agencies — including the Houston Police Department — voluntarily release footage of police shootings for transparency, while others do so only if required by law.Catch up quick: Six officers from three agencies opened fire on Roosevelt Overton Jr., 44, as he fled after an armed robbery in the Montgomery County city of Oak Ridge North on March 11.In the hours before the...

Data: Chain Store Guide; Note: Stores under the same brand name have been combined — e.g., Walmart and Walmart Supercenter; Chart: Axios VisualsKroger unseated H-E-B and its affiliates as the chain with the largest share of the Houston region's grocery marketplace last year.Why it matters: Kroger and H-E-B are waging a quiet war for the hearts and wallets of Greater Houstonians.The two chains combined made up more than 45% of the region's grocery market in 2023, according to new data shared with Axios by Chain Store Guide, which tracks the retail and food service industries.The big picture: Kroger loyalists bolstered...

Hundreds of thousands of acres will be added to wildlife refuges in Texas, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Why it matters: The new acquisitions and conservation areas managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System in Texas aim to conserve the habitats and protect the state's diverse wildlife.The land will also be evaluated for potential recreational opportunities and public access, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced.What they're saying: "Texas is one of the most biodiverse states in the U.S. with tens of thousands of native animal and plant species inhabiting hundreds of different habitat types," Amy Lueders, the Fish...

The Houston Texans unveiled new uniforms for the first time in franchise history ahead of the 2024-25 season.Why it matters: The four uniforms — home, away, alternate and Color Rush — were designed with input from local fans, based on 10,000 surveys and feedback from 30 focus groups, per the franchise.What they're saying: "They are even more special because they are inspired by and for our fans," Texans owner Cal McNair said in a statement. "Our fans asked us to be more H-Town, and we delivered."The home uniform and away jerseys are a more modern interpretation of the traditional jerseys introduced in 2000.The alternate uniform is a bright-red take on the away jersey and has a new bullhorn-inspired logo on the helmet.The Color Rush city-inspired uniform introduces H-Town Blue, the first new color introduced in Texans history.

Harris County and Texas Southern University programs will receive more than $400 million in federal funding for residential solar projects.The big picture: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Earth Day that 60 applicants had been selected for its $7 billion Solar for All program.The program is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to support low-income and disadvantaged communities by providing rooftop solar systems and access to community solar farms.State of play: The Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition received $249.7 million to make home solar projects more affordable and create programs for residents to find good-paying...

A Houston police officer is back on active duty after being involved in a fatal shooting last month, the fourth time in his six-year career that he's been investigated for using deadly force.Why it matters: Even as officer Devin Inocencio, 27, faces criminal and internal affairs investigations into the latest deadly shooting, Houston Police Department officials have allowed him back on the streets, a police spokesperson confirmed to Axios.Inocencio is also facing a civil rights lawsuit over a separate shooting.Driving the news: On March 11 in Oak Ridge North in Montgomery County, Inocencio and five other law enforcement officers opened...

Early voting begins Monday for the May 4 election.Why it matters: It's expected to be a low-turnout election, although the results could have an outsized impact on property taxes and Houston's representation in Austin.Driving the news: In Harris County, voters for the first time will elect three board positions for the Harris Central Appraisal District, which determines annual property valuations based on market values, for tax purposes.The change comes after lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2 last year, approved by voters in the fall, creating three elected board seats in counties with populations over 75,000, to increase accountability.What they're saying: Bill...

Most people scroll Zillow Gone Wild for entertainment, but more real estate agents in Houston are leveraging social media buzz to attract serious home shoppers to their listings.Why it matters: "Screen appeal is the new curb appeal," Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy tells Axios.Follow the money: Zillow Gone Wild creator Samir Mezrahi parlayed his popularity into a new HGTV show that cashes in on viewers' nosiness about other people's houses."When I'm bored on my phone, I like to look at houses everywhere. And I think other people do that, but there wasn't a space for people to talk about that,"...

😂 Laugh it up at an open mic comedy night at Near Northside's Bad Astronaut Brewing Co. on Monday.Free. Sign-up begins at 8:30pm, and the show starts at 9pm.🌕 Enjoy the full Moon from downtown's beautiful Marriott Marquis Houston rooftop pool on Tuesday.Day passes start at $25. 5:30pm-9:30pm.🎵 Listen to music from singer-songwriter Lola Kirke and country artist Dale Hollow at Midtown's Continental Club on Tuesday.Tickets start at $18. Show is at 7pm.🛍️ Shop from business-minded kids at the Children's Entrepreneur Market in River Oaks on Wednesday.4pm-8pm.🖼️ Hear from art historians about abstract expressionism and Janet Sobel at the Menil on Wednesday.Free. 6pm-7pm.