Town under black distillery

Autumn Johnson was an intern at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston when she stumbled, last summer, upon a largely unsung classic of Black independent cinema. Alma's Rainbow , written and directed by Ayoka Chenzira, originally opened in 1994, and had largely fallen out of the limelight until last year, when a new 4K DCP restoration began making the art-house and rep theater rounds. “I liked the film, but what really impressed me was the director’s background,” says the San Antonio-born Johnson, a recent University of Houston graduate. “I was like, 'I’ve never heard of her before. Like, how has she not been on my radar?'” Learning about Alma's Rainbow inspired Johnson to look for other indie films made by women of color. “I really did a lot of research one day in the office,” she says. “And I sent a little pitch email to Marian [Luntz, MFAH’s film curator] saying, ‘I don’t really see room for this film in the coming months, but I would love to see it featured for something … [Read more...] about Kick off Black History Month in Houston with this series of acclaimed indies

Love it or hate it, strip malls are the beating heart of Houston. In Chron's new series, we take you on a tour of the city's best, food-packed, culture-rich shopping centers. Most of Houston's strip malls, even the ones hiding the city's best restaurants , look like a drab ensemble of concrete and stucco you speed past on your way somewhere else. But slow down and look closer, and you'll notice a select few that are—dare we say?—quite attractive. This is the case of Tlaquepaque Market , perhaps the most colorful strip mall in Houston, which sits where Leeland Street becomes Telephone Road, in the heart of Houston's East End. It's named after the village of Tlaquepaque (tuh-laa-kay-paa-kee), an equally colorful destination in Jalisco, Mexico. In Houston, the shopping center's buildings are painted in vibrant blues, yellows, oranges, pinks and greens. Tlaquepaque Market stands out with its colorful buildings. (Photos by Emma Balter) Located in the Eastwood … [Read more...] about Take a tour of colorful Tlaquepaque Market in Houston’s East End

Following a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Houston Zoo is bringing back one of visitor's favorite events: Feast with the Beasts. During the unique 21 and older annual party, which will run between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on April 14, guests can get a taste of food selections from 30 of the Bayou City's top restaurants and sip on beer and wine while also being treated to live music performances and animal experiences throughout the zoo as the sun goes down. In a press release, Houston Zoo spokesperson Jackie Wallace said this year's event will be more exclusive than ever before. "Fewer tickets will be sold to ensure a more intimate and high-quality culinary experience," Wallace wrote. "This event is expected to sell out quickly—food and animal lovers should purchase tickets early." Some of the restaurants participating are Black Walnut Café, Blood Bros. BBQ , East Side King , Texas de Brazil, Dessert Gallery, Thai Kun and Soy Pinoy . Meanwhile, zoo … [Read more...] about Houston Zoo’s nocturnal dinner party lets you feast with the beasts

When it comes to wine bars in Houston, lovers of the grape can have a field day—and night. Whether you're planning a romantic evening, a celebration or a leisurely rendezvous, Houston's best bars for wine lovers have you covered with selections from regions around the world. In addition to traditional pours, you'll also find glasses of rare wines, natural wines, biodynamic wines and fortified wines. Bookmark this sampling of the hottest wine bars in Houston the next time you're ready to indulge in a glass or two of vino. Montrose wine bars Boheme Feel worlds away on Boheme's chill, romantic patio , surrounded by a garden adorned with stone sculptures from Zimbabwe, or inside amid antique fixtures from England, France and Germany. Globe-trotting selections include a red rosso by Raina in Italy, a tempranillo by Pixide in Spain, and a malbec-cabernet blend by Ricominciare in Argentina. Cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails are available too. Tasting bites : Pair … [Read more...] about These hip Houston wine bars are worthy of a toast

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government said Thursday it will hold a public inquiry into whether the deadliest bombing in Northern Ireland’s decades of violence could have been prevented. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced an independent probe of the 1998 car bombing in the town of Omagh that killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, and wounded hundreds more. An Irish Republican Army dissident group, the Real IRA, claimed responsibility. A court ordered the government to investigate in response to a legal challenge by Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed by the 225-kilogram (500-pound) bomb. Gallagher alleges that intelligence failings allowed a “preventable atrocity” to occur. Heaton-Harris said the inquiry "will focus specifically on the four grounds which the court held as giving rise to plausible arguments that the bombing could have been prevented,” including whether security services had advance intelligence of the bomb. It will … [Read more...] about UK to probe whether 1998 Omagh bomb could have been stopped

Frustrations over Connecticut’s roll out of a long-awaited expansion to the “Bottle Bill” that increases the number of beverages eligible for a deposit have spilled over into a public fight over the re-nomination of one of Gov. Ned Lamont’s cabinet secretaries, and sent top Democrats rushing to smooth over tensions with new legislation clarifying the nearly two-year-old law. The state’s commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Katie Dykes, is facing an unusual delay in the typical formality of having lawmakers sign off on a governor’s cabinet appointments, particularly those who are already in the position of leading an agency. While House leaders said this week that they ultimately expect to confirm Dykes, they warned that Republican anger over what they describe as a broken agreement to exclude wine-and-spirit-based seltzers from a large expansion of the state’s container redemption return program — better known as the Bottle Bill — could spark … [Read more...] about How hard seltzers are holding up the long-awaited expansion of Connecticut’s bottle return program

WASHINGTON - Almost from the day news broke that classified documents had turned up in the home and former office of President Biden, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has responded to questions about the matter by essentially not responding. "I would refer you to the White House Counsel's Office," she has said repeatedly. At Friday's press briefing, Jean-Pierre invoked the phrase or some variation of it eight times - including in response to a question about whether the White House has done an effective job communicating about the lingering controversy. As monotonous as it was, it wasn't even a record. A few days earlier, she fell back on the same response 25 times. On Wednesday, after FBI agents conducted a search of Biden's beach home, reporters repeatedly asked if the White House had been "transparent" about the investigation. "What should the public take away from the fact that you're keeping information like this from the public?" asked Associated Press … [Read more...] about Questioned on Biden documents, his press secretary has only one answer

This might come as a bit of a shock, but the Taycan's design dates to 2015 when Porsche previewed what was to become its first electric car with the Mission E. Four years later, the subsequent production version debuted at the same Frankfurt Motor Show as the concept from which it largely inherited the sleek styling. Fast forward to February 2023, a cleverly disguised prototype of the facelifted version has been spotted cold-weather testing. With good reason, you might be tempted to say nothing has changed. However, a closer look at the front bumper shows a body-colored disguise to conceal the air intakes positioned under the headlights on the current Taycan . That black tape hides potential changes to the bumper that could extend to the center. Although the headlights look virtually identical, that could change for the production-ready model since Porsche might be currently testing an early version. 2024 Porsche Taycan facelift spy photos 11 Photos … [Read more...] about Porsche Taycan Facelift Spied With Deceiving Camouflage

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 In the wake of Hulu's series "Pam and Tommy," it feels apt for Pamela Anderson to tell her story without talk show hosts interjecting jokes about her breasts. Coinciding with the release of Anderson's memoir, "Love, Pamela," the documentary "Pamela, a Love Story" strips Anderson down without sexualizing her, something that has been woefully missing from her narrative. Years of the "Baywatch" star's diaries, VHS tapes and personal photos provide unpolished snapshots of her life, leaving audiences with a rough portrait of the person behind the packaging. Director Ryan White ("Good Night Oppy") pieces together Anderson's life chronologically, though all roads seem to lead back to her ex-husband Tommy Lee. Their short-lived relationship blemishes so much of Anderson's story, which is punctuated by comments from the pair's two adult sons. It's not a happy story. Rather, it's the … [Read more...] about New movies to stream this week: ‘Pamela, a Love Story’ and more