#Texas

A recent nationwide study ranking America’s most and least educated metropolitan areas has revealed that several Texas cities are near the bottom of the list, underscoring growing concerns about regional educational disparities. Compiled by personal finance website WalletHub, the 2025 report compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on educational attainment and the quality of education, with four Texas metros ranking among the bottom 11 and one Texas city, Austin, placing prominently among America’s best-educated urban centers.

Texas has become the latest—and one of the largest—states in the United States to ban students’ use of cell phones in all public K-12 schools, following the signing of House Bill 1481 by the state governor earlier this week (KXAN). The law gives individual districts two options for compliance: either prohibit all student devices on school property outright, or require students to store their phones securely and inaccessible during the school day (KHOU). The ban is set to take effect across the state for the 2025–2026 academic year (Statesman).

Genesis Steakhouse & Wine Bar, a landmark of Houston’s Jewish dining scene and a gathering place for the Meyerland area, announced its closure after 12 years in business, citing the devastating loss of its kosher certification as the turning point. The restaurant’s last day will be April 30, 2025, drawing a bittersweet close for staff and patrons who cherished its mix of tradition, food, and community events (Eater Houston).

For the Jewish community, the news hits hard. Genesis wasn’t just a steakhouse; it had become a cornerstone of local Jewish life, hosting simchas, birthdays, and holiday meals, and ensuring those who keep kosher could enjoy high-quality dining out. The closure follows a dispute with the Houston Kashruth Association (HKA), the local body responsible for kosher certification. In January 2025, after Rabbi Nosson Dubin discovered a missing invoice for frozen fish during an inspection and was not provided with the required documentation, the HKA swiftly revoked the restaurant’s kosher status. Owner Jason Goldstein explained that key staff responsible for documentation were unavailable at the time, though he maintained that all meat and fish were sourced from certified kosher vendors and overseen by an onsite kosher supervisor.

In a concerning development from West Texas, Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock has reported treating fewer than 10 pediatric patients for vitamin A toxicity, amidst a misinformation wave regarding vitamin A’s role in treating measles. This surge in cases is attributed to a misunderstanding promoted recently in media, particularly by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., suggesting that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality rates.

The children affected, initially hospitalized due to measles complications, now face the added complication of vitamin A toxicity, which can cause abnormal liver function and disrupt overall health, according to the National Institutes of Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has emphasized that while vitamin A may be administered as part of supportive care in severe measles cases, it is not a replacement for vaccination. This message, echoed by Dr. Philip Huang of Dallas County Health and Human Services, underlines the critical importance of the measles vaccine as the primary preventive measure.