Space City Snub?

Rocketing emotions: Houston rallies, but Washington has to listen for spaceshuttle to come home

An inflatable shuttle marked the occasion outside city hall
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Mayor Annise Parker said the effort to get the shuttle had her full 100 percentsupport, and she admitted she found it "frustrating" to even have to make theargument.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Mascots and city officials gather to "bring the shuttle home"
Photo by Sarah Rufca
The marching band from the Raul Yzaguirre School For Success performed as well.
Photo by Sarah Rufca

When the final three space shuttles are formally retired this year, where should they go for retirement?

Logic and a bit of common sense says one could go in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, another could hang out at Cape Canaveral in Florida, with a third finding a home in Houston, right? Not so fast.

"You like to think that decisions made in Washington are always logical," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said at Houston's Bring The Shuttle Home rally on Wednesday. "They're not."

The current competition to land a shuttle has gotten intense, with 30 cities submitting applications. That's why Houston has turned on the press machine, declaring Wednesday "Bring The Shuttle Home" day in Houston and organizing a rally outside city hall.

City council members, Houston sports mascots, Astros announcer Milo Hamilton and representatives from NASA were all on hand to argue that no other city can claim a piece of space history like we can.

"NASA is ours," said Mayor Annise Parker, who arrived late after finishing up city council meeting business. "These are our friends, our neighbors, and we will take care of it with the care and concern only a family can have."

Parker and others urged people to log on to bringtheshuttlehome.com and write or call their congressman to advocate to get the shuttle in Houston. The decision about where the three shuttles will go is set for April 12.

The event also drove home the point that Houston has earned a shuttle not only from achievement but through sacrifice. Evelyn Husband Thompson — the widow of astronaut Rick Husband, who died in the Columbia shuttle disaster in 2003 — represented a trio of NASA widows from both the Columbia and Challenger tragedies. Husband Thompson said that astronauts and their families have made a home in Houston.

"New York is great, but New York doesn't have astronauts or mission control," she said. Husband Thompson ended by quoting Rep. Pete Olson's argument that no one has "shed more tears or found more pain" from the space mission tragedies than Houston.

Appealing to logic and emotion. If that doesn't work, I don't know what will.

unspecified

a new record

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo commits over $30 million to education

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo cattle exhibition

Courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The money supports studies in fields such as animal husbandry.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continues its annual tradition of breaking its own record when it comes to educational endowments. On Giving Tuesday, the organization pledged to disburse $30,353,380 in 2026 in the form of scholarships, grants, and other funding.

“This milestone moment of reaching $30 million in a single year highlights the Rodeo’s unwavering dedication to Texas youth and education,” HLSR president and CEO Chris Boleman said in a statement. “Thanks to our loyal donors, sponsors, more than 36,000 volunteers and dedicated attendees, 2026 will reach historic heights in supporting the next generation of leaders, agricultural professionals and organizations that share the Rodeo’s mission.”

This brings the total of education funding provided by the Rodeo since 1932 up to $660 million. Last year's $28 million commitment also set a new record.

One innovation this year is the establishment of the Area Go Texan Vocational Scholarship, a program that expands on the relationship with 68 Texas counties through the Area Go Texan affiliate program. One student from each county will receive $6,000 toward a degree or certificate in a vocational field at a Texas nonprofit college or university. Another $500,000 in vocational scholarships will awarded to 10 schools in 2026. Guidelines for applying can be found at this link.

In total, the Rodeo will hand out $15,126,000 in scholarships, $11,273,500 to junior exhibitors, $3,430,880 in grants, and $523,000 in graduate assistantships. Grants will be awarded to 82 Texas institutions and organizations, such as Arts for Rural Texas, BridgeYear, The Bryan Museum, Diversity in the Arts and Entertainment, Greater Houston Partnership Foundation, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA), Space Center Houston, Texas State University Development Foundation, and University of St. Thomas at Houston.

Money for the annual endowment is raised through the annual auctions, sales of livestock and art, and through charitable donations. The goal of the endowment program is to promote study and research in agriculture, animal husbandry, and other fields that directly benefit the Rodeo.

The Rodeo is scheduled to run from March 2 – 22, 2026. More information on performers, attractions, and vendors can be found at RodeoHouston.com. Scholarship applications are open through February 2, with funds being awarded in summer 2026.

rodeohouston houston livestock show and rodeo