Houston Actor Accused Of Murder

A 21-year-old actor once considered a rising Hollywood star has been accused of murder in Harris County.

Akili McDowell, who starred in “Billions” and “David Makes Man” and appears in the recent film “The Waterboyz,” is charged with killing a 20-year-old man who allegedly attempted to buy drugs from him. McDowell was reportedly known as “the weed man” at his apartment complex.

The murder occurred on July 20, but police didn’t arrest McDowell until two weeks later.

McDowell is being held on a $400,000 bond. Prosecutors assigned him a public defender after he claimed he couldn’t afford an attorney.

Highway Chaos Derails Morning Commute

A bizarre incident shut down the westbound lanes of I-635 in Northeast Dallas for several hours on Tuesday morning.

Following a crash, one of the drivers exited his vehicle and instigated a fight with one of the other drivers involved. A bystander tried to intervene but was stabbed by the suspect, who then got into an empty TxDOT vehicle and ran into the employee it belonged to.

Yet another bystander tried to help after seeing the TxDOT employee get hit, but the suspect entered that person’s vehicle and hit him or her with it.

Finally, several Good Samaritans were able to tackle the man and detain him until police arrived. The suspect and three victims were taken to local hospitals.

Texas Is Third Most Religious State 

Texas is the third most religious state in the U.S., after Alabama and Virginia, according to a study by charity directory SmileHub.

Using various data sets, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Religion Census, and Google Trends, SmileHub compared the 50 states across several categories.

Texas leads in faith-based charities per capita and religion-themed Google searches, earning it a first-place ranking in the “Religion-Affiliated Organizations” category and second place (behind North Carolina) in “Religious Interest & Places of Worship.”

Although denomination didn’t factor into the study’s rankings, the U.S. Religion Census shows that Southern Baptist is the predominant religious identity in North Texas and the Panhandle, while South and West Texas are predominantly Catholic.

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➤ Several Central Texas counties experienced 911 service disruptions on Sunday. Officials say emergency lines were “intentionally” overloaded by coordinated robocalls. (See Details)

➤ Houston: The late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s children endorsed former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner for her Congressional seat. The Nov. 5 election winner will complete her term and serve the next two years. (More)

➤ Uvalde: A DPS officer who was suspended with pay following the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary in 2022 has been reinstated after a local grand jury declined to bring charges and an internal review cleared him of wrongdoing. (See Details)

➤ Austin: The city council unanimously approved Lisa Davis, a 30-year veteran and former assistant chief of the Cincinnati Police Department, as the city’s next police chief on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Galveston County: A federal appeals court ruled that the county didn’t violate the Voting Rights Act in redrawing a district where black and Latino voters formed a majority coalition. (More)

➤ San Antonio: A 46-year-old man is accused of using fireworks to set booby traps on toilets at two local businesses. Three victims sustained minor injuries. (More)

➤ Pearland: A 66-year-old man died a week after getting infected with a flesh-eating vibrio bacteria while fishing in Freeport. (Watch Video)

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➤ Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Smith hit a two-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th inning of Monday’s game against the Houston Astros. (Watch Video)

➤ Check out this gorgeous sideline pass from Houston Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud to new wide receiver Stefon Diggs. (Watch Video)

➤ Southlake’s Sam Watson broke his own world record in men’s speed climbing with this incredible 4.75-second time to advance to the quarterfinals in the Olympics competition. (Watch Video)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | Leagues Cup

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➤ Insurance and financial services giant USAA agreed to a $64 million settlement with customers who serve in the military over alleged violations of federal law. The company maintains its innocence. (More)

➤ Dell employees received a memo on Monday announcing job cuts and AI-focused restructuring. The announcement follows layoffs of 13,000 at the Round Rock-based company in 2023. (See Details)

➤ A new partnership between Texas Produced Water Consortium and Natura Resources aims to deploy molten salt nuclear reactors in the Permian Basin, providing additional energy for the region and a profitable use for the high-salinity water produced by the oil industry. (More)

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New, breakthrough research proves how you can grow back cartilage in your bone joints.

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➤ Laredo residents are on high alert as two mountain lions were spotted near a school. Authorities shot and killed a mountain lion last month after it wandered onto a resident’s property. (See Details)

➤ Houston breakdancer Moy Rivas was selected as a judge for the Olympics breaking competition in Paris. He sees the sport’s inclusion in this year’s games as a recognition of its cultural importance. (More)

➤ This list of the best Texas wineries to visit highlights diverse options across the state, from urban tasting rooms in Austin to scenic Hill Country estates and high-altitude vineyards in Far West Texas. (See List)

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At what age should children receive a cell phone?

1. When they go to school
2. At least 8 years old
3. At least 10 years old
4. At least 12 years old
5. At least 14 years old
6. At least 16 years old
7. At least 18 years old
8. When they can pay for their own
9. Other

Tuesday’s Results:

Should schools ban cell phones in the classroom?

1. Yes: 87.0%
2. No: 13.0%

How many electoral votes did Texas cast in its first U.S. presidential election?

Show me the answer