🌱 Project Unloaded + New Dining

Good morning, Houston. I'm here in your inbox today to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Today we'll cover...

• Houston youths seeking to bust gun myths.
• Art shows going on this month.
• The best new restaurants in Houston according to local food writers.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 79 Low: 59.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. Houston youths are attempting to change American gun culture by taking to social media in a campaign called Project Unloaded. Organization founder Nina Vinik believes that the narrative of gun ownership in America is skewed away from data that proves owning a gun makes life more dangerous, not safer. Vinik said, "That myth is really at the core of America's gun culture. We’re out to change the cultural narrative, to bust that myth and create a new narrative that guns make us less safe." Facts that they share include that guns make victims of abuse are 5x more likely to be killed if there is a gun in the home, homicide rates are twice as high in homes where guns are accessible, and more than half of gun owners do not store their guns safely. (Houston Chronicle)
2. The new year is kicking off with the unveiling of numerous art exhibits throughout Houston that you won't want to miss. Holocaust Museum Houston is putting on "Woman, the Spirit of the Universe" starting this Friday, featuring collar sculptures that represent American women throughout U.S. history. Rice Moody Center for the Arts is presenting "Narrative Threads: Fiber Art Today" where the ancient art form of fiber and textiles will be used to speak on modern issues including gender, sexuality, identity, race, and power. In lieu of a terrible fire that destroyed the works of artists at Winter Street Studios last month, Silver Street Studios is hosting an art fundraiser on January 21st that will provide stipends to the artists affected by the fire. (CultureMap Houston)
3. Houston food writers shared their favorite new Houston restaurants in a podcast called The Full Menu. The writers talked about a variety of eateries, on of which was a Vietnamese bistro in the Heights called Moon Rabbit where classic Vietnamese dishes are served with a modern twist. Also in the Heights, Gatlin's Fins and Feathers fries seafood and chicken alongside BBQ and biscuits for servings of comfort food you won't soon forget. Lastly, they also mentioned modern Israeli restaurant Hamsa in Rice Village where the hummus and falafel is hard to rival and larger groups can easily enjoy a family style meal. (Houston Public Media)
4. A Missouri City police officer running for Houston mayor is being charged for alleged assaults of her boyfriend using a police baton and a taser. The officer has since posted a $15,000 bond and awaits release from Harris County jail. Conditions of her release include that she does not have any contact with the victim and she cannot carry a firearm. The victim told the court that he has been repeatedly abused by his police officer girlfriend in multiple incidents last year. The officer's campaign website establishes her as a "natural born leader" and former marine. If elected as mayor, she promises to relentlessly fight crime. (KPRC Click2Houston)
5. Popular Houston area bull rider Demetrius Omar Lateef Allen, 21, was killed by his girlfriend after she witnessed him flirting with one of her friends. Allen's girlfriend and suspected killer called into 911 and reported that Allen was breaking into her home when she shot and killed him, unloading every bullet she had. Thankfully, her friend and eyewitness called into 911 immediately after the shooting and reported that Allen had only come to pick up his belongings from her apartment. According to police, the shooter was heavily intoxicated when the crime occurred. When taken into custody, she made statements such as "Is Demetrius OK? Did I hurt him? If I hurt him, I'm going to be so f***** up." (KPRC Click2Houston)

Headlines you need to see:

• Harris County prosecutor who moonlights as popular TikTok chef taking heat for tweets about Black women (KPRC Click2Houston)
• Houston taqueria shooting: Mother of taqueria suspect killed by customer in self-defense speaks out (FOX 26 Houston)
• METRO train derails after high-speed chase ends in crash in downtown Houston (KHOU.com)
• Public housing waitlist in Houston reopening for first time in 5 years, HHA says (KHOU.com)
• Kite festivals mark Hindu celebration of the sun, Makar Sankranti (Houston Chronicle)

Today in Houston:

• Clutch City Wednesdays Ice Skating at Discovery Green (5 p.m.)
• The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience at a Secret Location (5:30 p.m.)
• Dungeons & Dragons with Circle of Barhaven at Darkhorse Tavern (6 p.m.)
• Concert: ROCO Beer & Brass at St. Arnold Brewing Company (6:30 p.m.)
• Comedy: Jeff Dunham - Still Not Cancelled at NRG Park (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A Houston man separated from his wife attempted to cook her alive by setting fire to the house in which she was staying. The crime led to a SWAT standoff where the suspect set his own house on fire, but he was ultimately arrested. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)
• The Mega Millions prize has grown to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot. It's the second highest the jackpot has ever been. (KPRC2 / Click2Houston via Facebook)
• The FAA ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 8 a.m. this morning due to a computer glitch. The pause resulted in 3,700 flights being delayed and another 640 being cancelled last night. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update. See you then!