Good morning, Houston. Did you feel particularly down in the dumps yesterday? There's a good reason for it, according to Dr. Cliff Arnal, a psychologist at Cardiff University: Arnal has named Jan. 22 the most depressing day of the year, what with the gloomy weather, post-holiday bills and failed new year's resolutions. But here's a reason to cheer back up: Today is National Pie Day! If anyone needs us, you know where we'll be celebrating.
>> Six more months of FEMA help: FEMA confirmed Monday that housing assistance will continue through Aug. 31 for about 128,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita who are still living in apartments, mobile homes and trailers nearly a year and a half after the storms hit. It's a six-month extension past the previous deadline, but some Houston evacuees are calling for an 18-month extension — and some activists want permanent housing assistance for elderly and disabled evacuees.
>> Good times for Texas workers: The state's unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in December, an 0.2 percent decrease from November and a five-year low. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, 213,000 new jobs were added in Texas during 2006, representing a 2.2 percent growth rate for the year; the new unemployment figures put Texas in line with the national unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.
>> The power of aspirin: It's long been thought that giving aspirin to cancer patients who have heart attacks was a bad idea because it could cause lethal bleeding. But according to research done at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, that's not the case: Without aspirin, most of the patients will die. It's big news for the 10 million cancer patients worldwide, 15 percent of whom could suffer heart attacks because of blood clots during their treatment.
>> Today's weather: If you like cold and rainy, boy, are you going to have a good time for the next couple of days. Today, expect a chance of rain in the afternoon, followed by a greater chance tonight. The high will be around 50, but a north wind could make it feel cooler than that; tonight, look for a low in the lower 40s.
What else is going on? Keep reading and find out ...
- He's been on death row for 31 years, but Ronald Chambers' number isn't up quite yet: Texas' longest-serving condemned inmate got a reprieve yesterday from the U.S. Supreme Court
- In League City, former Mayor Pat Hallisey is questioning a policy that lets most police officers take their patrol cars home for personal use
- Business was good last year at the Port of Houston Authority, which reported a record $164.7 million in operating revenue for 2006
- Guillermo Paniagua, a four-time convicted drunk driver, remained in jail last night, accused of killing Needville Police Chief Ernesto Mendoza in a car crash Friday
- State Sen. Mario Gallegos, who had a liver transplant Friday, is in good condition, according to his staff — but it may take him two months to fully recover
- Police have identified the woman whose body was found stuffed under a South Loop motel bed Friday: Rachel Renee Lyle, 33, of Texas City
- Security was tight yesterday as four drug lords appeared in a Houston court to face drug and intimidation charges; the four were transferred from Mexican prisons because they were continuing their drug operations from their cells
- Good news for Houston: Even if Continental Airlines merges with another company, Houston will still remain a major air hub, Continental Chairman Larry Kellner said yesterday
- If you drive a Ford truck, you might want to go see if it's still in the driveway: The trucks were the most stolen cars in Houston in December, according to HPD
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Photo: flickr user mittens oh my!
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