Morning Roundup: Hometown hero edition

Good morning, Houston. If you're a fan of the Early Show, you probably caught Mayor White's national television appearance Monday morning. He appeared on the show seated between two foxy ladies, Caroline Kennedy and Doris Voitier, to discuss his receipt of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Like we told you before, he and Mrs. Voitier are sharing the award for their outstanding public service during and after Hurricane Katrina. This award is the nation's most prestigious honor for public servants, and we couldn't be more proud. We just hope this doesn't mean the mayor's going to leave us for Hollywood. If you missed the piece, you can view it online here.

>> Hobby makes passenger satisfaction its hobby: For the second year in a row, Hobby Airport was named the top small airport in North America for customer satisfaction. The study defined a small airport as one that serves less than 10 million passengers a year. It evaluated things like airport accessibility, baggage claim, check-in/baggage check, terminal facilities, security check, food and beverage, retail services, and immigration/customs control. Topping the large airports was another Texas treasure, Dallas/Fort Worth International.

>> Not so fast, top ten percenters: The House version of a bill that would limit the percentage of top-ten percenters that make up incoming classes at the University of Texas is expected in the Texas legislature today. The Senate version of the bill limits top-ten kids to 50%, while the House version scaled it back to 67%. The bills are likely headed for a conference committee where lawmakers will try to work out a compromise before the session ends Monday. Previously, high school students who ranked in the top ten percent of their graduating classes could expect automatic admission to UT. Last year, these students accounted for 71% of UT's freshman class.

>> Mmm, chicken fat: The nation's first power plant run completely on bio-diesel is located just north of Houston and provides power to Oak Ridge North, just on the outskirts of the Woodlands (can exurbs have suburbs?). The plant runs on vegetable oils and chicken fat, which reduces the production of nasty chemicals and emissions. Biofuel is great, but it's expensive. Right now, the federal government provides a subsidy to manufacturers who are trying to find the cheapest bio-fuel product. That subsidy is scheduled to run out in December of 2008, and manufacturers are lobbying their lawmakers in the hopes of getting an extension

>> Today's weather: The weather will be hit-and-miss again today. The forecast calls for some clouds, some wind, and a 30% chance of rain this afternoon. On the bright side, temperatures should stay in the 70s for the most part.

What's in today's headlines? More tales of heroism, no doubt...