Latest news with #TheHoustonChronicle
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Insane Darth Vader home is sold for $3.35 million to sculptor planning radical changes for the quirky mansion
A mansion dubbed the 'Darth Vader house' for its striking resemblance to the Star Wars villain's helmet has been snapped up after being listed for a whopping $3.35 million. The unique four-bedroom, five-bathroom property, designed to look like a stealth fighter, is located in Houston, Texas, and has become something of a local landmark. But the distinctive home is set for a dramatic makeover after being purchased by renowned sculptor Enrique Cabrera. Cabrera has big plans that he hopes will see the mansion renamed as the 'Black Bull House.' The artist intends to install a colossal 16-foot, $2.7 million bull sculpture in front of the mansion. He will not only live in the home but also use as a showcase for his provocative art collection. Realtor Hardy Pollard, who represented buyer Cabrera in the sale, told local news network KHOU 11 News said the purchase is a great opportunity for Enrique. 'You have a lot of space where it's all angled around the outside of the house,' he said. 'This is a great opportunity for Enrique to come in and create his own masterpiece.' Pictured: Darth Vader, part of the inspiration for the house 'The former Darth Vader house now is officially The Black Bull House by Enrique Cabrera,' Cabrera told The Houston Chronicle. The spectacular 7,000-square-foot home sits on an 18,000-square-foot parcel in West University and features two large floating glass staircases, overlooking a sunken living room and floor-to-ceiling windows. The property has had a long journey before finally being sold. The house was originally designed and owned by Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Jean Cuckier, who was in awe of Star Wars and high-tech space flight. Junkin revealed buying the house years ago was a dedicated process of 'calling again and again until he got a deal.' 'He loved the movies,' Nadia Carron, a co-lister of the house in 2021, previously told The Chronicle. 'That was his inspiration… He sat down and drew on paper how he wanted the house to look inside and outside and worked with an architect to do that. What you see is his baby and his design inside and outside of the house. He made his dream come true. Local real estate broker and 'House of Ho' star Washington Ho taking over the listing last August. 'I'm excited to apply the same pressure to sell the Darth Vader House to the perfect buyer,' Ho told The Chronicle. 'Representing such iconic homes as part of the Star Wars legacy is an honor, and we are committed to showcasing the Darth Vader House to its fullest potential and achieving outstanding results.' But when the home failed to sell, Junkin, who had owned the house for about three years, took control of the listing again. 'I lived in Houston most of my life, and I had always seen the house, and it was just kind of an emotional buy I guess,' he told the outlet. 'If the house next door was for sale, I wouldn't have even batted an eye at it.' Now the 'Star Wars' home is under contract to Cabrera with the deal expected to close on Tuesday. Striking angular black and white floors, crafted from concrete and hand-cut black stone, fill the home's four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The impressive property also features a spacious four-car garage and a hot tub. The home's distinctive angular design also is fitting for the new owner's artistic vision. The sculptor also is behind works in New Yorkers as the creative mind behind 'La Gran Manzana,' a large, angular red apple near Rockefeller Center. He also created 'El Toro de Oro,' an imposing, angular golden bull in the Meatpacking District.
Miami Herald
20-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Houston YMCA Cutting Staff After Trump Funding Blow
The YMCA of Greater Houston announced last week it will cut 2.7 percent of its workforce across 160 locations in Texas due to federal funding cuts, The Houston Chronicle reported Friday. This comes as Harris County's Alief Family YMCA, which primarily served refugees through its New American Initiative, will close on May 30 following President Donald Trump administration's cuts to refugee program funding. Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Alief Family YMCA via email on Sunday for comment. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), run by billionaire Elon Musk, has drawn praise and consternation for cutting federal budgets and monies since Trump took office again in January. As of April 16, DOGE estimates it has saved approximately $155 billion for the nation, combining different components including asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions. Trump, meanwhile, signed an executive order hours after taking office that halted the nation's Refugee Admission Program. The order, titled "Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)," went into effect on January 27, suspending the program for 90 days. The suspension allows U.S. officials to determine "whether resumption of entry of refugees into the United States under the USRAP would be in the interests of the United States." The Houston Chronicle reported that due to Trump's executive order Houston-area organizations that support refugees, like the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, cut 120 workers in February. According to local reports, the YMCA has been an important and beloved community resource, particularly for refugee services and youth programs in Houston that rely on federal grants. This reduction in services comes at a time when many refugee communities in Texas are already facing increased uncertainty about their status and support systems. Houston has historically been one of the nation's largest refugee resettlement areas, with a robust support services infrastructure that is now facing significant restructuring. The Alief area is particularly affected as it has been home to diverse immigrant communities for decades. The YMCA facility there has provided essential services including language classes, employment assistance, youth programs, and health initiatives tailored to refugee and immigrant populations. According to The Houston Chronicle, the YMCA of Greater Houston didn't say which positions would be cut, which locations would be affected or reveal the size of its staff across the Houston area. President Donald Trump's "Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)" executive order reads: "The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees." The YMCA stated in an email to The Houston Chronicle: "We recognize the impact this has on our employees and understand the challenges this may bring. While we are making adjustments, we remain committed to continuing our services and supporting the community at all our locations." Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, whose precinct covers the Alief area, released a statement following the announcement: "The Alief Family YMCA has been a cornerstone for families, youth, and seniors-providing not just programs but a true sense of community." She added: "Its closure is a painful reminder of how federal funding decisions can affect local lives. In Precinct 4, we've been proud to partner with the YMCA to provide a safe, engaging, and enriching environment for children and families. We remain committed to our shared vision of supporting youth development, education, and the overall well-being of the Alief community." Linda Reyna, a spin instructor at Langham Creek Family YMCA in northwest Houston, said, per The Houston Chronicle: "For certain programs, they get federal grants, and that's very important for the kids in the community. That's gonna be a big, big blow to different age groups." The 90-day suspension of the Refugee Admission Program is set to expire later this month. Refugee advocacy organizations are watching closely to see whether the administration will extend the suspension or implement permanent changes to the program. The YMCA of Greater Houston is reportedly developing transition plans to ensure continuity of essential services where possible. Community leaders and local government officials are exploring alternative funding sources and partnerships to potentially preserve some programs currently offered at the Alief location. 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Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
InfoWars Reporter Jamie White ‘Brutally Murdered,' Alex Jones Says
InfoWars reporter Jamie White was 'brutally murdered' on Sunday night outside of his Austin, Texas, apartment complex, Alex Jones said on Monday. Jones, during his Monday broadcast, said White's family had been notified and that he was breaking the news on his show. Austin Police had not confirmed White was the man found dead outside the apartment complex as of Tuesday morning, The Houston Chronicle reported. Representatives for the Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment. The police department told Fox 7 in Austin, however, that officers had found a man with 'obvious signs of trauma' around midnight on Sunday. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. Jones, on his show, said White was killed after returning from work. 'We sent some people over this morning when he didn't answer the phone, because he was always here early, loves to work, loves to fight tyranny, loves to promote freedom,' Jones said during his Monday show. 'When they got to the apartment complex, there was yellow tape everywhere and blood all over the parking lot.' Jones, in a post on his website, added that White was 'a light we were blessed to experience as much as we did.' White wrote two stories on the day he died, one on the frontrunner in the Romanian presidential election being banned from the ballot, and another on the Secret Service shooting an armed man near the White House. His last activity on X, where he had more than 21,000 followers, was a re-shared post from Elon Musk that was posted at 11:25 p.m. local time. 'Yeah, why are liberals so violent? Legacy media propaganda is a major part of the problem,' Musk said in his post. The post InfoWars Reporter Jamie White 'Brutally Murdered,' Alex Jones Says appeared first on TheWrap.
