Every Texan has a deep love affair with brisket, but do we love it enough to steal? One man did. In December 2025, authorities in Austin arrested Armando Salazar, originally from Baytown (a.k.a Greater Houston), on theft charges. Police allege that Salazar had hit up multiple grocery stores in the Austin area, stealing approximately $1,700 worth of brisket from the meat departments. (For those at home, that’s about 20 whole slabs of meat!) This isn’t the first time a Houstonian has been caught red(meat)-handed. In January 2024, two Houston men were caught stealing $500 worth of beef steaks, brisket, and pork chitterlings from grocery stores across Houston and Katy. We definitely don’t condone the crimes, but we get it. Grocery bills are astronomical now!

Just weeks before the holiday season, local food influencer Adrian Verde broke his silence. Also known as @thehoustonfoodie, Verde posted on Instagram, telling his 152,000 followers that he had been scammed by his former friend and alleged Houston businessman, Zayn Feroze. Verde warned others to stay away, stating that Feroze claimed he and his father, Soheil, owned Mezban Restaurant, located off Harwin Drive and Hillcroft Avenue. In a 2025 lawsuit, Verde alleges that Feroze repeatedly asked him for money to cover flights, hotels, and other transactions totaling $43,000 while his bank account was “locked.” Houston courts awarded a default judgment to Verde, ordering the pair to pay him up to $170,000 in damages and more. According to local outlets, the Ferozes have yet to respond to Verde's suit or pay up, and it turns out, Verde isn’t the only one to have been scammed. In the online aftermath, multiple Houstonians contacted Verde, claiming that they, too, were victims of the Ferozes’ alleged schemes.

Social media had a field day after the Kemah Police Department announced its newest acquisition: a Tesla Cybertruck. KPD clarified that the customized vehicle, wrapped with an official police logo, was donated to the department by local businesses. Authorities also wrote on Facebook that KPD was “taking a bold step into the future” and testing the trucks as potential patrol cars. Immediately, the Internet clowned the cops. Commentators cited reports of faulty batteries and the car’s less-than-appealing appearance, comparing the truck to a “garbage can.”

For the umpteenth time, Toronto-born rapper turned Houstonian Drake has been spotted in yet another Houston strip club. Over the holiday season, the “Marvin’s Room” rapper reportedly brought his team and an entire recording studio to the club, setting up shop to possibly record his rumored upcoming project, Iceman.  The Degrassi star was seen at Area 29, an adult club on Bissonnet Street, with recording equipment. Videos on social media show AV crews bringing in speakers, mics, and more to the premises, where Drake also met up with Atlanta-based rapper Belly Gang Kushington and Houston influencer J Mulan. Interestingly enough, no soundproofing equipment appeared in the footage. The hip-hop star and Kendrick Lamar victim was also seen at the Houston Texans’ Christmas party before the club stint and later spotted again at the Galleria-area Italian restaurant North Italia.