Going to Galveston requires seeing every tourist attraction: the giant Rainforest Café, Moody Gardens, Margaritaville, and *record scratch* the Seawall’s raccoon colonies? Beloved by tourists and the internet, groups of raccoons near East Beach have garnered celebrity status across the island, much to the chagrin of local officials. Island leaders have reportedly increased the number of animal traps near the beach, sending online “trash panda” fans into a frenzy. Rumors soon swirled, and the grapevine began reporting that a raccoon bit a child and Galveston’s raccoons would soon be euthanized. All rumors, city spokesperson Kurt Koopmann said, were totally false. No official reports of a raccoon bite have been reported, and thankfully, seven trapped animals were relocated to a wildlife rehab facility. Who knew these pests had such loving fans?

Houston’s food scene was abuzz earlier this year when the controversial restaurant, Trump Burger, announced its debut in the city. Now, in an ironic twist of fate, owner and Trump fan Roland Beainy was arrested by ICE and is at risk of deportation. Beainy, originally from Lebanon, is accused of overstaying his visa, which expired in February 2024. Records show that the restaurateur was arrested on May 16 for immigration fraud on an application. Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security explained that Beainy applied for legal status through a woman he planned to marry; however, evidence of marriage or even a relationship between the two was not found. Beainy has denied the allegations, calling them “90 percent” untrue. 

Anyone who’s ever been to an Astros game knows that Daikin Park’s margaritas are strong. Recent viral videos confirmed the drink’s potency, after showing two Astros fans passed out in the bleachers after a few too many sips of El Tiempo Cantina’s signature margaritas, which have been a ballpark hallmark for the Tex-Mex franchise since 2022. The popular cocktail has spawned an army of memes online, and outside of the internet, that have inspired restaurant management to change their policies. After seeing TikToks of slumped fans, El Tiempo’s general manager, Chris Murray, announced that the park would limit margarita sales to “one person per ID.”

For 95 years, Moeller’s Bakery has been doling out everything from cookies to king cakes made in its pre–World War II oven. Aside from baked goods, the bakery is also known for its old-fashioned window art, which usually pops up for holidays. For July 4, workers hung painted canvases on its windows, depicting references to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Overnight, thieves stole the paintings, speeding off in a black truck and prompting the bakery to file a police report. Manager James Atwood said the canvases, which were painted by a now-retired artist 20 years ago, are worth around $500 per piece.

There’s nothing better than a glazed doughnut from Shipley. Pillowy soft, perfectly sweet, and hard to resist, Shipley Do-Nuts is heaven on earth. But now, heaven is being sent straight to Beverly Hills, California. In late July, California private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners bought the iconic Houston brand, resulting in groans and cries from doughnut fans online. Immediately, Houstonians feared that the sale to an out-of-state company would ruin those perfect doughnuts altogether. (For context, think about what Whataburger used to taste like before it was sold off.) On the brighter side, this isn’t the first time Shipley has passed through private equity. Originally founded and managed by the Shipley family, the brand was bought out in 2021 by Austin-based private investment firm Peak Rock Capital. Hopefully, nothing changes too much.