Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner — a "fighter until the end" — died yesterday in Washington. He was 70.

Turner was hospitalized after attending President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

• After the speech, he was admitted to the hospital and later released, according to Turner's family. He died of "enduring health complications" at his home just before sunrise yesterday, the family said.
• Turner was diagnosed with bone cancer around 2022, but was cleared within a few months.

What they're saying: "Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant," Turner's family said in a statement. "But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling and relative."

Turner spent his last day alive advocating for the protection of Medicaid programs amid proposed cuts from the Trump administration.

• "Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said.

During his short time in Congress, Turner sponsored bipartisan bills that would expand Medicaid coverage to those accused but not yet convicted of crimes and that would create a cybersecurity training program for Department of Homeland Security staff.

Flashback: Turner served as a Texas state legislator from 1989 to 2016, and then as mayor of Houston until 2024.

• After Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died last July, her daughter was elected to finish her term, but Turner won the regular election for the current 2025–26 term.

The big picture: Turner's legacy in Houston includes reshaping Houston's response to homelessness, which provided a model of a housing-first approach for cities nationwide.

• As mayor, he invested heavily in the city's Vision Zero pledge to end traffic deaths, and he bolstered efforts to implement the Houston Bike Plan.
• He also helped broker major deals for the city, including the ongoing multibillion-dollar North Houston Highway Improvement Project, several 2026 World Cup matches and the 2028 Republican National Convention.

What's next: Funeral plans have yet to be announced.

• Voters in the 18th Congressional District will choose Turner's replacement during a special election in May.

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Leaders in Houston and nationwide honored U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner after his unexpected death yesterday.

Here's what his family, colleagues and friends said:

When I heard it, I fell to my knees. I can't believe it. We were on the floor together last night. You never know for whom the bell will toll next. I'm a little full from losing my friend.

I've lost a personal friend, an advisor, and we've lost an outstanding public official. Experience matters. No one will be able to stand in Sylvester's shoes and carry on his duties, because there's only one Sylvester Turner.

We the people are all better off because you chose to dedicate yourself to a life of public service. You also advanced the continuous struggle to make this nation as good as its promise of freedom and justice for all.

His kindness extended beyond politics. My family and I are forever grateful for the compassion he showed for my terminally ill brother, ensuring he had the best quality of life possible. That was the heart of Sylvester Turner — always looking out for others, even while facing his own battles.

More dedications

A Houston space company is slated to land on the Moon's surface today.

Why it matters: Private, unmanned Moon landings are ramping up ahead of NASA's plan to put humans on the lunar surface this decade.

• Plus, it's one more feather in our Space City cap.

Driving the news: Intuitive Machines engineers hope the IM-2 lander — nicknamed Athena — will safely touch down near the Moon's southern pole at 11:32am CST today, the company says.

• The equipment was rocketed by SpaceX Falcon 9 in late February and has been orbiting the Moon since earlier this week.

Flashback: The company landed its IM-1 vehicle on the Moon in 2024, but the machine tipped over upon touchdown, cutting the mission short.

The big picture: The IM-2 will help gather critical data for NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon.

• The instruments onboard are part of a NASA program that utilizes public-private partnerships to lay the foundation for a sustained human lunar presence.

How to watch: The landing will be livestreamed on NASA+ and Intuitive Machines' YouTube channel.

🚙 Tesla is planning to build a battery storage manufacturing facility in Katy that will bring 1,500 jobs. (Electrek)

🚨 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 20 people after a raid at a Houston-area business, but did not specify if any criminal charges were pending. (Houston Chronicle)

🌮 Houston City Council could soon regulate food truck lots. (Houston Public Media)

🍎 Texas senators advanced a bill that would require the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools, along with designated prayer time. (Chron)

More than one in three Texans speak a language other than English at home.

Why it matters: President Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to make English the official language of the U.S.

By the numbers: In 2023, Spanish was the second-most common language (after English) spoken at home in Texas, with 28.3% of residents using it, per the most recent available U.S. Census Bureau data.

• 1.2% of Texans speak Hindi at home, 0.9% Vietnamese, 0.8% a Dravidian language (languages spoken in South Asia) and 0.7% Chinese (including all dialects).

Stunning stat: The share of Texans speaking a language other than English at home is 35.4%. In 1980, it was 22%.