It's a scorcher once again, and a dry one to boot.

Driving the news: Houston officials are closely monitoring the worsening drought conditions to determine if they should enact mandatory water restrictions.

Why it matters: The lack of rain is increasing drought across the Lone Star State, including in the Houston region.

State of play: Houston has been under Stage 1 of its drought contingency plan since June 2022, according to Houston Public Works spokesperson Erin Jones.

• Under Stage 1, the city asks residents to voluntarily water yards only twice a week between 7pm and 5am and is looking for a 5% reduction in water demand.
• Under Stage 2, the city makes those watering restrictions mandatory and looks for a 10% reduction.

Zoom out: Several surrounding communities have recently put in place similar restrictions, including Katy, Rosenberg, Fulshear and West University Place, per KHOU.

• Plus, burn bans are in effect in Waller, Liberty and Chambers counties, according to the station.

The bottom line: If you have a yard, consider watering on this schedule as suggested by the city.

Dig deeper

An estimated 12% of Texas adults ages 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease, per a new study.

Why it matters: It's critical for public health officials, policymakers and others to have a clear look at the number of Alzheimer's cases in a given area, the authors say.

• Caring for those with the disease cost an estimated $321 billion nationwide last year, much of which came via Medicare and Medicaid.

What they found: For the study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, researchers estimated the rates of Alzheimer's disease among adults ages 65 or older in a given area based on demographic risk factors, including age, sex and race/ethnicity.

• The risk of Alzheimer's increases exponentially with age. Women had a higher risk of Alzheimer's than men, and Black and Hispanic individuals had a higher risk than white people.

Zoom in: In Harris County, an estimated 12.2% of people 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, according to the study.

The big picture: The East and the Southeast have the country's highest rates of Alzheimer's disease, according to the study.

• Texas (about 459,300), California (719,700) and Florida (579,900) have the highest estimated number of residents with Alzheimer's — though, of course, these are the three most populous states.

What they're saying: "These estimates could help public health officials to understand the burden of disease (e.g., demand for caregiver counseling and institutional care) at the county and state levels and develop adequate strategies for identifying and caring for people with [Alzheimer's]," the authors write.

Yes, but: The researchers caution that their approach is incomplete, as demographic-based risk factors can tell only part of the picture.

• Other risk factors — including cardiovascular health and lifestyle — also play a role, but "such data are unavailable at the county level, and we cannot incorporate them into our estimates," they write.

🥪 A Houston man associated with Food Not Bombs was found not guilty of violating a city ordinance for feeding unhoused individuals at Houston's central library. (Houston Chronicle)

💸 Houston's controller says the city could face a budget crisis in 2025 after American Rescue Plan Act funds dry up, which could result in mass layoffs. (Houston Public Media)

📺 Tessa Barrera of "The Rod Ryan Morning Show" will join "Houston Life" as a host, replacing Courtney Zavala. (Chron)

👋 Shafaq here! I had a friend visit from out of town this weekend, so I of course had to take her to my go-to Sichuan restaurant.

Details: Mala Sichuan Bistro, which opened in 2011 in Asiatown, now has five locations across the Houston area. The James Beard-recognized establishment is known for its incorporation of Sichuan peppers and flavors.

My experience: We all shared the eggplant, mapo tofu, sauteed potatoes and dan dan noodles.

• The eggplant in the spicy garlic sauce was the standout favorite. This dish will make people who are hesitant about eggplant crave the vegetable.
• The classic mapo tofu and dan dan noodles were reliable and expectedly delicious. And the Sichuan way of sauteing potatoes was interesting if you want to try something different from the typical American ways of cooking potatoes.

Cost: Each dish ranged from $9 to $14.

If you go: Locations in Asiatown, M-K-T in the Heights, Montrose, Sugar Land and Katy Asian Town. Hours vary.

💼Check out who's hiring now.

1. Social Media Manager at ExxonMobil.
2. Development Director at Houston Humane Society.
3. Senior Project Manager at Air Products.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Use code FIRST50 for $50 off your first job post.

If you enjoy budget bites, Houston Restaurant Weeks has a lot of deals for the next month.

Driving the news: Houston Restaurant Weeks starts today and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 4.

Of note: This is the 20th anniversary of the annual fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank.

• In the past 20 years, the dining extravaganza has raised a total of $18.8 million, equaling 56.4 million meals for the Houston Food Bank, per its website.

Why it matters: This is your time to try some new places at a better price and feel good about eating out.

What's happening: The hundreds of participating restaurants will have fixed menu prices: $25 for brunch or lunch and $39 or $55 for dinner.

• Restaurants will donate $3 for lunch/brunch and $4 or $7 for dinner, depending on which meal you choose.

💭 Shafaq's thought bubble: I'm most excited to eat at Pacha Nikkei and Musaafer this year.

Readers, what restaurants are you excited to check out?