Much of Southeast Texas — including Harris, Montgomery and Galveston counties — failed to meet the herd immunity threshold for measles, with vaccination rates for kindergarteners below the 95% mark, per recent data collected and analyzed by the Washington Post.

Why it matters: Measles cases are rebounding, leaving local communities vulnerable.

State of play: Texas' herd immunity status was at 97% before the pandemic. It's since fallen to 93%.

• 95% is the vaccination rate multiple public health authorities say is necessary to contain the virus' spread.

Zoom in: Houston ISD's kindergarten vaccination coverage fell from 94.7% in the 2019–20 school year to 91.4% in 2024–25, according to state health data.

The big picture: The battle against infectious diseases like the flu and measles has taken a hit with sinking vaccination rates for children in many parts of the U.S. — stark evidence of the extent of the backlash against public health mandates that began during the pandemic.

• The decline has set the U.S. up to lose its coveted elimination status for the first time in decades.

Flashback: A measles outbreak in West Texas, which began early last year, resulted in more than 760 confirmed cases and two child deaths across the state. They were the first measles deaths in the U.S. since 2015.

What's next: Federal health policy is shifting.

• The Trump administration this week overhauled the childhood vaccination schedule by cutting recommended shots to 11, though the recommended list still includes measles shots.

Go deeper: Where vaccination rates declined the most, by county

Social Security retirement and disability benefits for 2026 will begin rolling out for millions of Americans tomorrow.

Why it matters: Benefits are rising 2.8%, or about $56 a month for the average retiree, but higher Medicare premiums and tax rules will determine how much of that increase ends up in retirees' pockets.

• The adjustment is higher than the 2.5% increase last year, but below the decade average of 3.1%.

Driving the news: Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the increase.

• Benefits for recipients with birthdays between the first and 10th of the month will receive their first bigger check tomorrow.
• Those with birthdays between the 11th and 20th will receive them Jan. 21, and those between the 21st and 31st will see their checks Jan. 28.

Flashback: Higher payments for those who started receiving benefits before May 1997 or who get both Social Security and SSI started earlier this month.

Zoom in: 15% of Texans receive Social Security benefits, the second-lowest rate among states in 2025, according to Nasdaq.

The big picture: More than 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, pushing a record wave of retirees into Social Security as benefit increases, Medicare costs and new tax rules collide.

• The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) affects more than 75 million people receiving Social Security retirement, disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Go deeper: Seniors' $6,000 break

🌤️ Houston is finally seeing a return to typical January weather with mild, cool temperatures this week. (Space City Weather)

💰 State health officials have proposed raising annual licensing fees from $150 to $20,000 on retailers who sell hemp-derived THC, a move advocates say will shutter small businesses. (Texas Tribune)

👶 Newborns at Texas Children's Hospital celebrated the Texans' playoff run by wearing team onesies. (KHOU)

Stat du jour

🍎 Houston ISD lost 8,300 students between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year, a 4.7% drop. (Houston Chronicle)

If you like it, you should put a ring on it — and thanks to lab-grown diamonds, those rings are bigger and cheaper than ever.

Why it matters: Lab diamonds continue to reshape the engagement ring market, with the prices of all diamonds dropping and more fingers dripping in multiple carats.

By the numbers: A natural 3-carat diamond could cost an average of 16 times the cost of a lab-grown version, according to data from independent diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky.

• The Knot's latest study found 52% of engaged couples had rings with lab-grown stones — a first for the annual survey.
• And the stones went from an average of 1.5 carats in 2021, to 1.7 carats in 2024. According to Zimnisky, demand has particularly spiked for 2- to 3-carat natural diamonds and 3- to 5-carat lab diamonds.

Context: We're in the midst of "engagement season" which goes from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day, when The Knot says almost half of couples get engaged.

Between the lines: The most reliable way to know whether a diamond was mined is with a report from an authority like the Gemological Institute of America.

The Houston Zoo is upgrading its white rhinoceros and giraffe habitats and a concession space.

State of play: Construction began last week, with phased openings expected throughout 2026 and early 2027, per the zoo's announcement.

Zoom in: The white rhinoceros habitat will expand to include zebras and an additional rhino. There will be more shade with a covered viewing shelter and new a water feature.

• Nearby, the McGovern Giraffe Habitat is adding a shade canopy and new features to improve comfort for the Zoo's five giraffes.
• The Shani Market, located between the two habitats, will reopen this summer as a grab-and-go store with self-checkout and products supporting conservation partners in Kenya.