Leah Binkovitz

Houston

Senior Editorial Writer at Houston Chronicle

Journalist/Sociology PhD Candidate. Opinions expressed here are no one's, not even mine.

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Articles

She objected to an 'antisemitic' photo exhibit. Then she visited it.

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Aliza Rohimi Porat was upset. She heard about an awful exhibit at a gallery in Houston. “My Beloved City, Gaza Habibti,”she heard,promoted hate and glorified terrorism. And was antisemitic and represented a threat to the very principles of America. So she signed her name to a form letter demanding that the show come down and emailed it to a long list of entities, including the Houston Chronicle. That’s usually where these sorts of incidents end. In an inbox or social media post.
Trump's tariffs could put a damper on holiday-season sales. Good!

1 month ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Looks like tariff-induced high prices will put a damper on Christmas this year. The (not so) jolly round man in the White House admitted Wednesday that toy prices seem bound to rise: “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30,” he said, in what is the weirdest remix yetof “let them eat cake.”My kids certainly are not accustomed to 30-doll holiday hauls. But point taken, Trump: It’s time to tighten those belts, prepare for skinnier stockings.
Trump, Musk and team are looking for pronatalist, baby-making ideas.

1 month ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Recently, President Donald Trump promised to be the “fertilization president.” (Really). As it turns out, his administration and friends at the Heritage Foundation and other pronatalists are already hard at work thinking up proposals to boost fertility across the country. After all, somebody’s got to keep our population growing and we know they’re not big fans of immigration. Some great ideas are already on the table.
What German Texans can teach us about immigration

2 months ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Except for the lederhosen, plastic boot-shaped beer-stein necklaces and the garlands of red, yellow and black triangles lining the pop-up tents, the German heritage festival could be any small-town Texas carnival. There are bounce houses and a Ferris wheel. The smell of popcorn and barbecue wafts beyond the railroad tracks at the far end.
an exercise in free speech

2 months ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

On the screen, a group of bare-chested Israeli settlers hurl rocks at makeshift Palestinian homes in a small village in the southern West Bank. "Why are you watching this?" my 6-year-old daughter asks. It's a deceptively simple question.
Early tests don't show widespread exposure risks by rail yard. Yay?

2 months ago | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Daryl Johnson is skeptical. It's a sunny Monday morning just south of the rail yard in Fifth Ward, and strangers have just knocked on his door. I'm with a volunteer helping Houston City Councilmember Letitia Plummer's office offer free cancer screenings. This area is inside a state-recognized cancer cluster. Would he be interested in a screening? Article continues below this ad A sturdy, hard-working man in his 60s, Johnson says no.
Is a family earning $156,000 poor? It is according to this Texas voucher bill.

Mar 5, 2025 | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

How poor is poor? Most of us think we know the definition. Poor means, as Woody Guthrie sang, "you ain't got the do re mi." It means struggling to afford necessities: food, shelter, clothing. But how poor is poor enough to get a hand from the government? It depends what you're asking for. Article continues below this adA family of four that relies on free lunch at school? Can't make more than $40,560 or they won't qualify. That same family of four that needs help with the grocery bill?
Hey, Houston rodeo goers! I'm the Astrodome. Remember me?

Feb 28, 2025 | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Howdy, friend. Don't you look nice in your Target cowboy boots and Texas flag button-up! You're either running for office or celebrating Go Texan Day. Houston Rodeo season is kicking off. I know you're only walking past me because you have to walk longways to get from the Little Dipper ride to the Trill Burgers line. But I used to the be the center of the rodeo. Me! The first domed stadium! Mr. Eighth Wonder of the World!People used to take my picture all the time. Put it in the newspapers.
Texas Children's cut its midwives group. Bad news for Houston women.

Sep 3, 2024 | houstonchronicle.com | Leah Binkovitz

Layoffs at Texas Children's Hospital affected nearly 1,000 employees, including all of its midwifery staff at the Women's Specialists of Houston.
Many Democrats doubt that Biden can win. This scholar says they're wrong.

Jul 19, 2024 | houstonchronicle.com | Raj Mankad |Leah Binkovitz

President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, July 16, 2024. Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for Biden to reconsider his election bid. Susan Walsh/APIn a 1982 poll, roughly 60% of Americans said Ronald Reagan shouldn’t run for reelection. But Alan Lichtman’s model predicted, correctly, that he’d win. J.