Dateline Rice for July 31, 2026

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

'The boss wants this money': Inside Trump's unprecedented fundraising operation
Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities and professor of history, is quoted.
The Wall Street Journal
http://dateline.rice/july-31-wsj

American oil majors trying to get into Venezuela have hit a wall
Francisco Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Center for Energy Studies, fellow at the Claudio X. González Center for the U.S. and Mexico and director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy and lecturer in energy economics, is quoted.
The Wall Street Journal
http://dateline.rice/july-31-wsj
Big bets, bigger risks: Why US oil majors are holding back in Venezuela
Economic Times
http://dateline.rice/july-31-et

Oil-producing states benefit from war-driven windfall
John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance and director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Marketplace
http://dateline.rice/july-31-m

WKXW-FM (New York)
Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is interviewed about new rules for hemp-based products in Texas.
http://dateline.rice/july-31-wkxw

Oil industry sees war windfall but girds for political blowback
Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted. KHOU also mentions that Medlock will speak at the "Energy in Business" panel Sept. 24.
Yahoo! Finance (This article originally appeared in Agence France-Presse.)
http://dateline.rice/july-31-yf
Attend Houston Business Journal's '2026 Energy in Business' panel
KHOU 11 Online
http://dateline.rice/july-31-khou

HOUSTON/TEXAS

Harris County finally has new drafts of FEMA flood maps. Here's what they're still missing
An article quotes Jim Elliott, the David W. Leebron Professor of Sociology and co-director of Rice's Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR); Jim Blackburn, professor in the practice of environmental law and co-director of the Rice SSPEED Center; and Dominic Boyer, professor of anthropology and co-director of CFAR.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/july-31-hc

Exclusive: FEMA maps may be missing over 200K high flood-risk Harris County properties, study shows
James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/july-31-hc

Study says federal flood maps miss 200,000 Harris County properties
An article cites Rice research into proposed FEMA maps for Harris County.
Prism News
http://dateline.rice/july-31-pn

Despite slightly lower rent prices, expert says Houston's affordability remains a 'real issue'
Caroline Cheong, associate director of housing and neighborhoods at Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, is quoted.
ABC 13 Online
http://dateline.rice/july-31-abc13

With future of U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade in limbo, Texas businesses navigate choppy waters
Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Claudio X. González Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Houston Public Media
http://dateline.rice/july-31-hpm

Democrat control of Harris County has been in place for nearly a decade. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to change that this election cycle
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Spectrum News 1 Online
http://dateline.rice/july-31-sn1
KRLD-AM (Dallas)
http://dateline.rice/july-31-krld

KTRH-AM (Houston)
Carrie Potter, lecturer in sport management, is interviewed about Houston-area politics.
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ktrh

Black homeownership sees record high decline in Harris County
An article cites the State of Housing in Harris County and Houston report from Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Steve Sherman, research scientist at the Kinder Institute, is quoted.
Defender
http://dateline.rice/july-31-d

KPRC Channel 2 News Today
A broadcast features a report by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research into the Houston area's enrollment numbers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/july-31-kprc

Texas Children's highlights global impact and innovation during 2026 World Sickle Cell Day event
Graduate student Alexis Wilkinson is featured.
Texas Children's Hospital
http://dateline.rice/july-31-tch

ABC 13 Eyewitness News
A broadcast cites research into Houston-area rent prices by Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
KTRK-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ktrk

Bun B is returning to Rice University — this time with Trill Burgers
An article mentions that Trill Burgers is set to open a new location on Rice's campus.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/july-31-hc
Trill Burgers opening new location this fall
KHOU 11 Online
http://dateline.rice/july-31-khou11

Grundfos makes $100K donation to Genuine Cup
An article mentions that Rice is hosting the Genuine Cup July 27-Aug. 1.
Katy Times
http://dateline.rice/july-31-kt
KPRC Channel 2 News
KPRC-TV (Houston)
http://dateline.rice/july-31-kprc

School closures are becoming more common in Texas. Here's why
An article cites Rice research into enrollment numbers in Texas schools.
Community Impact Central Austin
http://dateline.rice/july-31-cica

Rising PVAMU sophomore embarks on global journey after earning prestigious Gilman Scholarship
An article mentions that Rice hosted the Second Foundings Conference.
Texas Metro News
http://dateline.rice/july-31-tmn

15-plus startups fueling Houston's $1B funding haul for Q1-Q2 2026
An article mentions that Dexmet and Helix Earth use technology discovered at Rice.
InnovationMap Houston
http://dateline.rice/july-31-imh

I hated the new sidewalks. North Shore deserves more | Opinion
Rice is mentioned.
Houston Chronicle
http://dateline.rice/july-31-hc

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

ATPγS recycling opens cheaper pathways to increased drug stability
An article features Rice research that developed a method that significantly reduces the cost of adding thiophosphate to chemical structures. Co-authors include Hans Renata, professor of chemistry; Xiangyu Wu, postdoctoral associate; and graduate student Yu Fu.
Phys.org
http://dateline.rice/july-31-p
New method opens cheaper pathways to increased drug stability
Bioengineer.org
http://dateline.rice/july-31-b

Rice researchers develop technology to clean salty wastewater while recovering valuable metals
An article features collaborative Rice research that shows electrochemical ion pumping can be programmed to desalinate wastewater while selectively recovering dissolved metals such as copper. Co-authors include Shihong Lin, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Longqian Xu, postdoctoral researcher.
Water Online
http://dateline.rice/july-31-wo

US scientists unlock hidden magnetism in ultrathin material for faster memory tech
An article features collaborative Rice research that uncovered evidence of a newly proposed form of magnetism in an ultrathin quantum material. Co-authors include Ming Yi, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Interesting Engineering
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ie

A tiny molecular basket unlocks a powerful new kind of chemistry
An article features Rice research that developed a method that allowed dioxygen to form pi interactions with neodymium, making it possible to create lanthanide oxo compounds. Co-authors include Raúl Hernández Sánchez, assistant professor of chemistry.
WDC TV News
http://dateline.rice/july-31-wdc
Breakthrough in lanthanide chemistry: New methods to bond dioxygen with neodymium
SSB Crack News
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ssb
A tiny molecular basket unlocks a powerful new kind of chemistry
Science Daily
http://dateline.rice/july-31-sd

Rice University secures $19.9M NSF award to build AI materials laboratory
An article mentions that Jun Lou, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, is the lead investigator on a new National Science Foundation grant for a project called Revolutionizing AI-Driven Autonomous Experimentation for Next-Generation Semiconductor Synthesis, or READINESS.
Complete AI Training
http://dateline.rice/july-31-cait
Rice University secures $19.9M NSF award to build AI-powered materials laboratory
Ed Tech Innovation Hub
http://dateline.rice/july-31-etih
SUNY Poly joins national AI-driven semiconductor research initiative
Daily Sentinel
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ds

16 gas storage projects planned in salt caverns along Gulf Coast for LNG industry and data centers
Skip York, nonresident fellow in energy and global oil in the Center for Energy Studies at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.
Oil and Gas Watch
http://dateline.rice/july-31-ogw

Damianos: Next 2 years crucial for Cyprus energy plans
An article mentions the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Stock Watch
http://dateline.rice/july-31-sw
Next 2 years critical for Cyprus' energy strategy, minister says
Cyprus Mail
http://dateline.rice/july-31-cm

Jones Act at a crossroads: Billions at stake as waiver debate looms
An article cites research by Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy into the Jones Act.
BriefGlance.com
http://dateline.rice/july-31-bg

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Study finds lasting job barriers for Buffalo refugees
An article mentions that graduate student Stephen Brown is a co-author of the featured research.
The Buffalo News
http://dateline.rice/july-31-bn

SPORTS