Welcome to Axios Houston

Hello,

This is Jay Jordan and Shafaq Patel, the reporters behind Axios Houston. Thank you for subscribing!

What's happening: We'll be bringing you the most important local news in Axios' signature style — Smart Brevity — which aims to make you smarter, faster. With so much happening here, our mission is to keep you up to speed without wasting a second.

A little about Jay: 

• I grew up in the Houston suburbs and relish the opportunity to continue reporting in my hometown. Go Astros! I currently live in Museum Park with my girlfriend, frequenting Hermann Park, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Barnaby's. 
• I don't own a car. Instead, I bike everywhere I go — from press conferences to therapy. It's not as hard as you would think! Watch out for any bike content in the newsletter and please pitch me any stories in that realm (Follow me on Twitter! @jayrjordan).
• I started my career in 2015 reporting for The Courier in Montgomery County until I joined the Houston Chronicle in 2018 as a breaking news reporter covering the city's mayhem. In 2020, I transitioned to the newly created Chron newsroom, the paywall-free sister publication from the Chronicle, where I focused my reporting on how Houston treats vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. 

A little about Shafaq: 

• I've lived in Houston for most of my life. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan and grew up in the Alief and Fort Bend area and now reside near Sugar Land. I went to Emerson College in Boston and returned back to the Bayou City during the pandemic. 
• I come from a business journalism background. I most recently covered economic development, education, and DEI for the Houston Business Journal. And I'm very happy to be covering my hometown. 
• I'm a big hobbyist. I just got into pottery and basic woodworking, but I also garden, embroider, and do all sorts of DIYs. Also, I have some cute chickens — except they become very uncute when they're demolishing my garden!

What's next: Your first edition will land in your inbox soon. In the meantime, we want to hear from you — send us your questions, tips and story ideas. Simply hit reply when the first edition hits your inbox.

And finally, help us spread the word. Tell everyone you know to sign up for Axios Houston here. 

Thanks!

Jay and Shafaq

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