* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THE TIME IS [00:00:01] TICKING. REBECCA HOUSTON IS READY FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, AND WE ARE HERE AT MEDIA DAY AT NRG PARK. THAT'S RIGHT, TRAVIS. WE ARE 30 DAYS AND COUNTING TO THE VERY FIRST MATCH FROM TOURISM, TRANSPORTATION, AND FAN ACTIVITIES. HEAR MORE ABOUT IT RIGHT HERE ON CITY PULSE. ALL RIGHT. THE MEDIA BRIEFING HAS JUST ENDED, AND WE ARE NOW HERE WITH RYAN WALSH, THE CEO OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY. MR. WALSH, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE AS HOUSTON AS A HOST CITY FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP? I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, HOUSTON'S SUCH A GLOBAL CITY, AND SO YOU'VE GOT THIS FANTASTIC GLOBAL EVENT THAT'S COMING TO HOUSTON FOR THE FIRST TIME. YOU'RE EXPECTING, YOU KNOW, 500,000 PEOPLE AND, AND A MASSIVE ECONOMIC BENEFIT. UH, AND REALLY IT IS THE, THE EYES OF THE WORLD ON HOUSTON. SO WE'RE HOSTING SEVEN MATCHES BETWEEN JULY, JUNE, JUNE 11TH AND JULY 19TH HERE, UH, AT HOUSTON STADIUM, IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA CALL THE STADIUM. SO ALL OF THE EYES OF THE WORLD WATCHING THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE NOT JUST THE EXCITEMENT HERE LOCALLY, BUT GLOBALLY. UH, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, UH, A TYPICAL SUPER BOWL GETS ABOUT 135 MILLION VIEWS. WE'LL HAVE 200 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING EVERY SINGLE MATCH, ALL SEVEN MATCHES HERE IN HOUSTON. SO BE ABLE TO REALLY, TRULY HAVE THE EYES OF THE WORLD ON HOUSTON IS A PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE FOR US AS THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, BUT EVEN JUST FOR HOUSTON IN GENERAL. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING COMMUNITY IMPACT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA BE THE LASTING COMMUNITY IMPACT FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026? IT'S, IT'S TRULY A GENERATIONAL EVENT. CERTAINLY FOR SOMEBODY LIKE MYSELF, A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD CUP, I MEAN, THAT'S ONCE IN A LIFETIME FOR ME, RIGHT? RIGHT. UH, BUT I THINK FOR, FOR HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY AND THE RESIDENTS IN BETWEEN, I THINK THAT THE LASTING IMPACT IS GONNA BE NOT JUST THE CIVIC PRIDE OF HAVING HOSTED THE WORLD CUP HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT THE LEGACY EVENTS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE PLANNING AFTERWARD. SO THE FREE KICK SOCCER PROGRAM, THE SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, THE HUMAN RIGHTS, UH, INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, WE REALLY WANT THE IMPACT HOUSTON 26 LEGACY TO LIVE ON FOR DECADES BEYOND JUST THIS SUMMER IN THE WORLD CUP HERE. SOME THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW TO PREPARE AS HOUSTONIANS FOR, UM, THE WORLD CUP. WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? JUST BE EXCITED. YES. RIGHT? JUST BE EXCITED. CELEBRATE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND USE THE WORLD CUP, RIGHT? SO HAVE A, HAVE A WATCH PARTY. ENJOY SOME OF THE WATCH PARTIES. YOU'RE GONNA BE HAPPENING AROUND TOWN. COME DOWN TO THE FAN FEST IN EDO, WHICH IS COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE TO PARTICIPATE. UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST ENJOY. SO YOU CAN LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE, FWC TWO SIX HOUSTON.COM. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LIST OF ALL OF THE, UH, EXCITING EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER. UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN TO PARTICIPATE. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE LIKE TO SAY IS SPORTS TOUCHES EVERYBODY'S LIFE. WHETHER YOU PLAY SPORTS, WHETHER YOU'RE INVOLVED IN SPORTS, OR WHETHER YOU'RE JUST DRIVING DOWN SIX 10 IN THE AFTERNOON, RIGHT? UH, SPORTS TOUCHES EVERYBODY'S LIFE, AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE NO DIFFERENT THAN THAT. IT'S GONNA BE SUCH A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY IN HOUSTON. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING HISTORY AND BEING A PART OF THIS PROCESS. IT IS GOING TO BE EXCITING WORLD CUP FIFA 2026. YOU'LL FIND OUT THE ANSWER LATER IN THE SHOW. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE HERE ON CITY PULSE. WE HAVE METRO CHAIR LADY ELIZABETH BROCK WITH US. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M DOING GREAT, THANK YOU. AWESOME, AWESOME. SO FIRST OUT OF THE GATES METRO'S PLANS FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT HOUSTONIANS NEED TO KNOW AS WELL AS VISITORS NEED TO KNOW? WELL, YOU NEED TO KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, THAT WE ARE READY. AND AT METRO, WE ARE NOT JUST READY TO WELCOME THE WORLD TO HOUSTON, BUT WE'RE ALSO READY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS HERE ARE HAPPY. SO WE ARE PUTTING THINGS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO MAKE METRO EASIER TO USE. SO IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME USING METRO, WE ARE SUPER EXCITED BECAUSE WE THINK THAT YOU'LL HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. NOW, WE DON'T WANT FIFA WORLD CUP TO BE AN EXCLUSIVE EVENT. WE WANT IT TO BE INCLUSIVE. SO WHAT ARE WAYS METRO IS DOING TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL FANS FEEL MORE WELCOME TO HOUSTON? WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR WAY FINDING SYSTEM THAT IS VERY CLEAR, UNIVERSAL, EASY TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ALSO WE HAVE OUR AMBASSADORS IN PLACE THAT ARE GONNA HELP COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES TO HELP THEM, UH, PLAN THEIR TRIPS AND ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE OUR PAY SYSTEM. OUR NEW FARE SYSTEM IS EASY TO USE. IT'S JUST ONE TAP AWAY, WHETHER YOU USE YOUR PHONE OR WHETHER YOU USE APPLE PAY. UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST EASY TO USE. YOU DON'T [00:05:01] HAVE TO HAVE A CARD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ACCOUNT. OUR, UM, OUR IDEA IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WE'RE EASY TO USE. SO ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO PLAN AHEAD TO MAKE SURE THEY MAP OUT THEIR DAY? WHAT THINGS ARE METRO HAVING PUT IN PLACE TO HELP PEOPLE MAP OUT THEIR DAY? GO TO METRO, UM, TO OUR METRO RIDE APP AND, UH, PLAN YOUR TRIP PLAN ON USING METRO, BECAUSE WE HAVE PUT MEASURES IN PLACE TO MAKE TRAFFIC CONGESTION EASIER, TO MAKE IT EASY TO USE TO MEET THE CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY ARE AND TO BE AVAILABLE, WHETHER YOU'RE USING ON DEMAND SERVICES, WHETHER YOU'RE USING OUR DOWNTOWN DIRECT FROM THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN, UM, WHETHER YOU'RE USING OUR PARK AND RIDE, WE'VE EXPANDED SERVICE THERE. SO THAT WAY, UH, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET TO WORK, THEY CAN DO THAT WITH EASE AS WELL. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. AMAZING JOB. VERY EXCITED FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026. OKAY. I HAVE ANOTHER MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION FOR YOU, AND IT INVOLVES THE FUTURE OF SOCCER IN AND AROUND HOUSTON. HOW MANY NEW AND REFURBISHED PITCHES WILL BE PLACED IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY? IS IT 4 23 9, OR 100? AND YOU'LL FIND OUT HOW MANY PITCHES AFTER THE BREAK. HEY, DID YOU KNOW HOUSTON HAS A CITY ORDINANCE ON MOTORIZED SCOOTERS? HERE'S THE DETAILS. IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO RIDE A SCOOTER ON THE SIDEWALK. IN BUSINESS DISTRICT. DOING SO CAN GET YOU FINED UP TO $200. SCOOTER RIDERS MUST FOLLOW ALL TRAFFIC LAWS, INCLUDING RIDING IN THE STREET, PREFERABLY IN A BIKE LANE, AND MUST STOP AT ALL STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS JUST LIKE A CAR. ALSO, YOU MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO OPERATE A SCOOTER ON HOUSTON STREETS. SCOOTER RIDERS MUST ALWAYS YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS AND SHOULD PULL OVER TO USE THEIR MOBILE DEVICES. IT'S ALSO A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR A HELMET. SCOOTER RIDERS SHOULD NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OR CARRY PASSENGERS. IT'S A SCOOTER FOLKS, NOT A CLOWN CAR. PLEASE SCOOT RESPONSIBLY. THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION IS 23 PITCHES WILL BE NEW AND REFURBISHED IN UNDER SURVEYING COMMUNITIES AROUND HARRIS COUNTY. BUT NOW WE HAVE PATTY SMITH. SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 26 HOUSTON FAN FESTIVAL. AND AS WE LEARNED IN THE MEDIA BRIEFING, THE KEY WORD IS FREE. FREE. YES. I MEAN, WE'VE INTENDED IT, WANTED IT TO BE FREE ALL ALONG. WE WANT HOUSTONIANS VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO BE ABLE TO COME AND EXPERIENCE IT. I KNOW OTHER CITIES HAVE GOTTEN TO POTENTIALLY CHARGING, UM, SHORTENING THEIR DAYS OR WHATEVER, BUT WE WANT AS MUCH ACCESS AS POSSIBLE TO OUR FAN FESTIVALS. SO YEAH, IT'S FREE. SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE AT THE FAN FEST, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO? MAKE SURE THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF IT. . FIRST THING THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE TO DO IS TO COME DOWN AND SEE IT, RIGHT? BECAUSE, AND I'VE TOLD, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS THIS ALL THE TIME, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OH MY GOSH, HOUSTON'S GONNA BE CRAZY AND THERE'S GONNA BE SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC AT SO MANY PEOPLE. SO WHAT , I MEAN, THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE TRANSFORMING EAST DOWNTOWN INTO THIS MAGICAL FOUR BLOCK WONDERLAND, AND YOU NEED TO COME EXPERIENCE IT ALL. I MEAN, COME DOWN THERE. IT'S THE BIGGEST WATCH PARTY IN THE CITY BY FAR. IT'S THE BIGGEST ACTIVATION GOING ON OUTSIDE OF THE GAMES. COME DOWN THERE, EXPERIENCE THE GAMES. WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS BESIDES THE MATCHES THAT ARE BEING PLAYED. WE HAVE A GIANT BALL THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH ADIDAS ON CALLED AS FARA. IT'S THE, IT'S THE BIG TRYON, THE BALL. AND INSIDE OF THAT, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH SPACE CENTER HOUSTON, AND KIND OF THE DREAM WAS TO BE A, A CROSS BETWEEN AS FARA AND VEGAS. I MEAN THE SPHERE IN LAS VEGAS AND THE EPCOT BALL DOWN IN, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS BIG GIANT THING. YOU GO INSIDE IT. THEY'VE CREATED ORIGINAL CONTENT, A 360 DEGREE EXPERIENCE. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER AIR CONDITIONED SPOT CALLED HOUSTON HALL THAT WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO TELL HOUSTON STORY, WHO WE ARE AS A CITY THROUGH OUR, OUR FOOD, THROUGH OUR ENTERTAINMENT, UH, THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEOS ACTIVATING IN THERE. WE HAVE ART CARS IN THERE, SPACE CENTER. HOUSTON HAS MORE STUFF IN THERE, LUNAR MODULES. UM, WE HAVE KICKING GAMES. WE'VE GOT A, A MINI PITCH THAT YOU CAN GO HAVE OPEN PLAY ON AND EXPERIENCE JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE NOT JUST WATCHING THE GAME. SO THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. THIS SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN. YOU'VE TOLD ME. YEAH. YOU SOLD ME ONE SOUND BITE AND WE'RE DONE. COME ON. I'M DONE. GOOD. BUT I WANNA GET ONE MORE IN MM-HMM . BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET, WE WANT TO HAMMER THIS POINT ACROSS. HOUSTON IS ONE OF 16 CITIES THAT IS HOSTING THE WORLD CUP, BUT IT IS ONLY ONE OF TWO HOST CITIES THAT GETS TO THAT FAN FEST THE ENTIRE WORLD CUP, BECAUSE [00:10:01] WE DON'T PLAY AROUND IN HOUSTON. YEAH. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA JUST DO IT. IT'S GO BIG OR GO HOME. SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US TO BE OPEN ALL OF THE DAYS AND ALL OF THE DAYS MEANS 34 OF THE 39, THERE'S FIVE REST DAYS, BUT WE WANT, UM, WE WANT FANS TO, TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT ALL. ABSOLUTELY. SO NOT ONLY ARE WE REMAINING, UH, FREE, BUT WE'RE REMAINING OPEN. UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE VISITING, SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANYBODY NOT TO COME. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. MAKE SURE WE SEE YOU THERE. FAN FEST. TODAY I'M HERE TO TALK WITH HOUSTON AIRPORTS ABOUT THE AWARENESS OF WHAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING LOOKS LIKE AND THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A REAL SERIOUS PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN, AND WE'VE COME TOGETHER TODAY TO COLLABORATE AND TRY TO HAVE A UNITED FRONT. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TAKE THE ENERGY AND ACTIVITIES OF ALL OF OUR MEMBERS HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA AND FOCUS THEM TOWARDS ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE CREATE TOOLS TO EDUCATE. FOR EXAMPLE, HERE WE HAVE A CARE PACKAGE BILL, WHERE PEOPLE WILL WRITE A PERSONAL NOTE THAT TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF SOMEONE BEING TRAFFICKED. IT'S KNOWING AND LOOKING AT THE STATISTICS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SAVED. IT'S A MATTER OF PREVENTION, IT'S A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN ASSIST THE VICTIMS IN GETTING THEIR LIVES STRAIGHTENED OUT. ANYBODY WHO CAN LEARN ABOUT TRAFFICKING, SEE IT IN THEIR FAMILIES, SEE IT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND SEE IT IN THEIR COMPANIES, AND LEARN HOW TO DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA TURN THIS THING AROUND AND TO NORMALIZE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING AROUND TRAFFICKING TO HELP PARENTS UNDERSTAND HOW TO REALLY TALK TO THEIR KIDS AT ALL AGES. BUT WE'VE NEVER REST BECAUSE THERE'S INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE REACHING OUT FOR HELP. ALL RIGHT, WE WANT TO THANK CJ JOHNSON FOR THAT NICE PIECE ON THE, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, INVOLVING THIS MAN RIGHT HERE. JIM SNIA, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM THAT HAPPENED AT THE WORDHAM THEATER ABOUT A FEW, FEW WEEKS AGO. BUT HAVE THERE BEEN ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING? YEAH, SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM EMPLOYEE AND THEN ANYBODY WHO GETS A BADGE AT THE AIRPORT GETS TRAINED ON THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND SO WE CONTINUE THAT TRAINING AND THEN AS WE GET CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND WE GET INTO THIS TROUBLE SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, PARTICULARLY HPD. 'CAUSE AGAIN, THEY MIGHT GET THE TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE ON THINGS THAT MAY BE HAPPENING FROM AN ORGANIZED RING, UM, PERSPECTIVE. AND SO WE'LL KIND OF WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO MITIGATE TRAFFICKING AT THE AIRPORT, UH, WE'RE PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. SO WHEN PEOPLE GET OFF THE PLANE, THEIR EXPERIENCE, WHAT SHOULD THEY EXPECT TO SEE, FEEL THE ESSENCE INSIDE OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT? YEAH, SO WE WANNA GIVE 'EM A GOOD EXPERIENCE, LIKE A HOUSTON FRIENDLY WELCOME WHEN THEY GET OFF THE PLANE. SO THEY'RE GONNA KNOW THAT THEY'RE HERE. AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ACTIVATIONS IN THE TERMINAL SPECIFIC TO WORLD CUP TO BE ABLE TO GIVE 'EM THAT SOCCER VIBE WHEN THEY GET ON HERE. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY GET OFF THE PLANE, THEY'RE READY TO, TO GET INTO THE SOCCER GROOVE. WHEN THE SPECTATORS COME FROM INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES, UH, WHAT WILL BE THE TRAFFIC FLOW LIKE, BE IN, UH, THE AIRPORTS? SO FOR THE, FOR THE INTERNATIONAL INBOUND CUSTOMS HAS A COUPLE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, RIGHT? AND SO THEY HAVE THE STANDARD SCREENING, AND THEN WE HAVE THE GLOBAL ENTRY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO CERTAIN FOLKS. WE HAVE MOBILE PASSPORT. MOBILE PASSPORT IMPORTANTLY IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO ALL VISA WAIVER COUNTRIES. SO YOUR GERMANS, YOUR DUTCH, YOUR JAPANESE, ALL THOSE FOLKS HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THE MOBILE PASSPORT. UM, THEN ALSO WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED ENHANCED PASSENGER PROCESSING, ONE OF THE FEW AIRPORTS THAT HAVE IT RIGHT NOW IN THE COUNTRY. AND THAT ALLOWS US CITIZENS WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR BIOMETRICS READ BY THE SCREENER THERE, AND THEN IT WILL MATCH THAT TO THEIR PASSPORT, AND THEN THEY GET A GREEN LIGHT AND THEY JUST GO THROUGH. UM, AND THAT FREES UP BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THAT'S ABOUT, UH, UH, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT TWICE AS FAST THAN THE NORMAL PROCESSING THAT FREES UP MORE CBP OFFICERS TO GO WORK ON THE FOREIGN FOLKS BECAUSE THE US FOLKS ARE GETTING THROUGH MUCH FASTER. AWESOME. AWESOME. LOVE THE FACT THAT WE ARE PLANNED. THINKING OF OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES, UM, AT THE END OF THIS EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE VISITORS AND HOUSTONIANS WALK AWAY WITH? I HOPE THAT VISITORS COME BACK, , RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S THE KEY THING. AND THEN AGAIN, REMEMBER THE AIRPORT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TRANSIT THROUGH. AND SO I WANT TO GIVE 'EM A GOOD EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPORT. THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, I HAD SOME REALLY GOOD FOOD IN THAT HOUSTON AIRPORT. I HAD A REALLY GOOD, YOU KNOW, TIME IN THE HOUSTON AIRPORT. I THINK I WANNA COME BACK TO HOUSTON. UM, AND PUT THAT ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR TRAVEL LIST. UM, SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AND FOR THE HOUSTONIANS, I JUST WANT 'EM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THIS IS GONNA BE THE NORMAL BUSY SUMMER. AND SO THEY GOTTA DO ALL THE PRE-PLANNING, THEY GOTTA RESERVE THEIR PARKING, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO USE OUR WEBSITE TO CHECK THE TSA WAIT TIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN GO THROUGH ANY TSA CHECKPOINT AT BUSH AND THEN ONCE YOU CLEAR, CLEAR SECURITY, YOU CAN TAKE THE TRAIN OR WALK TO ANY OF THE OTHER PLACES. SO USE, USE THE TOOLS ON OUR WEBSITE TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH THE, THE AIRPORT SUCCESSFULLY. YEAH, SO, SO BEYOND PACKING FOR A TRIP, THEY NEED TO PACK THEIR PATIENTS WHEN THEY COME [00:15:01] TO THE AIRPORT THAT YES. YES. BUT, BUT I'M EXCITED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE TSA IS FUNDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH. SO WE CAN WE NOT, WE CAN CROSS THAT OFF OUR LIST OF WORRIES. MORE CITY PULSES AFTER THIS. HOUSTON, THE WORLD IS WATCHING. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? THE WORLD'S BEST TEAMS SEVEN MATCHES, ONE WORLD CHAMPION. AND HOW DO YOU GET TO ALL OF THE WORLD CUP ACTION? TAKE METRO TO THE FIFA FAN FESTIVAL AND EVERY MATCH AT HOUSTON STADIUM. METRO IS YOUR RIDE TO ALL THE WORLD CUP FESTIVITIES AND IT'S JUST A DOLLAR 25 1 WAY. LEARN MORE ABOUT MATCH DAY TRAVEL@RIDEMETRO.ORG AND WITNESS THE WORLD AT PLAY. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS HAPPENING IN MANY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES. CALL 8 8 8 3 7 3 7 8 8 8 AT THE FIRST SUSPICIOUS SIGN. YOU SEE WATCH FOR TRAFFIC.ORG. YOU ARE WATCHING THE SPECIAL EDITION OF CITY POLLS, FIFA, WORLD CUP 26 HOUSTON EDITION. WE HAVE MARTY KENDRICK AND HUSSEIN NOKI. THEY WERE GONNA TELL US ABOUT SOME COLLABORATION ONGOING AT, WITH N ENERGY PARK AND EVERYTHING HOUSTON JUST EXCITED. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE MOST PROUD OF IS THE COLLABORATION. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF AN EVENT LIKE THIS. AND SO WE ARE JUST APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS HOST COMMITTEE, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE CITY, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WITH LIKE METRO, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, WORKING HERE WITH LEGENDS, OUR, OUR OPERATOR HERE AT THE PARK. AND THEN WE CAN'T BE REMISS WITHOUT SAYING OUR, OUR TENANTS, THE, AND THE RODEO, THE CONCESSIONS THEY'VE MADE. SO IT'S A BUNCH OF FOLKS REALLY WORKING TOGETHER IN COORDINATION TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND JUST PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALL DONE TOGETHER. AND SO TELL US, WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026? YOU KNOW, I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD 192 COUNTRIES PURCHASING TICKETS TO HOUSTON. UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE THE WORLD QUITE LITERALLY, UH, TO OUR FRONT DOOR AND TO SHOWCASE HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY, UH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, AS MARTY SAYS, DOESN'T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM AND HAS TO HAPPEN, UH, AND BE EXECUTED ACROSS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. AND WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE A SMALL PART OF THAT. AWESOME. AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND SEE WHAT'S NEXT UP ON CITY PULSE. WELCOME BACK TO THE SPECIAL EDITION OF CITY PULSE, FIFA WORLD CUP 26 HOUSTON EDITION. SO IF YOU GUESSED 1994 AS THE YEAR THE UNITED STATES LAST HELD THE WORLD CUP, YOU ARE CORRECT. SO FOR 2026, THE UNITED STATES BECOME THE SIXTH NATION TO HOST THE FIFA WORLD CUP MORE THAN ONCE 'CAUSE OF THE SUCCESS OF 1990 FOUR'S WORLD CUP, IT LAID THE GROUNDWORK OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER HAPPENING TWO YEARS LATER IN 19 96, 10 YEARS AFTER THAT, THE HOUSTON DYNAMO AND THEIR INAUGURAL SEASON WOULD WIN THE MSL CUP AND REPEAT THE SECOND YEAR. BUT NOW LET US FLASH BACK TO 1994 AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORLD CUP [00:21:05] MORE CITY PULSE AFTER THIS QUESTION. ARE YOU SOMEBODY THAT USES PETTY CABS TO AND FROM CONCERTS AND SPORTING EVENTS? I'M MATTHEW SIMON WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I HAVE IMPORTANT NEWS FOR YOU. HPD HAS STARTED CRACKING DOWN ON ILLEGAL PETTY CAB OPERATORS. THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO DRIVE AROUND WITHOUT THE REQUIRED LICENSING PERMITS OR LIABILITY INSURANCE. IF YOU'RE RIDING IN A PETTY CAB WITHOUT THE REQUIRED CREDENTIALS, CHANCES ARE THE PETTY CAB'S GETTING TOWED AND YOU'RE WALKING TO YOUR DESTINATION, NO REFUNDS. SO HOW DO YOU SPOT A LEGITIMATE PETTY CAB OPERATOR? FIRST, THEY'LL HAVE A PERMIT STUCK TO THE C POST. A SECOND PERMIT STICKER SHOULD BE VISIBLE ON THE BACK OF THE CAB AND THE PETTY CAB OPERATOR'S CREDENTIALS SHOULD ALWAYS BE VIEWABLE FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. CAN'T SEE THE CREDENTIALS. SIMPLY ASK THE OPERATOR. JUST LIKE CARS ON THE ROAD, PETTY CABS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE WORKING BRAKES, HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS, SEAT BELTS AND LIABILITY INSURANCE. THIS ENSURES EVERYBODY ON BOARD IS COVERED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. SO IF YOU'RE OPERATING A PETTY CAP AND HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, CALL THE CITY OF HOUSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AT 8 3 2 3 9 4 8 8 0 1 OR VISIT HERE THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER AT 10 0 2 WASHINGTON AVENUE. RIGHT NOW A PETTY CAP PERMIT COSTS ABOUT $350. WHILE MULTIPLE PETTY CAP CITATIONS CAN COST YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES, NOT TO MENTION RETRIEVING YOUR PETTY CAP FROM THE IMPOUND, THAT WILL BE A MINIMUM OF $220. BOTTOM LINE PASSENGERS BE AWARE OF UNSAFE PETTY CAPS AND OPERATORS GET YOUR PERMITS OR YOUR PETTY CAP COULD BE BOUND FOR THE IMPOUND. I MAY BE DECKED OUT IN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 SKIER, BUT I'M GONNA KICK IT OVER TO REBECCA WHO HAS A SPECIAL STORY TO SHARE. DID YOU KNOW THAT MAY IS WOMEN'S HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH? CHECK OUT THIS GREAT INTERVIEW WITH AMAYA LEE FROM HR WELLNESS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AMAYA, YOU'RE BACK AGAIN. YOUR WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND AND WELLNESS IS SO NEEDED HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE ARE HERE, IT IS NOW WOMEN'S HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. YES. OKAY, I WANNA START FROM THE TOP 'CAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IF THE MIND IS RIGHT, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FUNCTION. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH. WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THE MINDS OF WOMEN HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN ORDER TO EMBARK ON A HEALTHY WELLNESS LIFE? ABSOLUTELY. SO I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO START BECAUSE, UH, A BIG PIECE IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ALIGN OUR PERSPECTIVE TO GIVE OURSELVES THE PERMISSION TO DO THE THINGS, TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. I THINK JUST NATURALLY WOMEN ARE GIVERS. WE'RE THE NATURAL BORN CARETAKERS AND ALL OF THAT IS GREAT AND THOSE, UH, TRADITIONAL ROLES. HOWEVER, THERE IS THAT TENDENCY OR THAT POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN KIND OF LOSE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT IN THAT, UM, KIND OF MASK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE MAY BE GOING THROUGH IN THAT AS WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE AFLOAT. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO THERE IS, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES A GREAT JOB OF MAKING SURE IT PUTS ON EVENTS TO EMPOWER ITS EMPLOYEES. THERE IS AN EVENT THAT IS COMING THIS MONTH, MAY 19TH. YES. TALK ABOUT THAT EVENT AND WHAT'S GONNA BE THERE. ABSOLUTELY. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR WOMEN'S HEALTH EVENT. THIS IS AN EVENT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING ON FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE WHERE WE BRING TO THE EVENT A WOMEN'S HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, UM, FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE AS WELL AS A PHYSICIAN. SO ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE LADIES MAY HAVE WHO ATTEND, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE ANSWERS PROFESSIONALLY ADDRESSED. AND IT'S JUST A VERY GREAT EMPOWERING EVENTS. NOW, WOMEN, [00:25:01] UH, RANK HIGHER THAN ANY THAN MEN. LET ME JUST SAY, WHEN IT COMES TO DIFFERENT HEALTH AND AWARENESS ISSUES, UM, WHETHER THAT BE AT LUPUS OR CANCER OR ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, UM, BECAUSE TO WHAT YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THEY'RE FOCUSED ON WORKING ON EVERYBODY ELSE. WHAT DOES THE CITY HAVE IN PLACE DAY TO DAY? YES. TO EMPOWER THE, THE LADIES OF THE CITY, UM, TO REACH OUT. WHO CAN THEY CALL? ARE THERE RESOURCES HERE TO GET, WHETHER THAT'S MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE, WHATEVER TYPE OF ASSISTANCE TO DEAL WITH THEIR HEALTH, WHAT CAN THEY GO? YES. SO WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE EAP PROGRAM THAT'S SET UP AS A HYBRID MODEL WHERE OUR INTERNAL EAP ALLOWS THEM TO GET ANY SORT OF HELP WITH THE WORK-RELATED CONCERNS. BUT I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON THE EXTERNAL EEAP BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHERE THEY GET THAT BALANCE. ANYTHING FROM UM, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, OF COURSE, ANYTHING RELATED TO MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH. BUT THE BIGGEST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT THAT IS A RESOURCE FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE REALLY VALUE WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ABLE TO BRING TO THE TABLE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO SHOW UP AS THEIR HAPPIEST, HEALTHIEST SELF. THANK YOU. TO SERVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YES. YES. SO IF THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT'S KIND OF ON THE FENCE AND THEY'RE LIKE, SAMAYA, I HEAR YOU AND ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GREAT, WHAT ARE SOME TIPS THAT THEY MAY NOT COME TO YOU OR THEY MAY NOT REACH OUT? WHAT ARE SOME TIPS THAT THEY CAN START AT HOME, UM, TO KIND OF JUST WORK ON THEIR HEALTH THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO AT HOME AND THEN BRING THOSE THINGS TO THE WORKPLACE? YES. AND SO, UM, I WOULD SAY SEEING WHAT YOU CAN DO THAT'S GONNA BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU. SO REALLY KIND OF RECOGNIZING THAT ANY BABY STEP IS GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL. AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR WOMEN AND THEIR HEALTH, WE DO HAVE A VIRTUAL MENOPAUSE CLASS THAT WE JUST UM, KIND OF LAUNCHED HERE RECENTLY THAT IS AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SPOUSES AT HOME BECAUSE IT IS VIRTUALLY THROUGH TEAMS AND THAT IS A GREAT RESOURCE TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION AND TIPS AS WELL. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. WE ALWAYS ENJOY YOU HERE AT THE CITY PULSE. THANK YOU SUE. ALRIGHT, WE'LL SEE WHAT'S NEXT. MORE CITY PULSE. AFTER THIS, THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON. IN HOUSTON. WE DON'T JUST WELCOME THEM, WE LIVE IT. SOCCER RUNS DEEP, PLAYED IN PARKS, STREETS, AND STADIUMS ACROSS EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FOOD, IT'S DIFFERENT. THE CULTURE IS GLOBAL, THE ENERGY ALWAYS ON. IN 2026, THE WORLD'S GAME TAKES CENTER STAGE IN H TOWN. COME READY TO PLAY, COME READY TO CELEBRATE. DOWNTOWN IS AN ART LOVER'S DREAM WITH MORE THAN 65 PIECES OF PUBLIC ART. WELL, REBECCA, I THINK IT'S TIME TO PUT A BOW ON THE SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF CITY PULSE AND FIFA WORLD CUP 2026. AND I HOPE WE PROVIDED YOU WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN ENJOY THIS FIFA PRESENTATION. WE'RE GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH SOCCER BALL ART THAT YOU CAN SEE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS. AND I'M TRAVIS LEMONS. AS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DESCEND UPON HOUSTON, RELAX, DON'T LOSE YOUR COOL. AND REMEMBER, WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.