Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett. On the Navas is away. On the news hour tonight.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 40,000 for the first time as the overall

stock market reaches historic highs.

We take a closer look at the Governor of Texas pardoning an ex-army sergeant convicted of killing an

armed Black Lives Matter protester and we speak with a Methodist pastor on a major

shift as the church lifts its ban on LGBT Q clergy and same sex

marriages. The church is becoming aware of who God is in comparison to who writers throughout generations

have said about God. The John S and James L. Knight Foundation, fostering informed and engaged communities.

More at KF.org.

And with the ongoing

and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.

And friends of the News Hour.

This program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you. Thank you. Welcome to the news hour.

Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coast are dealing with the aftermath of intense storms that have

been hammering the region.

At least four people were killed in Houston after Hurricane Force winds tore through the city,

and more than 700,000 customers remain without power in Texas and Louisiana as utility crews work to address it.

Ali Rogan has our report.

Today the Houston area is littered with debris.

Downtown is at a standstill and the city's school district was closed after an evening of

deadly storms.

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