A Houston teenager whose slain boy was discovered in mid-September in the woods in west side of the city was killed by MS-13 gang members, a prosecutor told 185th State District Court Judge Susan Brown on Friday.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Tanisha Manning told Judge Brown that a witness, an MS-13 gang member, told police that Jose Granados-Guevara and other members of the MS-13 gang, including him, met and made plans to kill 14-year-old Jose Meraz at the spot of the killing two weeks before committing the crime.

The universe tries to nudge you in a new direction whenever things go wrong, renowned media proprietor, talk show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey said on Friday.

Oprah is in Houston for Oprah's The Life You Want Weekend, which features the media mogul and a handful of guest speakers holding court.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker has confirmed that the controversial subpoenas filed against five city pastors and religious leaders have been revised to narrow down and clarify their reach.

The subpoenas that specifically relate to Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) are demanding pastors to turn over any sermons that deal with homosexuality and gender identity issues. The subpoenas were issued by City Attorney David Feldman's office last month but they came to light recently when lawyers for the pastors filed a motion to quash the subpoenas.

Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church, hinted at a recent press conference that the church would not take public position on LGBT (same-sex) issues.

When reporters present at the press conference for the Hillsong Conference in New York City yesterday asked Houston to clarify the church's position on same sex marriage, he could not reduce the issue down to a 'yes' or 'no' answer in the public.

Subpoenas issued to five Houston pastors by City Attorney David Feldman's office last month were a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said.

The city attorney's office issued subpoenas to pastors demanding them to turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality and gender identity issues. Annise Parker, the city's first openly lesbian mayor, also supported the subpoenas.

Houston city attorneys subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the city's equal rights ordinance. The pastors who have dragged the city to court over the issue are tied to the conservative Christian activists.

Opponents of the controversial ordinance are expecting a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January next year. They have been claiming that City Attorney David Feldman is wrong in determining that they hadn't collected enough signatures to meet the criteria for the ballot.

When it comes to finding the best place in the United States to live, a Houston location has managed to get the second-best ranking across the country, according to esteemed real estate blog Movoto.

Houston's ZIP code area 77005, which includes West University Place, grabbed the second position on the list of list of best ZIP codes in the country.

The Houston location is behind just one location in the country - ZIP code 20004 in Washington, D. C. Two ZIP codes in Chicago and one each in New York; Kansas City, Missouri; and Wichita, Kansas, followed the Houston area.

A break in main water line in southwest Houston kept more than a dozen crew members with the city's Public Works Department busy for several hours on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The break occurred in a 20-inch main at the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Bob White Drive in front of a Metro bus stop at Southwest Houston in the Westbury neighborhood.

City spokesperson Alvin Wright said the break collapsed the sidewalk and sent water pouring out of the ground and down the street for several blocks in all the directions in the area.