Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — or AMLO, as he’s known — presents himself as a reformer and a humble man of the people. But a recent scandal revolves around his 40-year-old son’s luxe life here.

In late January investigative reporters broke the story that AMLO’s son José Ramón Lopez Obrador has lived with his wife in two different houses, each worth around $1 million, in Houston’s northern suburbs, and that he drives a $69,000 Mercedes GLE. It wasn’t clear how José and his wife could afford all that. The story and others that followed suggested that the swank accoutrements might have something to do with corruption involving Mexico’s state-owned oil company.

AMLO vehemently denied that anything unsavory is going on, and he ratcheted up his press-conference attacks on “fake news.” But as the story gained traction in Mexico, he urged his son, a lawyer, to reveal how he makes a living. 

This week José released a statement that he makes 100% of his income as a legal advisor to a Houston-based luxury development company, KEI Partners. KEI’s website shows that it’s working on “Royal Pines,” a private club planned for Old Hufsmith Korville Road in far, far north Houston. In computer renderings, the club looks like a suburban developer’s idea of Trumpian splendor. 

Royal Pines’ marketing materials appear to have been rushed. For instance, the website’s video says that the club will be less than 25 minutes from central Houston, but the accompanying map doesn’t start that journey from central Houston; it starts in far west Houston, near Beltway 8, at a development called CityCentre. (KEI denies reports that its entire website popped into existence only hours before José revealed his job there.)

The latest? Yesterday investigative reporters broke yet another story: Two of KEI’s three partners — the E and the I — are Érika and Iván Chávez, children of Daniel Chávez Morán. He’s a friend of AMLO’s who has big, profitable contracts with Mexican government.

The story will, no doubt, continue to develop.

⚖️ Yet another complaint against Texas’ attorney general: A complaint filed with the State Bar of Texas seeks to revoke the law license of much-accused state AG Ken Paxton. This time, it’s on the grounds that Paxton encouraged supporters to pressure judges to overturn a ruling against him. It's the third Bar complaint filed against Paxton this year. The others allege that he committed professional misconduct when he filed a U.S. Supreme Court lawsuit to overturn the U.S. presidential election. (Houston Chronicle)

🎸 The worst city in the nation for live music: Of the 50 cities analyzed by Clever, a real-estate data service, Houston ranks dead last as a place to hear live music. Austin, annoyingly, is the best. (Clever)

City Cast culture contributor Olivia Flores Alvarez says that this stuff looks promising:

🩰 The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to Jones Hall Friday and Saturday, thanks to the Society for Performing Arts. The iconic Revelations is performed at each of the three performances; the rest of the program varies. Catch the trailer here. 

🎭 Theater fans will love Sin Muros: A Borderless Teatro Festival at Stages. With a focus on Latinx playwrights and characters, the four-day festival includes readings of new works, a writing workshop, arts festival and the Premio Puente (Bridge Award). In-person and virtual events run Thursday to Sunday. 

📽️  On Saturday and Sunday, the MFAH screens “Truly Texas Mexican,” a film that mixes food, history, agricultural politics, and feminism. Chef Adán Medrano tours Texas and talks with cooks about ingredients and cultural resistance. Q&A with the filmmakers follows each screening. Watch the trailer here. 

📽️  The MFAH also has “To Catch a Thief” on the schedule Friday and Saturday. The Hitchcock classic features a sexy cat-and-mouse game between a retired jewel thief (Cary Grant) and a rich socialite (Grace Kelly). 

📘 On Saturday, the Black Literature Matters Book Fair celebrates African American authors, aspiring writers and readers. It’s a chance to network and pick up the newest titles. At Grooves of Houston. 

Tickets are sold out for both Rothko Chapel performances of the world premiere we discussed on the podcast yesterday. But seats are still available… in New York. Composer and conductor Tyshawn Sorey will perform “Monochromatic Light (Afterlife)” Sept. 27-Oct. 8 at the Park Avenue Armory. No, that won’t be as mind-bendingly cool as seeing a piece written about and for Rothko Chapel in Rothko Chapel. But it’s something.

Houston is a hard place to get your head around, but one of the best ways to start is to plant a garden. Gardening forces you to pay attention to the here and now — to this land, this weather, and this climate. You quickly find out how different Houston is from the rest of the United States, and even from the rest of Texas.

On today’s podcast, I talk gardening with City Cast contributor and gardening fanatic Evan Mintz; and Pilar Hernandez, an Urban Harvest board member and author of The Chilean Kitchen.

Right now is a great time to plant fruit trees. Evan says that a Meyer lemon tree is the best thing a Houstonian can grow. The trees are prolific and easy to care for. And the fruit is juicier and sweeter — far more delicious — than run-of-the-mill grocery-store lemons.

“Meyer lemons have such a thin skin,” Pilar adds. “When you’re making a lemon pie, you can just throw the whole thing in the food processor, skin and all. I love them.”

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