Harris County, the seventh largest county in Texas, includes the cities of Houston, Pasadena and Bellaire and has a population of more than 3.2 million.

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Greg Hassell, of Bellaire, eight miles southwest of Houston, said people with power or supplies were helping those without -- a spirit perhaps aided by the storm literally removing some dividers.

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The Financial Services Institute, which represents independent broker-dealer operations, believes the state laws and pending legislation could place "investors at risk, as well as creating a significant headache for brokerage firms, " according to David Bellaire, the group's general counsel.

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