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Elections, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ken Paxton attended Dubai New Year's party with men indicted on federal charges

Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton attended a New Year's Eve party in Dubai on December 31, 2024, with two men who had been indicted on federal charges and had not yet returned to the United States to face prosecution. Campaign finance records show one of the men donated to Paxton's campaign.

$ $190,000 for campaign contribution

Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and Senate candidate; Anosh Ahmed, Man indicted on federal charges; Sameer Suhail, Man indicted on federal charges

Reported by 24 outlets   Facts and sources

Economy & Jobs

Abbott announces $20 million in career training grants to schools

Governor Greg Abbott announced that 84 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling over $20 million have been awarded to Texas public junior colleges, state colleges, technical colleges, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools.

$ over $20 million for JET grants for career and technical education equipment

Greg Abbott, Governor; Joe Esparza, Texas Workforce Commission Chairman; Texas Workforce Commission, administers JET grants

Official record and 10 more   Facts and sources

Energy & Environment, Corpus Christi, Nueces County

Corpus Christi spent $50 million on unbuilt desalination plant during drought

Eight years after unanimously approving a plan to build Texas's first seawater desalination plant, Corpus Christi has spent at least $50 million but the plant has not materialized. The city agreed not to pressure major industrial water users to cut consumption in exchange for their funding, but the companies now contribute only a fraction of expected costs. Residents face paying the remainder as regional reservoirs approached depletion during spring drought.

$ at least $50 million for spending on desalination plant

Corpus Christi City Council, unanimously approved plan in August 2018; Frank Brogan, consultant and former Port of Corpus Christi executive; OxyChem, Valero, Citgo, major regional water users

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Howard County, Texas

Man arrested on murder charge after Howard County domestic dispute and pursuit

A 49-year-old Big Spring man was arrested on a murder charge following a domestic disturbance at a Howard County residence. Elizabeth Cervantes, 38, was found dead inside. Gonzalez led law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit before being apprehended in Dawson County.

$ $2 million for bond

Zyon Gonzalez, suspect arrested on murder charge; Elizabeth Cervantes, victim, 38 years old; Texas Department of Public Safety, law enforcement agency

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Harris County

Poll shows Plummer leading Sanchez in Harris County judge race

A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll found Democrat Letitia Plummer leading Republican Orlando Sanchez by 7 percentage points in the Harris County judge race. The survey of likely voters shows a majority of both parties oppose a recent property tax increase.

$ Harris County voters opposed a property tax increase approved this year, with 72% disapproving according to the poll.

Letitia Plummer, Democratic candidate for Harris County judge; Orlando Sanchez, Republican candidate for Harris County judge; University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, Conducted poll

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Energy & Environment, Boca Chica, Starbase, Texas

SpaceX proposes hundreds of annual Starship launches at Texas site

SpaceX filed a proposal with federal regulators to conduct up to 456 Starship rocket launches and 912 landings annually at its Boca Chica facility near Starbase, Texas. The company also filed plans with the Texas Railroad Commission for an eight-mile natural gas pipeline called "Starpipe" to supply methane fuel to the launch site.

$ 50 years for lease term for Port of Brownsville parcel for Starpipe facilities

SpaceX, Company proposing launches and pipeline project; Lone Star Mineral Development, SpaceX affiliate filing Starpipe pipeline plan with Texas Railroad Commission; Federal Aviation Administration, Federal regulator preparing environmental review and holding public meetings

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts, Harris County

Texas woman sues anti-abortion group members under pill-transport law

A Texas woman filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday in Harris County district court against four members of Students for Life of America, alleging they ordered abortion medication in March 2026 outside Space Center Houston. The suit invokes the Woman and Child Protection Act, House Bill 7, which went into effect in December and prohibits transporting abortion-inducing drugs within Texas.

$ $100,000 for minimum statutory award for plaintiff with connection to incident

Maria Puerto, Plaintiff, using pseudonym; Kristan Mercer Hawkins, Defendant, president of Students for Life; Lydia Taylor Davis, Defendant, Students for Life spokesperson

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Economy & Jobs

MSUFCU announces merger with Texas-based credit union

MSUFCU announced a merger with a Texas-based credit union valued at $13.5 billion.

$ $13.5B for merger value

MSUFCU, credit union announcing merger

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Bryan, Brazos County

Bryan City Council releases legal opinion on Texas Avenue medians charter amendment

The Bryan City Council voted to waive attorney-client privilege and release a legal opinion questioning whether the city has authority to remove medians on Texas Avenue, even if voters approve a proposed charter amendment in November. The opinion states the city would likely need consent from the Texas Department of Transportation or a court ruling to remove the medians.

$ $8 million for estimated cost of median removal

Bryan City Council, voted to waive attorney-client privilege and release legal opinion; Nicole Lamb, Strategic Communications department, city of Bryan; Denise Fries, led resident organizing effort for charter amendment petition

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Harris County

UH poll shows Talarico leading Paxton by 22 points in Harris County

A University of Houston poll of 2,750 Harris County likely voters shows state Rep. James Talarico leading Attorney General Ken Paxton 58% to 36% in the U.S. Senate race, with Gov. Abbott trailing state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by 16 points in the gubernatorial race.

$ 72 percent of respondents disapprove of Harris County commissioners' vote to approve the highest property tax rate in decades.

James Talarico, State representative, candidate in U.S. Senate race; Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, candidate in U.S. Senate race; Greg Abbott, Governor, candidate for re-election

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, East El Paso County near Eastlake Boulevard and Rojas Drive

Man arrested after throwing rocks at driver in El Paso County

A traffic dispute near Eastlake Boulevard and Rojas Drive in East El Paso County escalated when a man allegedly threw rocks at another driver and his BMW, shattering windows and striking the victim. Edgar Sanchez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

$ $5,000 for property damage from rock-thrown assault

Edgar Sanchez, Man arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Agency that investigated and arrested suspect

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Grapevine/Tarrant County (arrest location); Fort Worth (church location)

Fort Worth associate pastor arrested on child indecency and family violence charges

Brandon Dillard, 48, was arrested in Grapevine on charges including indecency with a child by sexual contact and assault of a family member. He was an associate pastor at IMRSN Church in Fort Worth.

$ $230,000 for bond

Brandon Dillard, associate pastor at IMRSN Church in Fort Worth; IMRSN Church, employer

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Tyler, Smith County

JD Vance campaigns for Texas GOP candidates at Tyler rally

Vice President JD Vance held a campaign rally in Tyler on October 13, 2026, for Texas Republican candidates. Texas Attorney General candidate Mayes Middleton spoke at the event.

JD Vance, Vice President, campaigning for Republican candidates; Mayes Middleton, Texas Attorney General candidate

Reported by 19 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Dallas, Texas

Country singer Musgraves and former DHS secretary Noem trade social media jabs

Kacey Musgraves and Kristi Noem exchanged posts on social media over the Texas Senate race after Democratic candidate James Talarico attended one of Musgraves' concerts. Musgraves referenced a 2024 admission by Noem that she killed her dog.

Kacey Musgraves, Country music star; Kristi Noem, Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary and current U.S. special envoy; James Talarico, Democratic Texas state representative and U.S. Senate candidate

Reported by 12 outlets   Facts and sources

Economy & Jobs

Texas coach Sarkisian addresses team performance after Oklahoma loss

Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed concerns at his weekly news conference Monday following the Longhorns' 27-24 loss to Oklahoma. He discussed special teams performance, offensive struggles, and defended quarterback Arch Manning against criticism.

Steve Sarkisian, Head coach, Texas football; Jeff Banks, Special teams coordinator; Arch Manning, Quarterback

Reported by 12 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Social media posts falsely claim Talarico was at Ohio mental health facility

Conservative social media users and Republican officials spread unsubstantiated rumors that Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was being treated at a mental health facility in Ohio. Talarico said he was recovering from the flu at home; the facility denied he was ever a patient there.

James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate, state representative; Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, Republican opponent in Senate race; Donald Trump, Posted about Talarico on Truth Social

Reported by 11 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas candidates ramp up election outreach as early voting begins

Texas candidates stepped up campaign activity as early voting approached. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico returned to public campaigning after days away due to flu, launching a canvass in Austin. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP Senate nominee, campaigned across Texas and criticized Talarico's absence.

James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Texas Attorney General; Pooja Sethi, Democratic candidate for Texas House District 47

Reported by 10 outlets   Facts and sources

Border & Immigration, Southern Texas

Indiana National Guard members deploy to Texas for border enforcement

About 125 Indiana National Guard members from Plymouth deployed to southern Texas for nearly a year to support immigration enforcement. They replaced a National Guard unit from Monticello and will work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of Operation Arden Vanguard.

Indiana National Guard, deploying unit with 125 members from Plymouth; Capt. Jakob Young, commander of the 381st Military Police Company; Maj. Gen. Justin Mann, commanding general of 81st Troop Command, Indiana National Guard

Reported by 8 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Bowie County, Texas

Early voting begins October 19 for November 3 Texas general election

Early voting for the November 3, 2026 general election begins Monday, October 19, in Bowie County, Texas. Voters can cast ballots at three locations through October 30.

Pat McCoy, Election Administrator of the Bowie County Elections Office

Reported by 7 outlets   Facts and sources

Energy & Environment, Tyler, Smith County

Trump administration invokes Defense Production Act to expand Tyler refinery

Vice President JD Vance announced that President Trump is invoking the Defense Production Act to expand the Delek oil refinery in Tyler. The expansion aims to produce additional commercial-grade and military-specification fuel and create hundreds of jobs in Smith County.

JD Vance, Vice President who announced the expansion; Donald Trump, President invoking the Defense Production Act; Delek, Oil refinery being expanded

Reported by 7 outlets   Facts and sources

Weather & Disasters, West Texas (including Texas Panhandle, South Plains, Permian Basin, Big Country, Texoma, Big Bend, and Texas Border regions)

Governor Abbott activates state emergency resources for West Texas flood threat

Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of severe weather and flash flooding expected to impact portions of West Texas. The threat is caused by remnants of Hurricane Simon.

Greg Abbott, Governor; Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), agency directed to activate emergency resources

Official record and 6 more   Facts and sources

Elections, Tarrant County, Texas

Tarrant County judge denies request to reinstate 92 closed polling places

A Tarrant County judge denied a lawsuit seeking to restore 92 Election Day polling places that county officials cut. The plaintiffs argued the reductions would disenfranchise voters, with the heaviest impact on Black and Hispanic communities. The judge did not dismiss the lawsuit or rule on whether the cuts were discriminatory.

District Judge Patrick Gallagher, judge who ruled on the case; Deborah Peoples, city councilwoman and plaintiff; Kathleen Hicks, former city councilwoman and plaintiff

Reported by 7 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Texas

Mental health rumors about Talarico debunked, Republicans criticized

Democrats said Republicans spread false rumors about Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's mental health. NBC News reported the rumors were debunked and that one Republican acknowledged conservatives had suffered a public embarrassment.

James Talarico, Texas Democratic Senate candidate; Democrats, Political party; Republicans, Political party

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Ken Paxton says debate deal broken down over details; Talarico campaign disputes claim

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton told Fox News he has been trying to schedule a debate with Democrat James Talarico but cannot work out details. Talarico's campaign disputed this, saying Paxton has declined or ignored multiple debate invitations. Trump had publicly called for the two to debate.

Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate nominee; James Talarico, Democratic state representative and U.S. Senate candidate; Donald Trump, President

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Other

SEC announces Texas A&M at Alabama kickoff time and TV assignment

The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Texas A&M's football game at Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 24, will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and air on ABC. The game is part of Alabama's homecoming weekend at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Southeastern Conference, Announced kickoff time and TV assignment; Texas A&M, Team playing at Alabama; Alabama, Host team

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Dana Perino discusses Texas Senate race between Paxton and Talarico

Fox News commentator Dana Perino discussed the Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico on October 13, 2026. She also previewed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's first briefing.

Dana Perino, Fox News commentator; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for Texas Senate; James Talarico, Democratic candidate for Texas Senate

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas Senate race tightens as early voting begins October 19

A new poll released October 13 shows Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton within the margin of error in the Texas U.S. Senate race, with Talarico leading 48-44%. Early voting begins October 19.

James Talarico, Democratic state representative, U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General, U.S. Senate candidate; Lindsey Hendren, Senior research analyst at ReconMR

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Federal, Fort Hood, Texas

Trump approves execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan

President Trump approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 Fort Hood attack. The execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, and the Trump administration announced plans to live-stream it, drawing opposition from Christian leaders and human rights groups.

President Donald Trump, Approved execution and live-stream plan; Nidal Hasan, Fort Hood shooter; Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, condemned execution and broadcast

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Economy & Jobs, Odessa, Texas

Governor Abbott discusses Texas energy leadership at University Lands forum

Governor Greg Abbott spoke at the University Lands Energy Forum in Odessa, championing Texas' energy leadership and economy. He highlighted the state's job creation, business expansion, energy industry leadership, and workforce development.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas; Stuart Stedman, Chair of the University Lands Advisory Board and University of Texas System Regent; Rad Weaver, Vice Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents

Official record and 4 more   Facts and sources

Elections

Multiple polls show Texas governor race between Abbott and Hinojosa tightening

Multiple polls conducted in September and early October show the Texas 2026 gubernatorial race between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is closely contested. Recent surveys show varying results, with most polls showing the race statistically tied or within the margin of error.

Greg Abbott, Republican governor, candidate for reelection; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic state representative, candidate for governor

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Schools

SEC media poll ranks Texas women's and men's basketball second

The SEC released preseason media polls predicting Texas women's basketball to finish second and Texas men's basketball to finish second in the conference for the 2026-27 season. Madison Booker was named to the women's preseason All-SEC First Team, and Matas Vokietaitis and David Punch were selected to the men's preseason All-SEC teams.

University of Texas women's basketball, Team predicted second in SEC preseason media poll; University of Texas men's basketball, Team predicted second in SEC preseason media poll; Madison Booker, Texas women's basketball senior forward named to Preseason All-SEC First Team

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Hood County, Texas

Hood County denies developer's plans for data center near state park

Hood County officials discussed and denied a proposed data center project near Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

State Government

Jasper County Sheriff Havard appointed to state border and homeland security committee

Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard was appointed by the Sheriffs' Association of Texas Board to serve on its Border and Homeland Security Committee, which makes recommendations on homeland security legislation and criminal activity to the association board, Texas Legislature, and federal government. This is Havard's second committee assignment with the association.

Chuck Havard, Jasper County Sheriff; Sheriffs' Association of Texas Board, Made the appointment; Urbino 'Benny' Martinez, Border and Homeland Security Committee chairman, Brooks County Sheriff

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Transportation, Austin, Travis County

Partial power outage disrupts Austin airport terminal for two hours

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport experienced a partial power outage at the Barbara Jordan Terminal on October 13, 2026. The outage lasted approximately two hours and disrupted airline ticket counters and flight schedules, though TSA screening and baggage claim remained operational. Power was fully restored by 8 p.m.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, facility affected; Austin Energy, responded to restore power; Barbara Jordan Terminal, affected location

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources