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$5.7 billion

Combined local and state net sales tax revenues. Read the fact sheet

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Economy & Jobs, Texas

Lockheed Martin announces job expansion and investment in Texas

Lockheed Martin announced plans to add jobs and invest $300 million at its Texas plant. Sources differ on the number of jobs: one reports 6,000 jobs, while Colorado-based sources report 1,000 to 1,250 jobs in Colorado.

$ $300M for investment in Texas plant

Lockheed Martin, announced expansion plans

Reported by 11 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, San Antonio, Bexar County

Bexar County Judge Sakai addresses county future in final State of County

Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai delivered his final State of the County address at the Greater San Antonio Chamber event, discussing jobs, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and downtown San Antonio's future. He highlighted the county's decision not to raise property taxes and major hospital projects underway.

$ County made a decision not to raise property taxes during what Sakai described as hard economic times.

Peter Sakai, Bexar County Judge; Rebecca Clay Flores, Speaker credited with support for Palo Alto Hospital project; Tommy Calvert, Commissioner credited with support for north side hospital project

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

State Government, Dallas, Texas

Abbott wants lawmakers to turn data center restrictions into law next year

Gov. Greg Abbott said he wants the Texas Legislature to enact his data center restrictions into law next year, rejecting Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa's call for quicker action. Hinojosa held a news conference to criticize Abbott's response to data center effects on neighborhoods, electricity, and water supplies.

$ Abbott called for eliminating sales tax breaks for data centers.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic challenger for governor

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Other, College Station, Brazos County

Texas A&M adds Texas Southern to 2027 football schedule

Texas A&M has added Texas Southern to its 2027 football schedule, replacing a canceled nonconference game against New Mexico. The game will be played Oct. 16, 2027, at Kyle Field.

$ $550,000 for guaranteed money to Texas Southern for football game

Trev Alberts, Texas A&M athletic director; Texas A&M football team, participant; Texas Southern, opponent

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Taxes & Budget

Texas local governments receive increased sales tax allocations

State Comptroller Don Huffines reported that local governments statewide received $1.3 billion in allocations of net local sales taxes collected in September, representing an 11.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

$ Comptroller Huffines said rising sales tax revenue is an opportunity for local elected officials to reduce property taxes, which can help make housing more affordable and reduce financial strain on Texans.

Don Huffines, Texas State Comptroller; Tyler County, county receiving sales tax increase

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Turkey, Hall County

QTS and Lancium commit funding for Turkey infrastructure through 2032

Data center companies QTS and Lancium announced an agreement with the city of Turkey to provide funding for municipal infrastructure improvements. The agreement includes annual payments, a one-time contribution for water and sewer work, and additional infrastructure assistance.

$ $1.5 million per year for annual payments to city through 2032

QTS Data Centers, data center company committing funding; Lancium, data center company committing funding; City of Turkey, recipient of funding agreement

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Federal

DOJ announces tax fraud crackdown involving 76 defendants nationwide

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a nationwide tax fraud crackdown involving 76 defendants and more than $490 million in estimated intended losses to the federal government. The operation, called the National Tax Enforcement Surge, included 23 new charging actions against 31 defendants involving more than $350 million in estimated intended losses, and 39 enforcement actions involving 45 defendants and nearly $140 million in estimated intended losses.

$ $490 million for estimated intended losses in federal tax fraud enforcement surge

U.S. Department of Justice, Announced and coordinated nationwide tax fraud enforcement; Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General; Todd Blanche, Attorney General

Reported by 2 outlets   Only right-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Elections, Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Senate candidate Talarico appears at CNN town hall in Fort Worth

Democrat James Talarico appeared at a CNN town hall Wednesday in Fort Worth, addressing questions from Texas Democrats, independents and Republicans on issues including abortion, energy and immigration. His opponent, Republican Ken Paxton, was invited by CNN but did not respond.

James Talarico, Democratic state representative running for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General running for U.S. Senate; CNN, Host of town hall

Reported by 25 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

State Government

Texas AG Paxton sues Gerber and Nestlé over heavy metals in baby food

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Gerber Products Company and Nestlé USA, alleging they misled consumers by marketing baby food as safe and rigorously tested while products contained arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium above federal water standards. The lawsuit covers products sold in Texas from 2017 through 2019.

Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General; Gerber Products Company, defendant; Nestlé USA, Inc., defendant

Reported by 16 outlets   Only right-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Elections

University of Texas poll shows Democrats leading in most Texas statewide races

A University of Texas at Austin poll conducted September 25 to October 5 found Democrats holding narrow leads in most Texas statewide races, within the margin of error. The poll was released October 14.

University of Texas at Austin/Texas Politics Project, conducted poll; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate

Reported by 7 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Elections, Tyler, Smith County

Vice President Vance holds rally in Tyler ahead of midterm elections

Vice President JD Vance held a rally in Tyler on October 13, where he spoke in support of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton and criticized Democratic opponent James Talarico. Multiple state and federal officials attended and spoke at the event hosted by Trump 47 Committee Inc.

JD Vance, Vice President; Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Bexar County, Texas

Voting groups sue Texas over delayed voter registration backlog

The League of Women Voters of Texas and MOVE Texas Civic Fund sued the Texas Secretary of State and Department of Public Safety over a backlog of nearly 600,000 voter registration applications. The groups allege the state violated a 2021 settlement agreement requiring online voter registration when renewing driver's licenses.

League of Women Voters of Texas, plaintiff suing state; MOVE Texas Civic Fund, plaintiff suing state; Texas Secretary of State, defendant in lawsuit

Reported by 6 outlets   Only right-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Federal, North Texas

FBI raids North Texas homes in North Korean laptop farm investigation

The FBI raided homes of over 40 residents in North Texas as part of an investigation into an alleged North Korean "laptop farm" scheme. Approximately 187 laptops were seized. The scheme allegedly involved North Korean IT workers using stolen or falsified American identities to remotely access U.S. corporate systems and work remote U.S. jobs, with profits going to North Korea's government.

FBI, conducting investigation and raids; U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, overseeing investigation; Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas

Reported by 6 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Public Safety, San Antonio, Bexar County

Bexar County detention deputy fired for posting photos with jail inmates

Detention Deputy Karla Beltran was fired by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office after photographs of her posing with female inmates in jail and posted on social media circulated online. The images showed Beltran in uniform on one side of glass with detainees on the other, making gestures including flipping the bird, peace signs, and sticking out her tongue.

Karla Beltran, Detention Deputy, Bexar County Sheriff's Office; Bexar County Sheriff's Office, employer that fired Beltran

Reported by 5 outlets   Only right-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Houston, Harris County

Harris County DA investigates ICE agent vehicle striking man

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare is investigating whether an ICE agent intentionally struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez with a vehicle during an attempted traffic stop on October 10 in northwest Houston, leaving him hospitalized with leg and hip injuries. Teare said he is considering charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; ICE disputes that the striking was intentional.

Sean Teare, Harris County District Attorney; Miguel Parra-Hernandez, Man struck by ICE vehicle; ICE, Federal agency involved in incident

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Austin, Travis County; Dallas, Dallas County; Carrollton, Dallas County

Democratic Texas Senate candidate Talarico absent from campaign trail for two weeks

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was absent from the campaign trail for nearly two weeks in late September and early October. He said he had the flu. His campaign released security camera footage it said showed him at his home in Austin during the absence.

James Talarico, Democratic Texas Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Texas Senate candidate; Spencer Pratt, Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Groveton, Trinity, Apple Springs, Trinity County

Early voting begins Monday for 2026 Texas fall general election

Early voting for Texas midterm elections begins on Monday, Oct. 21, 2026. Major races include U.S. Senate, governor, and House District 10.

Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democrat U.S. Senate candidate; Greg Abbott, Incumbent governor, running for re-election

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, El Paso and Abilene areas, Texas

District 77 and 71 Texas House candidates compete in Nov. 3 election

Republican and Democratic candidates for Texas House Districts 77 and 71 discussed education funding, data centers, and housing policy ahead of the November 3 midterm election.

Humberto Perez, Republican candidate for Texas House District 77; Vince Perez, Democrat and incumbent District 77 state representative; Diana Luna, Democrat candidate for Texas House District 71

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts, Frisco, Collin County

Collin County jury sentences Frisco man to 75 years for aggravated robbery

A Collin County jury sentenced Antwain Karmen Williams, 20, to 75 years in prison for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Williams pleaded guilty to slashing a Lyft driver's throat during a December 2024 attack. Snapchat messages showed he planned to steal the vehicle to kidnap a 13-year-old.

Antwain Karmen Williams, Defendant, pleaded guilty to first-degree felony aggravated robbery; Greg Willis, Collin County District Attorney; Jim Pruitt, Judge

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Schools, Grand Prairie, Dallas-Fort Worth area

Texas school district cancels high school musical production citing state law

Grand Prairie Independent School District canceled a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" at South Grand Prairie High School after a female student was cast in the male lead role of Seymour. The district cited compliance with Texas Senate Bill 12 and concerns about themes in the musical involving an abusive relationship.

Ana Mota, South Grand Prairie High School senior cast as Seymour; Grand Prairie Independent School District, School district that canceled the production; Nancy Jimenez, Ana Mota's mother

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Weather & Disasters, Fort Stockton, Pecos County

Tornado touches down near Fort Stockton

A tornado touched down in Fort Stockton on Wednesday afternoon. Photos of the tornado were captured by ABC-7 viewer Tracy Novak around 2:30 p.m.

Tracy Novak, ABC-7 viewer who photographed the tornado

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Health, Houston, Harris County

Houston father first in Texas to hold premature baby using Skincubator

A Houston father became the first in Texas to hold his premature twins skin-to-skin using a wearable incubator called a Skincubator. The twins were born at 26 weeks gestation at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Dorian Ojemen, Father; first in Texas to hold premature babies skin-to-skin using Skincubator; Tiffany Ojemen, Mother; obstetrician and gynecologist; wife of Dorian; Silas and Simone Ojemen, Premature twins born at 26 weeks gestation

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Tyler, Texas

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick concludes Rural Texas Bus Tour in Tyler

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick brought his re-election campaign to Tyler on Wednesday, the final stop of his Rural Texas Bus Tour. Patrick is seeking re-election while being challenged by Democratic State Rep. Vicki Goodwin in the lieutenant governor's race.

Dan Patrick, Texas Lieutenant Governor, re-election campaign participant; Vicki Goodwin, Democratic State Representative, challenging Patrick for lieutenant governor

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

State Government, Houston, Harris County

CenterPoint data breach affects over 1 million Texas customers

A data breach at CenterPoint Energy compromised personal information of more than 1 million Texas customers, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office. The breach involved names, addresses, social security number information and driver license numbers.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, released details of the data breach; CenterPoint Energy, utility company affected by breach

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Killeen, Bell County; Texarkana, Bowie County; Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Boil water notices issued in Killeen, Texarkana, and Fort Worth area

Three Texas cities issued boil water notices due to water system issues. Killeen issued a notice due to scheduled water meter relocation and maintenance. Texarkana issued a notice after loss of water pressure in the Shadow Brooke Street area. Fort Worth-area neighborhood received a boil water notice.

City of Killeen, Water and Sewer Services, Issued boil water notice; Texarkana Water Utilities, Issued boil water notice; City of Fort Worth, Issued boil water notice

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas Senate candidates Paxton, Talarico compete for Cornyn's seat

Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat state Representative James Talarico are running for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Senator John Cornyn. Paxton won the Republican primary runoff on May 26, 2026, defeating incumbent Cornyn. Libertarian candidate Ted Brown is also on the ballot. The election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Ken Paxton, Republican candidate, Texas Attorney General; James Talarico, Democratic candidate, Texas state representative; Ted Brown, Libertarian candidate

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Marist poll shows Talarico leads Paxton by 4 points in Senate race

A Marist poll released Wednesday showed Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton 48% to 44% among registered voters in the Texas U.S. Senate race. Among likely voters, Talarico's lead narrowed to 2 points.

James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, state representative; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Texas Attorney General; Marist, Poll conductor

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Dallas, Dallas County

Dallas City Council approves renaming Houston Street Bridge after Pettis Norman

The Dallas City Council unanimously approved renaming the historic Houston Street Bridge ceremonially after late Dallas Cowboys legend and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman. The bridge, over 100 years old, connects downtown Dallas to Oak Cliff.

Dallas City Council, approved the ceremonial renaming; Pettis Norman, late Dallas Cowboys legend, civil rights advocate and business leader being honored; Joe Greene, NFL Hall of Famer who spoke in support

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Walker County, Texas

Walker County water department approves budget with no rate increase

Walker County Water and Sewerage approved a budget with no rate increase despite plans to replace more than a mile of waterline and address long-standing water pressure problems. The department has not raised rates in three years.

Brandon Whitley, General Manager of Walker County Water and Sewerage; Walker County Water and Sewerage, Water utility department

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources