Largest figure in the news

more than $500 million

Total spent or reserved in advertising for Texas Senate race. Read the fact sheet

Sponsor

Honest Grass Lawn care from The Handiest Man, Huntsville to Austin. Learn more

Courts, Gatesville, Coke County

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger released from prison after seven years

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was released from the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville on Friday morning after serving seven years of a ten-year sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles granted her parole on October 1, 2026.

$ nearly $100 million for civil judgment ordered by jury against Guyger

Amber Guyger, Former Dallas police officer, convicted of murder; Botham Jean, Murder victim; Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Granted parole

Reported by 10 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Public Safety, El Paso, El Paso County

Texas DPS seeks tips in 1995 El Paso woman murder, raises reward

The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking new information about the February 7, 1995 murder of Celia Loya, 30, in El Paso. The reward for tips leading to an arrest has been increased to $6,000.

$ $6,000 for reward for information leading to arrest

Texas Department of Public Safety, seeking tips; El Paso Police Department, investigating agency; Texas Rangers, investigating agency

Reported by 7 outlets   Facts and sources

Economy & Jobs, McGregor, McLennan County

Elon Musk unveils Tesla Roadster with rocket thrusters at Texas facility

Tesla unveiled a next-generation Roadster electric sports car with rocket-powered thrusters at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas. The vehicle performed midair maneuvers including flipping, driving upside down, and flying over other vehicles during the demonstration.

$ $50,000 for roadster Performance version reservation payment

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX; Lars Moravy, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering; Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla Chief Designer

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts

Temu pays Texas $3 million to settle data privacy lawsuit

Online shopping platform Temu agreed to settle a Texas lawsuit by paying $3 million and accepting data privacy restrictions. The settlement requires Temu to store Texas residents' personal data on American-owned and controlled servers in the US and conduct annual independent product safety testing.

$ $3 million for settlement payment

Temu, online shopping platform defendant; Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General (R)

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Texas

Talarico compares Senate campaign to biblical David amid GOP spending

At a packed rally in Texas, Democrat James Talarico compared his U.S. Senate campaign to David fighting Goliath, facing over $158 million in outside spending by Republican leadership and Elon Musk supporting Republican candidate Ken Paxton.

$ over $158 million for outside spending

James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, state representative; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate; Elon Musk, Outside spending supporter for Paxton

Reported by 5 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Democratic and Republican Senate candidates report third-quarter campaign fundraising totals

Democratic and Republican candidates released third-quarter campaign fundraising reports for the 2026 midterm elections. Democrat James Talarico's Texas Senate campaign raised $60 million between July and September, while Republican Ken Paxton's campaign raised about $10 million in the same period. Elon Musk's super PAC has heavily backed Paxton's campaign.

$ $60 million for campaign funds raised, third quarter 2026

James Talarico, Democrat candidate for Texas Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for Texas Senate; Elon Musk, Tech billionaire and super PAC backer of Republican candidates

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Elon Musk donates $158 million to support Ken Paxton Senate campaign

Elon Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in September 2026, which transferred the money to Texas PAC to finance advertising supporting Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.

$ $158 million for donation to Senate Leadership Fund

Elon Musk, Donor; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate

Reported by 4 outlets   Facts and sources

Local Government, Harris County

Harris County seeks legislative authority to regulate data center development

Harris County officials held a press conference to call for expanded local authority to regulate data center development. The Commissioners Court passed a motion requiring county departments to report on oversight options and identify statutory changes needed for the next legislative session.

$ eight gigawatts by 2029, plus approximately four additional gigawatts afterward for expected data center electricity demand addition

Abbie Kamin, Harris County Attorney; Lesley Briones, Harris County Commissioner; Adrian Garcia, Harris County Commissioner

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts, Tarrant County

Tarrant County jury awards family $21.6 million for home construction defects

A Tarrant County jury awarded Ronny and Mandy McCoy $21.6 million after finding NAE Enterprises liable for construction defects in their home. The defects included improperly installed plumbing vents in the attic that allowed sewer gas to circulate inside, along with mold and moisture problems. The jury found NAE Enterprises responsible for negligence, breach of implied warranty, and knowing and intentional violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

$ $21.6 million for judgment

Ronny McCoy, plaintiff; Mandy McCoy, plaintiff; NAE Enterprises, defendant, contractor

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Other, Dallas, Dallas County

State Fair of Texas enters final weekend before closing Sunday

The 2026 State Fair of Texas runs through October 18, entering its final weekend with concerts, food, and attractions at Fair Park in Dallas. The 140th season closes Sunday night.

$ $25 for adult gate admission

State Fair of Texas, organizer; Big Tex, fair mascot

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

Local Government, Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Tarrant County Judge O'Hare touts public safety and tax cuts before election

County Judge Tim O'Hare delivered his annual State of the County address, touting lower taxes and public safety efforts ahead of early voting. He is seeking his second term as county judge and faces Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons.

$ County commissioners lowered the county tax rate for the fourth consecutive year, saving property owners an estimated $1 per year on their tax bills. [1]

Tim O'Hare, County Judge, Tarrant County; Alisa Simmons, County Commissioner, Tarrant County, Democratic nominee for County Judge; Fort Worth Chamber, Host of State of the County address

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

Transportation, El Paso, El Paso County

City of El Paso names Rachel Engeler as aviation director

The City of El Paso announced Rachel Engeler as the new Aviation Director for El Paso International Airport. She begins the role on October 26, 2026.

$ $15.7 million for annual operating budget

Rachel Engeler, new Aviation Director for El Paso International Airport; Dionne L. Mack, City Manager

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas voter registrations reach record 19 million before Nov. 3 election

Texas reached a record 19,041,684 registered voters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19.

Robert Howden, Texas Secretary of State; Texas Department of Public Safety, state agency

Official record and 9 more   Facts and sources

Elections, Bexar, Hays, Williamson and Travis counties

Software error creates voter registration backlog in Texas counties

A software error on texas.gov's address validation feature caused a voter registration backlog affecting at least four Texas counties. The Secretary of State's office discovered and resolved the issue before early voting begins Monday.

Texas Secretary of State's office, discovered and resolved the software error; Alicia Pierce, spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office; Kristin Miles, Bastrop County Elections Administrator and president of TACEO

Reported by 7 outlets   Facts and sources

Energy & Environment, El Paso, El Paso County

Data center construction underway in El Paso amid climate plan concerns

Construction is underway on three large data center projects near El Paso: one by Meta Platforms in El Paso, one by Oracle in nearby New Mexico, and a third planned on Fort Bliss Army post in east El Paso. El Paso city officials adopted a climate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but the data centers could conflict with climate goals.

El Paso city officials, adopted climate plan; Meta Platforms, building data center in El Paso; Oracle, building data center in New Mexico

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

Other, Austin, Travis County

Texas Longhorns play Florida Gators in college football game Saturday

The No. 6 Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators play a college football game Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Texas is coming off a loss to Oklahoma; Florida has lost back-to-back SEC games.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas coach; Arch Manning, Texas quarterback; Colin Simmons, Texas defensive end

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Other, Not stated

Woman sues Torchy's Tacos after finding cow tooth in taco

A woman filed a lawsuit against Torchy's Tacos after she found a cow tooth in her taco.

Woman, plaintiff in lawsuit; Torchy's Tacos, defendant

Reported by 6 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, El Paso, El Paso County

Senate candidate Talarico schedules El Paso campaign rally October 26

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico announced a campaign rally in El Paso on October 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. The event is part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" statewide tour ahead of the November 3 election.

James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Other, College Station, Brazos County

Florida volleyball defeats Texas A&M in College Station match

No. 7 Florida's volleyball team defeated No. 19 Texas A&M 3-1 on Friday at Reed Arena in College Station. The Gators recorded 10 aces in the victory, including four by Taylor Parks.

No. 7 Florida Gators, volleyball team; No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies, volleyball team; Taylor Parks, Florida volleyball player

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts, Collin County (Celina)

Celina man sentenced to life in prison for capital murder

Karl Andrew Stanley of Celina was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of capital murder by a jury on October 8, 2026.

Karl Andrew Stanley, defendant, sentenced to life imprisonment for capital murder

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Courts, Kentucky (court action); Lubbock, Lubbock County (Texas Tech)

Judge grants injunction restoring fifth-year eligibility for 38 college athletes

A Kentucky judge granted a temporary injunction Friday in a fifth-year NCAA eligibility lawsuit, immediately restoring playing eligibility for 38 athletes including Texas Tech quarterback Thomas Castellanos. The injunction prohibits the NCAA from enforcing eligibility restrictions, restitution rules, and transfer rules against the athletes or schools involved.

Judge Brian C. Edwards, Jefferson Circuit Court, Division 11 judge who granted the injunction; Thomas Castellanos, Texas Tech quarterback, one of 38 plaintiffs in the eligibility lawsuit; Mark Mitchell, One of 38 plaintiffs in the eligibility lawsuit

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Early voting begins Monday for Texas November 3 midterm election

Early voting for the 2026 midterm election begins Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide.

Jared Goldsmith, McLennan County Election Administrator

Reported by 3 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Health, San Marcos, Hays County

Fox found on Texas State University campus tests positive for rabies

A fox captured on the Texas State University campus in San Marcos tested positive for rabies. The animal was found October 14 near East Sessom Drive and Pleasant Street by maintenance workers who turned it over to animal control.

San Marcos city officials, issued precautions and health guidance; San Marcos Animal Control, confirmed positive rabies test; Maintenance workers, captured the fox

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Texas

Actor Jordan Walker Ross endorses Democrat James Talarico for Senate

Actor Jordan Walker Ross, who plays Little James on the television series "The Chosen," endorsed Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate in a video released Thursday. The endorsement launched a Talarico campaign coalition called "Faithful Texans for Talarico" to reach religious voters ahead of the November 3 election.

Jordan Walker Ross, Actor endorsing Talarico; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate

Reported by 3 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas election laws require ID, limit mail voting ahead of midterms

Texas has 19 million registered voters ahead of the November 3, 2026 midterm election. Texas election laws require photo identification to vote, limit mail-in voting, and restrict ballot drop boxes. Republicans say the laws improve security; Democrats say voting should be easier. Early voting runs October 19–30.

Texas Legislature, Passed voting laws in 2011, 2017, and 2021; Rick Perry, Governor who signed photo ID law in 2011; Daniel Griffith, Senior policy director at Secure Democracy Foundation

Reported by 3 outlets   Only left-leaning outlets reported this   Facts and sources

Border & Immigration, US-Mexico border, including El Paso, Texas and Fort Hancock, Texas

FAA restricts unauthorized drones along US-Mexico border

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction barring unauthorized drones along the US-Mexico border up to 400 feet above ground, extending one nautical mile north of the border. The action addresses concerns about illegal drug shipments and cartel drone activity.

Federal Aviation Administration, Issued temporary flight restriction; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Stated military will shoot down cartel drones; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Said restrictions will counter cartel drone threats

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Democratic candidate Hinojosa discusses Texas governor's race

Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, was interviewed about her campaign. She is running to secure schools and put money in voters' pockets, and is challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.

Gina Hinojosa, Democratic nominee for Texas governor; Greg Abbott, Republican incumbent governor

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

State Government, Victoria, Calhoun County

Texas A&M University-Victoria holds investiture ceremony for President Hardigree

Texas A&M University-Victoria held an investiture ceremony Wednesday to celebrate President Christian Hardigree's first year of leadership and the university's first year in The Texas A&M University System. State and federal officials, university system leaders, and higher education representatives attended the event at the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts.

Christian Hardigree, President of Texas A&M University-Victoria; AJ Louderback, Texas State Representative; Lois Kolkhorst, Texas State Senator

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections, Bexar County and Brazoria County

Bexar and Brazoria counties hold county judge races on November 3

Two Texas county judge races are scheduled for the Nov. 3 election. In Bexar County, Republican Patrick Von Dohlen is challenging Democrat Ron Nirenberg. In Brazoria County, Republican Rob Giesecke, independent Lucinda Henry and Democrat Eugene Howard are running to replace retiring County Judge Matt Sebesta.

Patrick Von Dohlen, Republican candidate for Bexar County judge; Ron Nirenberg, Democrat candidate for Bexar County judge; Rob Giesecke, Republican candidate for Brazoria County judge

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Texas counties prepare election security measures ahead of early voting

County clerks and election administrators across Texas are implementing security procedures before early voting begins October 19. Travis County plans 201 voting locations on Election Day. Multiple counties conducted security training for poll workers.

Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk; Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew, Bexar County Elections Administrator; Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams, Dallas County Elections Administrator

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Lady Bird Lake, Austin, Travis County

Body recovered from Lady Bird Lake in Austin

A body was found in Lady Bird Lake near Austin early Friday morning. Police were called for a welfare check after witnesses reported seeing a body floating in the water. The person was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being investigated as a homicide.

Austin Police Department, Investigating death; Austin Fire Department, Assisted with body recovery; Austin-Travis County EMS, Responded and pronounced person dead

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Other, Austin, Travis County

Texas senior linebacker Biles named Lott Impact Trophy quarterfinalist

University of Texas senior linebacker Rasheem Biles was named one of 16 quarterfinalists for the Lott Impact Trophy, announced Thursday. The award goes to the defensive player with the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field.

Rasheem Biles, Texas senior linebacker; Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, award sponsor

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Public Safety, Groesbeck, Limestone County

Limestone County man sentenced to life in prison for child sexual abuse

Joshua Joseph Kofnovec, 46, of Billington, was sentenced Friday to automatic life in prison after a Limestone County jury convicted him of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by exposure in the October 2023 abuse of a 5-year-old girl. The sentence was automatic due to his prior 2023 Hill County conviction for indecency with a child by contact.

Joshua Joseph Kofnovec, defendant, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by exposure; Judge Amy Ward, 77th State District Court judge who sentenced defendant; Beth Toben, Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted the case

Reported by 2 outlets   Facts and sources

Elections

Talarico's former classmate accuses him of prioritizing politics over truth

Mike Garcia, a former college classmate of Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, appeared on Fox News to accuse Talarico of putting political ambitions ahead of truthfulness.

James Talarico, Democratic Texas Senate candidate; Mike Garcia, former college classmate making accusation; Will Cain, Fox News host

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