View this post on the web at [link removed]

MustReadTexas.com [ [link removed] ] – @MustReadTexas [ [link removed] ]
BY: @MattMackowiak [ [link removed] ]
Subscribe to the daily email here [ [link removed] ]
FRIDAY || 9/6/24
Good Friday afternoon.
Thank you for reading as a FREE subscriber.
» Become a PAID subscriber for $7/mo or $70/yr here [ [link removed] ] and SAVE TIME and be BETTER INFORMED.
“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
SPONSORED BY
Visit ATXMLB.com [ [link removed] ] to sign up for emails, express interest in season tickets, or learn more. Buy merchandise here [ [link removed] ]. Join a committee here [ [link removed] ].
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
Are you one of the 132,000+ subscribers to ATX Pulse [ [link removed] ], a newsletter that delivers EVERYTHING you NEED TO KNOW about Austin?
 
Subscriptions are $5/mo, $50/yr or $199/lifetime.
 
Read this morning's edition here [ [link removed] ].
>> SUBSCRIBE HERE: ATXpulse.com [ [link removed] ]. ($5/mo or $50/yr or $199 lifetime)
PLEASE HELP THIS TEXAS FAMILY
From GoFundMe: It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Wolfgang Niedert. To honor his lifelong dedication to education and philanthropy, we ask that memorial contributions be made to a college fund for his beloved daughters, Sophie (9) and Oliva (5). In this time of overwhelming sorrow, we are incredibly grateful for the love and support from those whose lives were touched by Wolfgang.
Personal note: Wolfgang and I have been friends for at least ten years, with Texas athletics being our top shared interest. I have known Wolfgang and Julie both very well and their darling daughters are precious. His loss was sudden and shocking. His philanthropic work in Eanes ISD, at UT and across our community was significant. His large network of friends across Austin and Texas is understandably devastated. We must lift up this family. I hope you will join Amy and I in supporting them at this time. You can support them here [ [link removed] ].
His obituary is here [ [link removed] ]. No funeral info yet. Thank you for considering.
TOP NEWS
“Home insurance: Progressive announces halt in Texas,” Houston Chronicle's Erica Grieder — “Another home insurer is pulling back in Texas as extreme weather events threaten properties across the state.
Progressive Insurance is no longer writing new homeowner insurance policies [ [link removed] ] in Texas, the company confirmed to WFAA-TV in Dallas this week. The decision had previously been reported by Insurify [ [link removed] ], a home insurance quotes comparison site.
Progressive didn't immediately respond to questions from the Houston Chronicle about the scope or timing of the pullback, or whether existing policyholders may have their coverage canceled or not renewed.
The company is primarily known for its car insurance and is the largest auto insurer in Texas by market share, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. But Progressive has played a growing role in the home insurance market since acquiring American Strategic Insurance [ [link removed] ], a home insurance company headquartered in Florida, in 2015. The Progressive Group is now among the 10 largest home insurance companies in Texas, according to TDI, with some $390 million in premiums written in 2023 [ [link removed] ], up about 27% from 2022.
In Texas, insurers are required to notify the Department of Insurance if they stop offering a particular line of insurance anywhere in the state, and companies have not been stampeding out of the state, according to TDI data [ [link removed] ]. The number of insurance companies offering policies in Texas has remained steady since 2022.
The Progressive pullback, however, is one of several reported in Texas this year. For example, Foremost Insurance, a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance, has stopped renewing some homeowners' policies in Texas, citing "our exposure and risks relating to natural and catastrophic losses" in a letter sent to one Houston homeowner whose policy was not renewed.
Meanwhile, many homeowners in the Houston region have seen their premiums rise sharply. During 2023, according to a January analysis by S&P Global, the average homeowners insurance premium rose by about 23% in Texas — the largest increase in any state. Half the states had premium increases of at least 10%.
According to TDI, property owners in coastal Texas, including the Houston region, are at greatest risk of having their premiums soar or their policies dropped as a result of the region's exposure to storms such as Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in July and caused significant flooding and extensive wind damage." Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE ENDED: As of July 11, 2022, we have moved to a paywall for free subscribers. Free subscribers will only receive the top story in their morning email. Free subscribers will need to become paid subscribers to receive full story summaries.
SAEN: “Feds: Former Rey Feo had affair with Army employee to land contracts” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOU CHRON: “Hotze charged with more felonies over voter fraud conspiracy assault” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOU CHRON: “Shell layoff reports point to trend that has cost Houston 60,000 jobs” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
AAS: “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton targets Travis County in voter registration lawsuit” AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAEN: “Pete Arrendondo moves to toss indictment over Uvalde school shooting” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOU CHRON: “First I-45 freeway work from massive rebuild nears $700 million” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAEN: “TxDOT to close stretches of Loop 1604 for construction work” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE   
 > DMN: "Texas Energy Fund scrutinized after loan applicant was rejected for supplying false info" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "Fighting to remain Texas House speaker, Dade Phelan names Rick Perry as senior adviser" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > AAS: "'It is our right to vote': Officials urge voter participation in Texas" AAS [ [link removed] ]
 > FWST: "Former Gateway Church employee molested 3 children on several occasions: arrest warrant" FWST [ [link removed] ]
 > AP: "Mexican drug cartel leader agrees to be transferred from Texas to New York" AP [ [link removed] ]
 > TX TRIB: "Announcing a bold vision for local news in Texas" TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
 > TX MONTHLY: "What the Michelin Guide Did to Mexico City, and What It Means for Texas" TX MONTHLY [ [link removed] ]
 > TPR: "New poll finds it's getting harder for Texas families to afford groceries" TPR [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "Bleachers that collapsed at Kendall fair were built without permits, inspection" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "Escaped tiger from Mexican zoo has Texas authorities on the lookout" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > MRT: "Permian Basin may get four new power plants" MRT [ [link removed] ]
 > MRT: "Chevron credits 'innovative employees' with output growth" MRT [ [link removed] ]
 > MY RGV: "SpaceX hit for alleged violations; FAA explains meeting postponement" MYRGV [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "TEA shuts door on claim that San Antonio charter school kept kids in closets" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > SA REPORT: "You have microplastics inside you. A San Antonio professor is researching what that means for your health." SA REPORT [ [link removed] ]
 > COMMUNITY IMPACT: "$20 million in certificates of obligation approved for Schertz road projects" COMMUNITY IMPACT [ [link removed] ]
 > TX MONTHLY: "Bexar County Officials Plan to Send Residents Voter-Registration Forms. Ken Paxton Sued Them." TX MONTHLY [ [link removed] ]
 > HOU CHRON: "Texas teachers unveil Bill of Rights in push to repeal takeover legislation" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS   
Last night's Texas sports scores:
  > MLB: Astros 1, Reds 0
  > MLB: Rangers 3, Angels 1
This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
 Fri
  > 6pm: NCAAF: BYU at SMU
  > 6:30pm: WNBA: Dallas at Atlanta
  > 7:05pm: MLB: Angels at Rangers
  > 7:10pm: MLB: Diamondbacks at Astros
 Sat
  > 11am: NCAAF: #3 Texas at #10 Michigan
  > 11:45am: NCAAF: McNeese at Texas A&M
  > 2:30pm: NCAAF: Baylor at #11 Utah
  > 3pm: NCAAF: UTSA at Texas State
  > 3:10pm: MLB: Diamondbacks at Astros
  > 5:30pm: NCAAF: Sam Houston at UCF
  > 6pm: NCAAF: Texas Southern at Rice
  > 6:05pm: MLB: Angels at Rangers
  > 6:30pm: NCAAF: Stephen F. Austin at North Texas
  > 6:45pm: Houston at #15 Oklahoma
  > 7pm: NCAAF: LIU Brooklyn at TCU
  > 7:30pm: MLS: LA FC at Houston
  > 8pm: NCAAF: Southern Utah at UTEP
  > 9pm: NCAAF: Texas Tech at Washington State
 Sun
  > 12pm: NFL: Houston at Indianapolis
  > 12pm: NWSL: Gotham at Houston
  > 3:25pm: NFL: Dallas at Cleveland
  > 5pm: WNBA: Dallas at Chicago
  > 6:10pm: MLB: Diamondbacks at Astros
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Dak Prescott leads Cowboys who could be heading for the exit in 2025” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: Bohls: “Texas at Michigan: It all starts up front for Longhorns” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
DALLAS MAVERICKS: “Mavericks announce TV partnership, games available locally for free” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)

Unsubscribe [link removed]?