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] ]
MONDAY 1/5/2026 - WEDNESDAY 1/7/2026
Good Wednesday afternoon.
Thank you for reading as a free subscriber.
A WORD FROM SENATOR PHIL GRAMM ABOUT MUST READ TEXAS
“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)
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
Are you one of the 100,000+ 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 here: ATXpulsepremium.com [ [link removed] ].
> Become a PAID subscriber for $5/mo or $50/yr here [ [link removed] ].
TOP NEWS
“Mayor Eric Johnson predicts a ‘flood’ of finance firms leaving NYC for Dallas” Dallas Morning News’s [ [link removed] ] None – Mayor Eric Johnson is pitching Dallas as a rising alternative to New York City, arguing that some financial firms could consider relocating if policies pursued by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani make the city less attractive to employers.
Johnson, a former Democratic state lawmaker who joined the Republican Party in 2023, made the remarks to the New York Post, where he was bullish on Dallas’ recent growth in finance and argued the city is positioned to benefit if Mamdani follows through on his democratic socialist agenda.
ACTION ALERT: Become a PAID subscriber here for $7/mo or $70/yr — mustreadtx.substack. com [ [link removed]. com ].
“What was already a trickle is going to turn into a flood of individuals and companies who have called New York home for a long time, moving to Dallas,” Johnson told the outlet in an article published Monday.
In recent months, Johnson has weighed in on New York City politics, at times branding Dallas the nation’s first “sanctuary city from socialism” in posts aimed at New Yorkers.
(DMN [ [link removed] ])
“Feds will start garnishing wages for thousands of Texans starting this week” via Fort Worth Star-Telegram [ [link removed] ] – North Texans who’ve been struggling to keep up with their student loans could see a major change starting this month.
The Trump Administration is bringing back wage garnishments for borrowers in default, which means part of your paycheck can be taken before it reaches your hands. Garnishments were paused during the pandemic.
Texas has one of the largest student borrower populations in the country. According to Education Data Initiative, Texans owe about $131.9 billion in federal student loans, carried by roughly 3.9 million people.
With numbers this high, many families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area could see an impact once garnishments begin. Borrowers will get a notice before anything is withheld, but the timeline to respond is short.
How does the wage garnishment process work?
A federal student loan goes into default after nine months with no payment. Once that happens, the entire loan becomes due immediately, and the government has the legal right to ask your employer to withhold part of your paycheck.
(FWST [ [link removed] ])
“Texas Man Federally Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Provide Bomb Material, Cryptocurrency to ISIS” The Texan’s [ [link removed] ] Mary Elise Cosgray – A Texas man was federally charged on international terrorism offenses due to his alleged involvement with attempting to provide bomb materials and financial assistance to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
John Michael Garza, Jr., a 21-year-old from Midlothian, was arrested on December 22 after a successful undercover operation by law enforcement. Garza brought explosive materials, in addition to other forms of assistance, to who he thought was an ISIS “brother,” but was instead an undercover agent.
(THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ])
“Uvalde trial takes dramatic turn as key witness changes testimony” via Texas Public Radio [ [link removed] ] – The trial of a former Uvalde school district police officer accused of child endangerment in the Robb Elementary shooting took an unexpected turn Tuesday after testimony from a teacher prompted defense objections and halted proceedings for the day.
The shooting on May 24, 2022 killed 19 children and two teachers.
Stephanie Hale, a former teacher at the school, testified that she saw the gunman on the south side of the campus — the same area where former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales was located. Defense attorneys immediately objected, arguing Hale’s testimony differed from statements she gave to a Texas Ranger during a 2022 legislative investigation.
The jury was dismissed until Thursday while attorneys prepare arguments on motions related to the testimony. Judge Sid Harle is scheduled to hear those arguments Wednesday, without the jury present. The defense has raised the possibility of a mistrial.
(TPR [ [link removed] ])
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Abbott to Lead Childcare Fraud Investigation in Texas Following Minnesota Reports” The Texan’s [ [link removed] ] Meridith Dyer – In a January 5 letter to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state agencies to investigate potential childcare fraud in Texas.
“Recently, the Trump Administration and independent journalists have uncovered potential systematic fraud in subsidized child care systems in states like Minnesota,” said Abbott.
(THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ])
“Texas Teacher Union sues TEA over investigations into Charlie Kirk posts” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s [ [link removed] ] None – A union representing educators across Texas is suing the Texas Education Agency and its commissioner as the state investigates complaints about educators’ comments on the assignation of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Texas AFT announced the federal lawsuit on Tuesday after Commissioner Mike Morath said in a September letter that the agency would investigate teachers who posted or shared “reprehensible and inappropriate content” after Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
The investigations “unleashed a wave of retaliation and disciplinary actions against teachers” for posts made outside the classroom, according to the lawsuit. It argues that in doing so, teachers had their freedom of speech rights violated.
“Somewhere and somehow, our state’s leaders lost their way,” Texas AFT President Zeph Capo said in a statement. “A few well-placed Texas politicians and bureaucrats think it is good for their careers to trample on educators’ free speech rights. They decided scoring a few cheap points was worth the unfair discipline, the doxxing, and the death...
(FWST [ [link removed] ])
“Nearly 600 Texas Private Schools to Participate in Upcoming ESA Program” The Texan’s [ [link removed] ] Meridith Dyer – Nearly 600 private schools have signed up to participate in the state’s $1 billion education savings account (ESA) program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA). Applications for schools and vendors opened on December 9.
Houston has the highest number of registered schools at 172, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth area with 154, and Austin with 55. Kelly Hancock, acting State Comptroller, told CBS News that 83 percent of participating schools are Catholic.
(THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ])
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Harris County Under Scrutiny for Potential Violations of Election Law Related to Voter Registrations” The Texan’s [ [link removed] ] Holly Hansen – The Texas Secretary of State (SOS) has confirmed that Harris County’s voter rolls include registrations listing a post office (PO) box as a residential address — a violation of state law that could result in additional penalties and state oversight for the county if not resolved.
The SOS launched an investigation last year in response to an administrative complaint filed by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) based on a limited sample of voter registrations.
(THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ])
“Dallas Landmark Commission Votes Unanimously to Let Historic Church Keep Rainbow Steps” The Texan’s [ [link removed] ] Meridith Dyer – The City of Dallas Historic Preservation and Landmark Commission voted unanimously on January 5 to allow Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to keep its rainbow-painted stairs for three more years as a temporary art installation.
The church has been a Dallas Landmark since 1984. The Dallas Landmark Commission defines landmarks as buildings recognized for “architectural significance, identification with a historically significant person(s), economic or social heritage, significant architect or master builder, value to the community, or a combination of these things.”
(THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ])
“Dallas police officer, public service officer terminated following disciplinary hearing” via Dallas Morning News [ [link removed] ] – A police officer and a public service officer with the Dallas Police Department have been terminated from their positions following a January disciplinary hearing.
Police officer James Gordon, with the support division, was terminated for violating departmental policy after police said he failed to complete a required random drug test. Gordon also left his assigned duty station without proper authorization, according to police. Gordon had been employed by the department since August 2014.
Public service officer Casandra Jackson of the south central division was terminated after failing to report to work following an approved leave of absence, police said. Jackson had been with the Department since June 2005.
Timia Cobb is a breaking news reporter for the Dallas Morning News as of June 2025. She previously worked with Syracuse.com |The Post-Standard and as a fellow with the Texas Tribune. She has a master’s degree in Magazine, News and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s in journalism from Texas State University.
(DMN [ [link removed] ])
2026
“Meet the candidates running for the Texas Legislature in 2026” San Antonio Report’s [ [link removed] ] Andrea Drusch – Texas’ Republican-dominated state legislature is in the national spotlight this election cycle, and several local races will again be the focus of big spending from groups trying to shape it.
During the last biennial legislative session Texas lawmakers oversaw the creation of a school voucher program the state had long resisted, reshaping the education landscape for the roughly 5.5 million children served by Texas public schools.
Lawmakers also green-lit President Donald Trump’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps outside of the Census cycle, something that could help Republicans retain control of a U.S. House that’s been friendly to the White House’s agenda since Trump returned to office.
“Texas matters,” said Republican strategist Craig Murphy. “Take redistricting, for instance, you can see how important it was, having control the state House, when someone wanted to create better districts for one party.”
(SA REPORT [ [link removed] ])
TEXANS IN DC
“Cornyn pushes ‘zero mercy’ law to deport illegal immigrants convicted of deadly drunk driving,” Fox News’ Alex Miller — Several lawmakers led by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, want to impose penalties against illegal immigrants convicted of deadly drunk driving incidents at the federal level, triggering deportation and preventing return to the United States.
Cornyn’s legislation would expand federal immigration law to treat serious drunk driving offenses that cause death or serious bodily injury as “aggravated felonies.”
“Zero mercy should be shown to illegal aliens [ [link removed] ] who not only defy our laws by unlawfully entering the country, but also take it a step further to drive drunk, threatening American lives,” Cornyn said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“By strengthening current immigration law to hold these offenders accountable, our bill sends a clear message: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again,” he continued.
The measure, dubbed the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, would add driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while impaired (DWI) offenses under the umbrella of the Immigration and Nationality Act [ [link removed] ], a law enacted in the 1950s that acts as the keystone for immigration laws in the country.
That decades-old law governs visas, green cards, and citizenship, among several other immigration enforcement matters.
(Fox News [ [link removed] ])

BUSINESS NEWS
“What we know (and don’t) about AT&T’s decision to move HQ to Plano” via Dallas Morning News [ [link removed] ] – Telecommunications giant AT&T sent ripples through North Texas Monday morning when news broke about its decision to construct a new global headquarters in Plano, sparking questions about the future in downtown Dallas.
“This location will provide us the necessary room to cost effectively consolidate all Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex administrative space, including our three largest locations in Central Dallas, Plano and Irving, and create a corporate campus designed for collaboration, innovation and engagement,” John Stankey, AT&T CEO, said in a statement shared with The News.
AT&T has been based in Dallas since 2008, when it left San Antonio for North Texas. The planned move to Plano marks a big loss for the city. AT&T is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and one of the city’s largest employers.
The company’s new global headquarters is set to be located at 5400 Legacy Dr. in Plano, Texas. The site will span 54 acres, Stankey told employees in an email Monday.
(DMN [ [link removed] ])
“H-E-B embroiled in $1M suit after 18-wheeler crash kills 4 Texas women” San Antonio Express-News’s [ [link removed] ] Rhyma Castillo – H-E-B is embroiled in a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages after a crash involving one of its contractors killed four women in the Texas Panhandle area in November.
According to dashcam footage, the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5, when the four women — Lakeisha Brown, 19; Myunique Johnson, 20; Taylor White, 27; and Breanna Brantley, 30 — were traveling south on U.S. 87 in a Nissan Altima, just 10 miles south of Dalhart.
Johnson was driving at a slower speed “due to the back left tire being flat,” according to a crash report from the Texas Department of Public Safety. At that same time, the suit says, 39-year-old Guadalupe Daniel Villarreal was driving an 18-wheeler in the same lane behind the women, hauling a load of potatoes for H-E-B.
Villarreal and H-E-B are listed as defendants in the lawsuit, alongside two other entities: Parkway Transport Inc. and Scrappy Trucking LLC.
“Our H-E-B Family is devastated by this tragic accident, which resulted in the loss of the young women involved,” an H-E-B spokesperson told the Express-News. “The incident involved a third-party vendor driver, not an H-E-B Partner.”
(SAEN [ [link removed] ])
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> THE TEXAN: “Abbott to Lead Childcare Fraud Investigation in Texas Following Minnesota Reports“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “Texas congresswoman wants legal status for migrant workers in struggling construction industry“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> SA REPORT: “Meet the candidates running for the Texas Legislature in 2026“ SA REPORT [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Dallas Landmark Commission Votes Unanimously to Let Historic Church Keep Rainbow Steps“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “Rainbow sidewalks coming to Pride District ahead of crosswalk removal“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Harris County Under Scrutiny for Potential Violations of Election Law Related to Voter Registrations“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Texas teachers union files lawsuit against TEA over Charlie Kirk investigations“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “Feds will start garnishing wages for thousands of Texans starting this week“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “Active Weather Pattern To Bring Severe Storms To Deep South“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “UT receiver Parker Livingstone commits to OU in transfer portal for $800K“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “Texas Teacher Union sues TEA over investigations into Charlie Kirk posts“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “A once-elite Texans defense was exposed deep again. Can it get fixed for playoffs vs. Steelers?“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Heights Tex-Mex spot Superica closing, reopening as dive bar-inspired steakhouse“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “H-E-B embroiled in $1M suit after 18-wheeler crash kills 4 Texas women“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Houston company faces record $9.6M fine after 1.1M-gallon Gulf oil spill“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “How social media posts led to the detention of a Texas DACA recipient“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> KXAN: “Questions over testimony raise possibility of mistrial in trial of Uvalde CISD police officer“ KXAN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Texas Man Federally Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Provide Bomb Material, Cryptocurrency to ISIS“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “Horror of school attack in Uvalde, Texas, brings tears as officer faces trial over police response“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “Frank Diaz Jr. spent a lifetime loving people and making Fort Worth safer“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> TPR: “Uvalde trial takes dramatic turn as key witness changes testimony“ TPR [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Dallas police officer, public service officer terminated following disciplinary hearing“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “‘No credible threat’ at North Dallas High School after reported bomb, police say“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Why do you pass that bright blue Victorian house every time you go to the Astros game?“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “Victor Wembanyama returns from injury tonight. Will he start?“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “Texas cracked down on teachers for posts about Charlie Kirk, union lawsuit says“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Democrat Andrew White drops his bid to take on Gov. Greg Abbott“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> KXAN: “Abbott directs investigation into potential fraud in Child Care Service Program“ KXAN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Mayor Eric Johnson predicts a ‘flood’ of finance firms leaving NYC for Dallas“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Texas Elected Officials React to Nicolas Maduro’s Surprise Arrest by U.S.“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Who is Nicolás Maduro? What to know about his Venezuelan presidency.“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> EP TIMES: “Statewide battles, Latino voters: Texas political stories to watch in 2026“ EP TIMES [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Nearly 600 Texas Private Schools to Participate in Upcoming ESA Program“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: “Elon Musk Post on Illegal Immigrant Drivers Fuels Texas GOP Policy, Primary Conflict“ THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Houston City Council member asks ICE to change policy on identification“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> EP TIMES: “Texas lawmakers split on Trump’s strike capturing Nicolas Maduro“ EP TIMES [ [link removed] ]
> TPR: “Why a power plant is strategically important in the talks between Russia and Ukraine“ TPR [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “Maduro says ‘I was captured’ as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> KXAN: “Maduro says ‘I was captured’ as he pleads not guilty on drug trafficking charges“ KXAN [ [link removed] ]
> TPR: “Trump opposed regime change — but now he says the U.S. is ‘in charge’ of Venezuela“ TPR [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “China bans exports to Japan of dual-use goods that could enhance Tokyo’s military power“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Cowboys CB DaRon Bland set to undergo surgery for injury that derailed his 2025 season“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Cowboys’ Tyler Smith to meet with Brian Schottenheimer to discuss positional future“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “2026 UH football transfer portal tracker: Cougars’ roster additions, departures“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Texas State opens Keysight Smart Lab for real-world engineering training“ COMMUNITY IMPACT [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Rockets to be without Alperen Şengün for potentially two weeks“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: “Turkey Leg Hut, murder trials: These are the court cases to watch in 2026“ HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: “9 of the best taco restaurants in America are in Texas, according to Yelp reviews“ FWST [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “What we know (and don’t) about AT&T’s decision to move HQ to Plano“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “AT&T to build global headquarters in Plano, leaving Downtown Dallas campus in limbo“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “Water shortage could force closure in Big Bend National Park“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: “She’ll be tallest woman to play U.S. college basketball. She’s coming to Texas.“ SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Dallas rapper Zeethewizard dies days after New Year’s club shooting“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Cowboys roster breakdown: Why Dallas should embrace the all-in mentality in 2026“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “LEROY: Don’t let one bad day overshadow Texas Tech’s best season ever“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> KXAN: “Trial of former Uvalde CISD school resource officer begins“ KXAN [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: “Jury selection begins in trial for ex-officer accused in police response to Uvalde school shooting“ MRT [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: “Dallas Landmark Commission: Rainbow-colored steps at Oak Lawn church can stay“ DMN [ [link removed] ]
> KXAN: “Jury selection begins in trial of former Uvalde CISD school resource officer“ KXAN [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Mon
> NBA: Houston 100, Phoenix 97
> NCAAM: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 81, Houston Christian 65
> NCAAM: McNeese 66, Stephen F. Austin 64
> NCAAM: UT-RGV 80, Incarnate Word 67
Tues
> NBA: Dallas 100, Sacramento 98
> NBA: Memphis 106, San Antonio 105
> NCAAM: #7 Houston 69, #14 Texas Tech 65
> NCAAM: #21 Tennessee 85, Texas 71
> NCAAM: #22 Kansas 104, TCU 100
> NCAAM: Texas A&M 90, Auburn 88
> NHL: Carolina 4, Dallas 1
Tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 6pm: NHL: Dallas at Washington (TNT)
> 7pm: NCAAM: #3 Iowa St. at Baylor (Peacock)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Charlotte at UTSA (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NCAAM: #24 SMU at Clemson (ESPNU)
> 8:30pm: NBA: Los Angeles at San Antonio (ESPN)
> 9pm: NBA: Houston at Portland
Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:
> 6:30pm: NCAAM: Delaware at Sam Houston St. (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Texas St. at Southern Miss. (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Abilene Christian at Tarleton St. (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NBA: Dallas at Utah
> 8pm: NCAAM: Middle Tenn. St. at UTEP (ESPN+)
TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS:
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Cowboys roster breakdown: Why Dallas should embrace the all-in mentality in 2026” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Cowboys CB DaRon Bland set to undergo surgery for injury that derailed his 2025 season” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: “UT receiver Parker Livingstone commits to OU in transfer portal for $800K” Hou Chron [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: “She’ll be tallest woman to play U.S. college basketball. She’s coming to Texas” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
LPGA: “Chevon Championship moving LPGA’s first major to home of PGA Tour’s Houston Open” AP [ [link removed] ]

Unsubscribe [link removed]?