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**MONDAY** 7/20/2026 - **FRIDAY** 7/24/2026

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**TOP NEWS**

**“Texas Panhandle shaken by strongest earthquake to hit the region”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Jayme Lozano Carver **– A 5.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the Texas Panhandle early Thursday morning, one of the strongest recorded in Texas.

Effects from the earthquake were felt throughout the rural region and as far as southern Oklahoma and New Mexico.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 5:21 a.m. nearly 24 miles south-southeast of Spearman near the top of the Texas-Oklahoma border. On social media, Spearman residents said the earthquake shook homes. Some in Oklahoma City, nearly 250 miles away, reported feeling the effects of the earthquake.

**A.J. Harrel**, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Amarillo, said the earthquake originated from northwest Roberts County, nearly 50 miles south of Spearman. Harrel said Thursday’s earthquake was stronger than what they typically see in the region. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas reports biggest drop in crime rate in five years”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Berenice Garcia** — In 2019, a historic theater’s marquee in McAllen’s downtown district once lauded, “Welcome to McAllen, 7th Safest city in America.”

The theater placed the message front and center ahead of a visit from President **Donald Trump** during his first term in office, using it to dispute the narrative at the time that the border was a dangerous place. The ranking itself came from a 2015 study by Smart Asset, a financial technology website.

Now, 10 years after that report, McAllen is highlighting its crime rate again — this time, celebrating its lowest crime levels in 40 years.

Crime in Texas has been decreasing since 2023, according to Uniform Crime Reporting Data released by the Texas Department of Public Safety. In the last five years, crime in Texas peaked in 2022 — with a rate of 2,830.14 per 100,000 people — before trending downward. Between 2022 and 2023, the state’s crime rate decreased by 3.3%, and between 2023 and 2024, the crime rate dropped another 8.2%. Then, between 2024 and 2025, Texas’ crime rate decreased by 13%. **Victor Rodriguez**, McAllen Police Chief, credited the crime rate drop on the city’s population growth, an engaged community that reports potential crimes to the police and elected officials who prioritize public safety funding, enabling the department to maintain two officers per 1,000 people. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

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**“A West Texas district plans to sue the state over school funding”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Jaden Edison **– Midland ISD will sue Texas officials over the state’s so-called Robin Hood funding system for public schools, a significant attempt at forcing lawmakers to revisit how they go about ensuring low-income campuses benefit from resources similar to those that wealthier campuses enjoy.

The West Texas school trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with a lawsuit against Education Commissioner **Mike Morath** and state leaders, arguing that funding restrictions imposed by the Legislature prohibit them from raising and spending money to meet the needs of their students.

“We can sit here on this stage, and we can complain about it,” Midland ISD Board President **Josh Guinn** said before the vote. But nothing changes, Guinn added, “until you have four people — elected school board members — in the state of Texas say, ‘Enough’s enough. You’re going to stop stealing our community’s money.’”

Guinn said in an interview that he expected the district to file the lawsuit by 5 p.m. Wednesday but could not yet confirm whether it occurred. Texas Education Agency officials declined to comment on Midland’s decision to sue. _(_[_TX TRIB_]([link removed])_)_

**“Texas flood destroyed or heavily damaged 135 Kerr County homes, Abbott said”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Katlyn Ma** – Swift-moving floodwater destroyed or heavily damaged 135 homes in Kerr County, Gov. **Greg Abbott** said Monday from Kerrville after taking a helicopter survey of affected areas and receiving a briefing by state and area officials.

Water that surged over the banks of the Guadalupe River last week also damaged 490 homes and about 100 businesses in Kerr County, Abbott said.

“For Kerr County, the majority of impacted residents are owner-occupied single-family homes indicating a substantial need for long-term housing, recovery, repair and rebuilding assistance,” Abbott said during a news conference.

“Almost all rivers in this region hit record highs,” Abbott said, adding that in Kerrville, last week’s floods were worse than the July 2025 floods that had a far higher death toll. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“A Texas prosecutor reveals new details in an ICE killing of a Houston father”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Safiyah Riddle** – A federal prosecutor in Texas shared new details Thursday evening about the moments before an immigration officer shot and killed a Mexican national and longtime U.S. resident in early July. The disclosure complicates the government’s earlier claim that the man struck an ICE vehicle before he was shot.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed **Lorenzo Salgado Araujo**, 52, on July 7 as he was driving to a Houston construction job site with three co-workers, one of whom was his brother. The shooting sparked protests in the sprawling Texas city, echoing Salgado Araujo’s family’s calls for transparency. The family describes him as a hardworking father very close to obtaining legal status in the U.S. after living in the country for 35 years.

The shooting came just days before two other men in Florida and Maine died as part of President **Donald Trump**‘s federal immigration crackdown, renewing scrutiny on the Department of Homeland Security’s law enforcement tactics.

**Aaron Reitz**, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said for the first time on Thursday that ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men who were potentially subject to deportation. He said they were driving a van similar to the one Araujo was driving when he was killed. In an earlier statement released the day Araujo was killed, DHS said he was targeted in an immigration enforcement operation, and he was living in the country without legal permission. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Drifting anti-immigrant buoys in Rio Grande temporarily close two bridges with Mexico”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Carlos Nogueras Ramos** and **Alex Nguyen** – About 100 buoys that the federal government planned to install as anti-immigration deterrents drifted into the Rio Grande amid severe flooding, prompting officials to close several key bridges along the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass on Thursday and in Laredo on Sunday.

Eagle Pass shut down transit at two bridges for about three hours Thursday while it worked to determine whether the buoys posed a threat, City Manager **Homero Balderas** said. About 9,000 vehicles cross both bridges daily, transiting between Eagle Pass and Las Piedras.

“The bridges are the number one funding source for the city,” Homero Balderas said, adding the wayward buoys didn’t immediately endanger the bridges. “So it is very detrimental. Luckily, we were able to temporarily close, just to make sure that there were no safety concerns with the buoys floating downriver and obviously passing under the bridges.” _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Dallas faces inflection point with stagnating population”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Joshua Fechter** –– On Tuesday morning in downtown Dallas, it might have been hard to tell the state’s third largest city has suffered some big-name economic losses.

Colorful street art installed for the FIFA World Cup, which has injected good vibes and camaraderie into the sprawling 8.5 million-person region, adorned car-jammed streets. Employees holding coffee cups passed through the glass front doors of Whitacre Tower, long home to AT&T, like any other day.

But AT&T plans to leave downtown Dallas for a mega-campus in nearby Plano, one of many prominent setbacks the city faces. The Dallas Stars, the city’s National Hockey League franchise, will join them. Though the Dallas Mavericks plan to remain in city limits, the team is also leaving the city’s urban core, opting for a spot closer to the city’s northern, more suburban fringe.

Those departures from in and around downtown follow years of relative stagnation in Dallas. Last year, the city’s population fell for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic — it’s now at 1.3 million people after losing 1,800 residents — while the region and other large Texas cities boomed. “We’re a bug floating in a sink of water, and for the first time, the water didn’t rise, the water went down a little bit,” Dallas County Judge **Clay Jenkins** said. “We need to deal with the fact that the sink has a leak.” _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“New Pentagon plan complicates Port San Antonio’s cyber headquarters pitch”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Brandon Lingle** – The Pentagon has thrown a curveball at Port San Antonio ’s quest to lure the Air Force’s cyber headquarters from its crumbling buildings for a new, $1 billion-plus campus at the port.

The week before the port’s board committed $1 million for predesign work on the project, the Army Corps of Engineers put out a call for proposals to build a facility at the unit’s current location on Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland’s Security Hill .

The competing program seeks bids to develop a $986 million “Multi-Domain Cyber and Intel Operations Center” for the 16th Air Force , also known as Air Forces Cyber, that would support 3,500 workers. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Uvalde residents shocked by rare flooding that ripped through homes”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Ayden Runnels** — The creek behind Aracely Balderas’ home was almost always empty in the six years she’s lived in northeast Uvalde.

So on Thursday morning, as she watched her home camera feed from the safety of her parents’, she couldn’t grasp how 2 feet of water was flooding her house. Balderas never heard of flooding in her city or the neighborhood, let alone from the creek she never saw filled.

Balderas’ home was far from the only one torn through Thursday morning when Uvalde “almost became an island” after record-breaking flooding, as Gov. **Greg Abbott** described it. Rushing water exposed house foundations, blew open garage doors and ripped out air conditioning units. Now assessing the damage on Friday, families said they never thought such vicious flooding was even possible in their South Texas town.

**Kimberly Rubio**’s family wasn’t prepared when law enforcement knocked on the door urging them to leave before flooding reached their home. They grabbed a few essentials and what was most important: a backpack and drawings from her daughter Lexi, who was killed in the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting. **Julio Valdez**, a restaurant owner, brought dozens of enchilada plates into Rubio’s neighborhood to hand out to those picking through debris looking for anything salvageable. **Delia Matas** spent Friday afternoon cleaning up what was left in the first floor of the family home not totally destroyed by gray muck, aided by distant relatives and strangers. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Lackland flu outbreak ends after sickening hundreds and killing one”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘s **Sig Christenson **– An influenza outbreak that swept through Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland for two months, sickening hundreds of recruits and killing one, has ended, officials said.

No new cases have been reported since June 26, U.S. Rep. **Joaquin Castro** told the San Antonio Express-News. Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, has given periodic updates on the flu outbreak while Air Force officials remained largely silent.

At the peak of the flareup, there were 284 confirmed cases, and six airmen were hospitalized. The lone fatality was Airman 1st Class **Keon Talik McDaniel**, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich.

The virus began spreading through the ranks of recruits in basic training at Lackland weeks after Defense Secretary **Pete Hegseth** announced in April that flu shots would no longer be mandatory for military personnel. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“University of Austin, GOP power players and a $1 million fraud trial”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Paul Flahive** – The Justice Department says that **John Robison**, a conservative operative and filmmaker, bilked an investor out of $1 million he said would be used to purchase land in Bastrop County for a future University of Austin campus and community.

Prosecutors on Monday portrayed John Robison** **as a stickup man who held up **Joe Lonsdale**, a conservative venture capitalist who co-founded the University of Austin. “Not by pointing a gun at him, not by reaching over and taking it, but by telling a story,” **Daniel Guess**, chief of the Austin Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District, told the jury. “John Robison, is a con man.”

Robison has said he relocated from California to Texas at the behest of former Gov. **Rick Perry**, who wanted to bring Hollywood to Central Texas. Now, he’s being described as a real estate fraudster who, according to congressional investigators, also had a role in President **Donald Trump**’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election of **Joe Biden** using fake electors. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

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**2026 **

**“James Talarico calls for tighter regulations on data center development”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Kayla Guo **– Democratic U.S. Senate nominee** James Talarico** on Wednesday called for a broad set of tighter regulations on data centers in Texas, seizing on what has become a potential political liability for Republicans who until recently had embraced the explosion of artificial intelligence-driven development in the state.

“Texas should be a leader when it comes to innovation and technology, but that only works if Texans get a say and get a share of that economic growth — and that’s not what’s happening right now,” Talarico said at a news conference in Austin where he rolled out his plan. “We’re often told in our politics that we have to choose between policies that are pro-growth and pro-people. I reject that choice, and the plan that we’re outlining today to hold data centers accountable, I think, strikes a balance between welcoming those investments while also protecting working people.”

Talarico is among several Texas Democrats pushing back on data centers, calling the rapid influx of the facilities in Texas a product of corporate greed and Republican leadership more sympathetic to big business than everyday people. State Rep. **Gina Hinojosa**, the Democratic candidate for governor, visited Amarillo and Lubbock over the weekend on a tour focused on rural communities’ concerns about data centers, and she was poised to announce her own data center plan Thursday. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Ken Paxton’s fundraising woes are beginning to worry some in the GOP”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Casey Murray **– **James Talarico** is the most well-funded Texas Democratic Senate candidate in years. Some in the Republican Party are worried about the challenge Attorney General **Ken Paxton** is mounting in return. “A joke,” one GOP strategist said of Paxton’s fundraising this week. Another, when asked if they were worried about the impact Paxton’s cash disadvantage could have on downballot races, said “everybody is.”

“I’m more concerned than I was in 2018,” said **Jill Tate**, president of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, referring to **Beto O’Rourke’s** close loss to U.S. Sen. **Ted Cruz**. “Talarico is a formidable opponent.” Paxton’s campaign said it raised $9 million in the quarter ending last month, compared to Talarico’s $30 million

Some Republicans who support Paxton are optimistic that his strong connections to the base and to President **Donald Trump** will drive turnout in November. Others say his scorched-earth primary fight with U.S. Sen. **John Cornyn** turned off traditional GOP donors and is evidence that enthusiasm in the broader Republican umbrella is not what it needs to be ahead of a pivotal election. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Ken Paxton held a rare press conference. He refused to answer questions.”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Casey Murray** – In a rare press conference on Tuesday, Attorney General** Ken Paxton** dodged questions about recent reporting that he may have violated election laws and about luxury condos he bought in Utah.

The Republican U.S. Senate candidate appeared in Fort Worth to tout endorsements from 22 sheriffs and sought to tie his Democratic opponent, state Rep. **James Talarico**, to efforts to defund police departments.

“He voted against tightening bail restrictions for violent and repeat offenders. He voted against mandatory minimum sentences for human smugglers. He voted against designating the Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.” Paxton said. “That is one of the most anti-law enforcement records in the history of Texas.”

Paxton refused to answer a question about a New York Times report that he recently bought three condominiums at a luxury resort in Utah worth more than $1 million. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Elon Musk expands political reach with millions in Texas donations”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Andrea Guzmán** – Texas Republicans and their causes have received nearly $5 million from the world’s richest man this year. **Elon Musk**, the CEO of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, has given $500,000 to Texans for **Greg Abbott **in the six months through June, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the state. Other high-profile donations include $250,000 to Rep. **Dustin Burrows**, the speaker of the Texas House, and the Elon Musk Revocable Trust gave another $500,000 to Texans for **Dan Patrick**, the campaign committee of the lieutenant governor.

The Musk trust’s other political contributions this year include $2 million to the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC and $1 million to the Judicial Fairness PAC. Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which backs tort reform , has overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates for office. From 2025 through April, it is also the political action committee that has spent the most on state elections . The Judicial Fairness PAC has supported Republican judicial candidates across Texas.

Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate **Vivek Ramaswamy** is among the Republican politicians supported by Elon Musk in the first half of 2026. Musk is making donations outside of Texas, too. He gave $5 million to a super PAC supporting Republican billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign for Ohio governor. He also sent $10 million to both the Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund, which support Republicans. He contributed less than $500,000 in the second quarter to his own America PAC, which backed President **Donald Trump**’s re-election. In all, his donations for the midterm election cycle are at least $90 million. _(__[Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])__)_

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**STATE GOVERNMENT **

**“Gov. Abbott ramps up Texas crackdown on birth tourism with new executive order”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Raul Trey Lopez** – Gov. **Greg Abbott **is ramping up Texas’ crackdown on “birth tourism,” signing a new executive order Tuesday that targets healthcare providers accused of helping people travel to the state to give birth in hopes of securing U.S. citizenship for their children.

The order instructs several state agencies to investigate alleged birth tourism operations and take action against any licensed healthcare provider found to be advertising, facilitating or participating in the practice. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas Broadband Office faces audit over funding process”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Jayme Lozano Carver** – Lt. Gov. **Dan Patrick** and House Speaker **Dustin Burrows** called for an audit of the Texas Broadband Development Office Tuesday. Their request comes after the office faced allegations last month for favoring satellite companies when it came to distributing more than $5 billion in state and federal dollars.

In a joint statement, the lawmakers said concerns were raised during a Senate hearing last month about the award process. During the hearing, lawmakers suggested the state broadband office was giving special treatment to companies that offer services through low-earth orbit satellites.

“It is critical the Office’s performance and operations meet the expectations of the Texas Legislature and the people of this state,” the lawmakers said in a statement. Gov. **Greg Abbott**’s office was also accused during the testimony of suggesting rule changes to favor satellites.

The allegations of favoritism are the latest road block on Texas’ ongoing mission to develop broadband infrastructure and services in all corners of the state. Despite the state being awarded in 2023 $3.3 billion — the most of any state — for broadband development funding, projects have yet to begin as a result of years of delay by elected officials. **Ted Cruz** wrote to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency responsible for administering the program, urging them to pause all actions related to the program in anticipation of changes with the incoming Trump Administration. Then-Texas comptroller **Glenn Hegar** wrote to Cruz saying they could return as much as $1 billion in BEAD funding, citing state-led initiatives and private sector expansion. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas foster care agency cancels troubled provider’s contract”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Terri Langford** – Four months after two children’s deaths and other staffing problems at Dallas-based foster care provider EMPOWER forced the state to place it into receivership, the agency’s commissioner took action on Tuesday and abruptly canceled the private company’s contract.

In a letter sent to Texas Family Initiative — EMPOWER’s parent entity — Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Audrey O’Neill notified the company that “EMPOWER has failed to perform satisfactorily under its Community-Based Care contract after continuous quality improvement plans, corrective action plans, and other remedial measures.”

In a separate letter sent to judges, attorneys and advocates, Audrey O’Neill said the action came “following an extensive assessment” and was done with “one priority in mind: helping ensure children, youth, and families receive safe, stable, and high-quality services.”

More than a year ago, attorneys with the Dallas County district attorney’s office took their complaints to state Sen. **Angela Paxton**, R-McKinney, and she carried a bill creating the receivership process for DFPS to take over the supervision of poor performing foster care contractors. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Ken Paxton loses ruling in Texas abortion case against Houston-area midwife”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Casey Murray** – A Texas appeals court on Thursday tossed out an injunction against a Houston-area midwife accused of providing illegal abortions, saying Attorney General **Ken Paxton’s **office hasn’t presented any direct evidence that she violated the state’s ban.

The ruling by the all Republican Texas 15th Court of Appeals said a lower court’s decision to temporarily shut down **Maria Rojas**’ clinics “abused its discretion,” and that the state’s case relied on “probable-cause” affidavits centering on an anonymous email.

Rojas is the first person in the state to stand trial for allegedly violating Texas’ abortion ban, which took effect in 2022. She also faces charges for practicing medicine without a license. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas board rethinks funding models for public universities”** via [Dallas Morning News]([link removed])‘ **Maryam Ahmed** – Texas higher education leaders have endorsed a report that favors performance-based funding. It recommends tying more funding to student success and graduation rates instead of enrollment numbers.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recommended Wednesday that the Texas Legislature consider funding public, four-year universities based on what fields students study and how long students stay enrolled.

At the board’s quarterly meeting in Austin, a committee of university representatives from across the state presented its report on how Texas could use a performance-based funding model for four-year universities. The Texas Legislature commissioned the report last year. _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

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**LOCAL GOVERNMENT **

**“Dallas City Hall’s fate, mayor’s power could help shape the 2027 race”** via [Dallas News]([link removed])‘ **Gromer Jeffers Jr.** – Former DISD Superintendent **Michael Hinojosa** chose City Hall as the backdrop last week for launching his campaign for mayor. But he stopped short of saying whether Dallas should remain in the **I.M. Pei**-designed building.

The former Dallas ISD superintendent said city leaders will decide its fate before the next mayor takes office after the November 2027 election. He said he favors an approach that is “efficient” and “honors the past.” _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Austin ISD ends partnership officials had hoped would avert state takeover”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Keri Heath** – Austin Independent School District will end a nonprofit partnership that officials had hoped would help the district stave off looming state intervention. The district’s announcement comes after the Texas Education Agency in May rejected Austin ISD’s proposal to partner with a nonprofit to buy more time for three chronically under-performing North Austin middle schools to improve academics.

The three schools have long struggled on the state’s A-F accountability system, which rates each campus largely based on results from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests. Each campus has received four consecutive F grades. A fifth — which could be announced in mid-August — could trigger a takeover of the entire district.

The change represents more upheaval for students and educators at Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools, which last year underwent significant changes to staffing, schedules and curriculum. Trustees had approved an agreement in March with the nonprofit Texas Council for International Studies in hopes of leveraging a state law that allows districts to “pause” accountability consequences. The law, Senate Bill 1882, also gives campuses more money per student. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“Robotaxis in Austin are vexing first responders — and cities can’t do much”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Karoline Leonard**, **Andrea Guzmán** and **Alex Driggars** – Federal safety regulators are demanding answers from Waymo, Tesla, Zoox and other autonomous-vehicle developers after documenting a pattern of driverless vehicles interfering with first responders. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered the companies to explain by the end of July how they will keep their vehicles from entering emergency scenes, blocking responders or failing to recognize flashing lights and other hazards.

Austin has seen such incidents firsthand. In one high-profile case, first responders heading to a March 1 mass shooting downtown faced an unexpected obstacle: self-driving robotaxis. The shooting left three people dead and the gunman was fatally shot by police. Fifteen others were injured. A Waymo robotaxi blocked an ambulance heading to the scene of a mass shooting on West Sixth Street, stalling a first responder for nearly a minute until a police officer was able to enter the vehicle and drive it out of the way.

Experts say the incidents have helped highlight the limited power Texas cities have to regulate the technology on their own streets. “If Waymo or another company’s autonomous driving system can’t handle flashing lights and sirens in a crisis, it isn’t ready for public roads,” said **Cooper Lohr**, a senior policy analyst for transportation and safety at Consumer Reports. “It should be removed from service until the company proves it will handle the situation appropriately.”

Cooper Lohr’s comments were echoed by other experts, including **Michael Brooks**, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, who said that the technology has not yet progressed to the point where it can be considered safe. **Brett Schreiber**, an attorney representing first responders hit by a Tesla operating on Autopilot near Houston in 2021, also shared his doubts about the ability of autonomous vehicles to decipher the flashing lights of an emergency responder.

Meanwhile, **Kate Gallego**, the mayor of Phoenix, said that her city has had success communicating with Waymo, and that the company has discussed and shared materials on hand signals with the city’s police department. **Zo Qadri**, an Austin City Council member, expressed frustration that Waymo officials have not committed to having a public conversation about the issues surrounding autonomous vehicles. **Rob Patrick**, who manages Waymo’s first responder program, said that the company has built a team of former first responders to ensure safety on all fronts. **Peter Stone**, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin, cautioned against allowing first responders to take control of the vehicles, and said that remote operators could be one of the most reliable responses in emergency situations. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“Austin hands down key approval for Dog’s Head development”** via [ABJ]([link removed])‘s **Sean Hemmersmeier** – After hours of contentious consideration at Austin City Hall, one of Austin’s most prolific developers has a big green light to move forward with the largest development plan ABJ is tracking at this time.

Austin City Council on July 23 approved placing the Dog’s Head into a special taxing district that would support the development of infrastructure for the 2,600-plus acres in Southeast Austin that **Amazon** is eying for a robotics factory.

The site is known as the Dog’s Head because the Colorado River creates such a shape. _(__[ABJ]([link removed])__)_

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**BUSINESS NEWS **

**“Tesla profit falls, pressured by rising spending on AI, robots, robotaxis”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Andrea Guzmán** – Despite a gain in revenue, Tesla reported Wednesday that profit dropped as it spends more on AI, robots and robotaxis. The company said, though, that the timeline for the Austin-built Cybercab is unclear.

Pressured by rising operating costs driven by investments in AI and robotics, Tesla Inc. said profit fell in the second quarter despite higher revenue. The Austin electric vehicle, battery and robotics company reported a 5% decline in profit as operating expenses jumped 47%, largely due to increasing spending on artificial intelligence, ramping up for production of robots and other research and development projects.

“It’s OK to be a little less capital efficient if we can get things done sooner,” **Elon Musk** told investors and reporters, arguing the spending will drive future gains. “We’re doing an incredible amount of construction and production growth in so many different arenas simultaneously.” _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“Key takeaways from Southwest, American airlines Q2 earnings”** via [Dallas News]([link removed])‘s **Jordan Parker **– Southwest and American airlines reported record second-quarter revenue amid a volatile fuel environment due to the ongoing war in Iran. Southwest, which is based at Love Field, reported record operating revenue of $8.4 billion and a net income of $233 million. American, which operates its central hub at DFW International Airport, posted record revenue of $16.7 billion and a net income of $71 million.

The results come as both North Texas airlines are in the middle of major business transformations. Southwest has offered assigned seating for nearly six months, as well as an extra legroom offering. Combined with checked bag fees, the extra legroom offering has given Southwest an avenue to drive profit improvement. Meanwhile, American is racing to catch up to the premium offerings that have allowed competitors United and Delta to open up a wide profit gap among the big three.

Supercharged loyalty program : Southwest’s popular Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program continues to rake in customers, the airline saying that enrollments are up 35% year-over year and that the program has almost 100 million members. Moderate network growth : Southwest said it expects full-year capacity, the number of seats it offers network-wide, to increase approximately 1.5%, slightly lower than its previous guidance that called for 2% growth. _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Toyota files plans for initial work on $3.6B San Antonio expansion”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘s **Kelsey Brown** – The footprint of the South Side Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas Inc. plant will roughly double with the $3.6 billion expansion. The $13 million site improvements is the first permit the automaker has filed for the larger project.

Toyota Motor Corp. has started laying the groundwork for its $3.6 billion expansion of the South Side plant, filing plans with the state for what it’s dubbed the “Make Space” project.

The $13 million project calls for installing pavement, fencing, lighting, a guard booth and employee parking at the Toyota Motor Texas Manufacturing campus. Work on the 1.5 million-square-foot project is expected to begin Sept. 1 and be finished by the end of March 2027, according to the filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Details in state filings are preliminary and subject to change without notice. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“How a trucking magnate’s quest to transform Eagle Pass set off a political fight”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Jason Buch**, **Benjamin Wermund **and** Alfredo Corchado** – Maverick County has struggled for years to provide basic services to the unincorporated communities that surround Eagle Pass. Wells in farming areas like Quemado, about 20 miles northwest of Eagle Pass, have gone dry, and water flowing through a nearby irrigation canal has slowed to a trickle.

“We need infrastructure,” said **Olga Ramos**, a county commissioner. “We don’t have the money to redo a lot of these roads that we need... and we need water lines to extend water to my constituents.”

So when a trucking magnate from Laredo named **Ruben Garibay** showed up recently and offered to build a new cross-border bridge that could drum up tolls and spur economic growth, county officials were all ears. The project, called the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge, quickly won the support of power players from Mexico City to Washington D.C., and is on track to break ground this year.

Proponents say it could draw thousands of new semitrucks into the state each day, and with them, a flurry of spending. Garibay has even touted the bridge as the first step to unlocking a new, long-envisioned trade corridor from South Texas to the Canadian border. But the plan has sparked a fierce backlash from local residents, many of whom view it as a boondoggle that could leave taxpayers holding the bag. _(__[Houston Chronicle]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas’ microchip industry investment luring high-profile firms”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Paul Cobler **– Texas leads the nation in exports of semiconductor chips, the small pieces that form the building blocks of all modern electronics, and the industry is currently experiencing a boom.

“It seems unprecedented relative to what I have seen since I got into the business in 1998,” said **Steve Putna**, director of Texas A&M’s Semiconductor Institute. “I think this ecosystem has been significantly replenished as a result of all the incentive funding we’ve seen.”

Federal investment and the flurry of data centers being built in Texas and across the country have expanded the industry even more. In recent months, a series of new or expanded semiconductor fabrication plants, or “fabs,” have begun operating or been announced in the Lone Star State, including the launch of Texas Instruments’ $40 billion semiconductor facility in Sherman late last year, Nvidia and Winstrom Corporation’s plans for two facilities in north Fort Worth and **Elon Musk**’s massive “Terafab” semiconductor megafacility proposed in Grimes County. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“’Made in Texas, USA’: Nvidia CEO visits Fort Worth facility building AI supercomputers”** via [Dallas Morning News]([link removed])‘ **Lana Ferguson** –** Jensen Huang** visited the region for the second time in as many months, spending Tuesday afternoon at Wistron’s new manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, where Nvidia AI supercomputers will be built and tested as part of a greater effort to reshore high-tech manufacturing.

“We want to reindustrialize the United States and bring back, or onshore, manufacturing again,” Huang told The Dallas Morning News in an exclusive interview before the event. “If you look at the last several years as the AI journey stated, we’ve created chip plants in the United States, packaging plants, testing companies, and here we are manufacturing and assembling these giant supercomputers.”

Huang was joined by Wistron Chairman **Simon Lin**; Fort Worth officials, business leaders including Hillwood Chairman **Ross Perot Jr.**, who developed AllianceTexas; and community stakeholders for the grand opening ceremony of Wistron D1. A theme of the event was “Powering the AI world from Texas.”

During the ceremony, executives unveiled and signed the first Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Superchip built at the facility. “Made in Texas, USA,” Huang said as the crowd erupted with applause. **Jessica Rogers**, Fort Worth’s director of economic development, told the crowd, “We’ve been known as the city of where the West begins, a city that’s built by pioneers,” _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Data center company decides not to build in East Texas”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Jess Huff** – A controversial data center project in East Texas is no longer moving forward after the company said it wouldn’t be able to comply with Gov.** Greg Abbott’s** development standards.

Kansas-based Diode Ventures had proposed building a data center in Henderson County near Cedar Creek Reservoir, a historic waterway in a community heavily involved in water conservation. The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported the site was expected to take 12 years to build out and consume 5 million gallons of lake water per day by its fifth year.

The project’s location was concerning because it would have sat right in the middle of a developed subdivision with hundreds of homes around it, Henderson County Commissioner **Wendy Spivey** told The Texas Tribune. Residents were concerned that it would draw water from Cedar Creek Lake, which supplies water to the Fort Worth area. With little to no rainfall in the region this year, lake levels have been low for residents. They worried what years like this would look like with increased water withdrawals.

“This was a big, big step in a positive direction for Diode to back out,” Wendy Spivey said. However, she does not believe this is the end of the fight. The landowners of the proposed site are still looking for ways to sell or use the land, and just because Diode backed out doesn’t mean another data center may not come in, Spivey said. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Trump’s Qatar jet likely headed to Texas for security upgrades”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Brandon Lingle **– President **Donald Trump’s** Qatari dream jet is likely headed back to Texas for upgrades amid questions about its security capabilities and congressional scrutiny about costs.

The Boeing 747-8 gifted by the Middle Eastern country for use as a temporary Air Force One will go out of service in August to get the work done, which is expected to take about a month, according to the president.

“It has a lot of capability but, as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out,” Trump told reporters Sunday night after landing back in Washington from New Jersey. “They’ll have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month.” _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Exclusive: Houston’s iconic Williams Tower sold in deal reportedly topping $300M”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s** Marissa Luck** – Williams Tower, a trophy 64-story office tower in Uptown Houston, was sold to Williams Companies. Eastdil Secured reportedly advised Invesco Real Estate in the transaction.

Energy firm Williams Companies has acquired its namesake office tower in Houston, marking a new chapter for the 64-story skyscraper that has defined the Uptown skyline for 40 years.

The transaction, which closed July 20, includes the 1.4-million-square-foot office tower and a parking garage, said **Glen Jasek**, a senior vice president at Williams’ Houston office, in an interview. Jasek declined to disclose the sale price.

Williams agreed to pay more than $300 million for the property, in one of the area’s largest single-property office trades since 2019, according to industry news site Green Street News . The investment underscores Williams’ commitment to Houston, Jasek said. The Tulsa-based pipeline company has had a presence in Williams Tower since acquiring Transco in 1995. Williams transports about a third of the nation’s natural gas, he said, and it recently expanded into the power generation business. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Dallas security company Brinks Home hit by cyberattack, blackmail attempt”** via [Dallas Morning News]([link removed])‘ **Trevor Bach **– Brinks Home, a Dallas-based home security company, was hit by a cyberattack that infiltrated the company’s IT systems, the company said Wednesday. Brinks Home did not disclose the identity of the attacker but also implied the company was being blackmailed.

“The party responsible for this situation has threatened to release information it claims to have taken,” Brinks Home wrote in an update published on its website. “We are aware that such material may be posted publicly.”

It was unclear exactly what information may have been exposed to the breach, but in a statement to The Dallas Morning News the company emphasized that it was working “as quickly as possible to determine the full scope of what occurred” and that its systems are secure. _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Austin developers planning 1,736-acre community in Hill Country”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Richard Webner **– Two developers from Austin are teaming up to build a 1,736-acre master-planned community on vacant land east of Interstate 35 in Hays County — adding thousands of homes in a region already undergoing rapid growth.

Known as the Ridge, the community will feature more than 6,200 single-family home sites, along with a multifamily development, according to the website of one of the developers, Wilson Capital. It will sit to the west of Texas 21 and Rohde Road, about 4 miles west of Kyle.

Sites have been reserved for elementary, middle and high schools, according to a map on Wilson Capital’s website. To give a sense of scale, the community will be about half the size of San Antonio’s 3,500-acre downtown.

Wilson Capital is partnering with Carlton Capital Investments on the community, which is expected to cost $375 million to build, said **Taylor Wilson**, the president of Wilson Capital. They expect to begin construction this year, with the first phase taking 10 months, Taylor Wilson said. The development team has entitlements lined up for the required utilities, he said. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Inside the building boom reshaping Fort Worth’s Cultural District”** via [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]([link removed])‘s **Harrison Mantas** – Fort Worth’s Cultural District is growing up. Literally. Construction cranes are bringing office towers to an area once dotted with auto body shops, small storefronts, and single family homes.

The area once known for its popular bars and nightclubs is slated to become a place where people live and work rather than just play. Apartment buildings, office buildings, hotels, stores and restaurants are popping up in the district.

Nebraska-based Goldenrod Companies is in the midst of building two mixed-use towers near the Artisan Circle development along West Seventh Street. “I can’t be more bullish on this neighborhood right here,” former Goldenrod executive **John Zogg** said during an October 2023 meeting on the future of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. _(__[FWST]([link removed])__)_

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**TRUMP ADMINISTRATION **

**“President Trump approves Texas’ major disaster declaration”** via [Spectrum News]([link removed]) – President **Donald Trump **has approved Texas’ major disaster declaration, allowing the state to receive federal disaster assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the approval Saturday, just one day after Texas Gov. **Greg Abbott** signed the declaration.

“The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all federal disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe,” a news release from FEMA said.

The federal aid will be available for the 28 counties hit hardest by the heavy rains and flooding over the past week, including Uvalde, Kerr and Kendall counties. Abbott said on Friday that more counties could be added depending on the need. _(__[Spectrum News]([link removed])__)_

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**QUICK LINKS **

Spectrum News: **“Pas­sengers in Texas ICE shooting say officers not in danger, driver was parking when shots fired”** _[Spectrum News]([link removed])_

TX TRIB: **“South Texas nun detained by ICE faces uncertain future in U.S.”** _[TX TRIB]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“Texas-born Southwest Airlines faces boycott calls after ICE airport arrest video goes viral”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“Democrats seize on AI data center backlash that’s dividing rural Republicans in places like Texas”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

WFAA: **“The Engineer vs. the Culture Warrior. Who will lead Texas’ oil & gas industry?”** _[WFAA]([link removed])_

The Texas Observer: **“Can a Tejano Star Restore Dems’ Power in South Texas?”** _[The Texas Observer]([link removed])_

KXAN: **“Environmental activists tested 77 Texas waterways. They found microplastics in 76”** _[KXAN]([link removed])_

Blockhead: **“Poolin, Once the World’s Largest Bitcoin Mining Pool, Files Chapter 11 to Sell Texas Assets”** _[Blockhead]([link removed])_

KVUE: **“Texas state agencies brace for cuts after directive from state Republican leaders”** _[KVUE]([link removed])_

KXAN: **“Austin ISD plans to immediately close Paredes Middle School”** _[KXAN]([link removed])_

DMN: **“Therme could open $850M Dallas wellness resort in 2031”** _[DMN]([link removed])_

AAS: **“’Phase one’: Austin approves water restrictions for large users like data centers”** _[AAS]([link removed])_

DMN: **“DART made the right choice with Nat Ford”** _[DMN]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“Hill Country retreat files for bankruptcy amid archdiocese dispute, debt woes”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

AAS: **“Doctors worldwide tune into Austin heart procedure conference”** _[AAS]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“Summer flowers thrive after rain and heat in Texas”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

TPR: **“Closing ceremony announced for exhibit that pays tribute to South Texas music legend”** _[TPR]([link removed])_

New York Post: **“Country singer Aaron Lee Tasjan’s fans walk out of Texas concert over political song as he warns of America’s ‘descent’”** _[New York Post]([link removed])_

KMPH Fox 26: **“Texas hat company draws hundreds to Clovis with custom cowboy hat pop-up”** _[KMPH Fox 26]([link removed])_

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**EXTRA POINTS**

Recent Texas sports scores:
_ Monday 7/20_
> MLB: **Houston **8, Miami 5
> MLB: Chicago White Sox 10, **Texas **3
> WNBA: NY Liberty 99, **Dallas **98 (OT)
_ Tuesday 7/21_
> MLB: **Houston **5, Miami 3
> MLB: **Texas **10, Chicago White Sox 0
_ Wednesday 7/22_
> MLB: **Houston **5, Miami 2
> MLB: Chicago White Sox 4, **Texas **2
> MLS: **Austin **3, Seattle 1
> MLS: Portland 2, **Dallas **2
> MLS: Washington 1, **Houston **1
> WNBA: **Dallas **101, Phoenix 97
_ Thursday 7/23_
None.
_ Friday 7/24_
> MLB: **Houston **9, Chicago White Sox 5
> MLB: **Texas **5, Seattle 4
_ Saturday 7/15_
> MLB: **Houston **4, Chicago White Sox 1
> MLB: **Texas **7, Seattle 1
> MLS: **Houston** 3, **Austin **0
> MLS: San Diego 1, **Dallas **0
_ Sunday 7/26_
> MLB: Chicago White Sox 12, **Houston **3
> MLB: Seattle 6, **Texas **4
> WNBA: **Dallas** 90, LA Sparks 82

_ Today / tonight’s Texas sports schedule:_
> 1:35pm: MLB: Seattle at **Texas**
> 8:38pm: MLB: **Houston **at LA Angels

_ Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:_
> 5:40pm: MLB: **Texas **at Tampa
> 8:38pm: MLB: **Houston **at LA Angels

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**TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS**

**TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: **“The Alamodome remains the site for UIL state basketball. That could change soon” _[SAEN]([link removed])_

**TEXAS FOOTBALL: **“Five-star CB John Meredith III reclassifies to 2026 class, officially signs with Texas” _[DMN]([link removed])_

**TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: **“Why Mike Elko believes Texas A&M football needs consistency in 2026” _[AAS]([link removed])_

**DALLAS MAVERICKS: **“Dallas Mavericks take step forward in new arena project at Valley View Mall site” _[DMN]([link removed])_

**AUSTIN FC: **“6 questions for Austin FC as it starts the second half of MLS play” _[AAS]([link removed])_


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