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**MONDAY** 8/24/2026 - **FRIDAY** 8/28/2026

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**TOP NEWS**

**“Meta to pay Texas $1 billion in child safety case”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Eleanor Klibanoff** – Social media giant Meta will pay over $1 billion to Texas and implement sweeping protections for children as part of a settlement with the state, Attorney General **Ken Paxton** announced Wednesday.

The settlement comes as Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, tentatively agreed to a $17 billion payout to resolve a separate lawsuit brought by 33 states, which Texas was not a part of. The historic settlement, the first of this scale from a social media company, will end the ongoing trial in that case.

The states allege that Meta contributed to the growing youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing their social media platforms to be addicting to kids and teens.

As part of Texas’ settlement, Meta will apply stricter age verification measures and institute a daily two-hour limit for teens. All notifications from these platforms will be disabled by default during school hours, and the company will create a nighttime mode to restrict access for teens, Ken Paxton said in a press release. Meta’s chief legal officer, **C.J. Mahoney**, said in a statement that the new safety rules will empower parents to manage their children’s use of these platforms.

Paxton is also suing TikTok, with that case expected to go to trial in the fall. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas poll shows solid bipartisan opposition to data centers”** via [The Washington Post]([link removed])‘s **Molly Hennessy-Fiske** – A growing backlash against the projects is reshaping important races in the deeply conservative state.

Opposition to data centers has solidified in Texas, with 57 percent of Texas voters saying they do not want them in their community, according to a poll released Tuesday by the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project.

Data centers have roiled the state’s politics this cycle as longtime Republicans have broken with their normally pro-business party leaders. Democrats (74 percent) and independents (54 percent) are the most likely to oppose data center construction, the new poll found, but a solid plurality of Republicans (43 percent) have joined their ranks. _(__[WAPO]([link removed])__)_

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**“Ross Fire has burned in North Texas for three days”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Alejandra Martinez** – The Ross Fire has grown into one of the largest wildfires in the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s recorded history, scorching 85,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties in just three days.

The fire, which began Monday near Palo Pinto, grew with extraordinary speed in the dry ranchland. By Tuesday, officials reported that the fire had doubled in size in a few hours to about 50,000 acres. By Wednesday, the estimate had climbed above 80,000 acres.

Firefighters have reported extreme fire behavior, including trees torching in groups amid strong winds. There have been no reports of injuries from the fire, but some rural residents have been advised to evacuate over the past three days and officials told residents in or near affected areas to be prepared to leave quickly if conditions change.

Local officials have closed numerous roads in Palo Pinto County, including parts of U.S. 180 and Texas 254 as crews continue responding to the fire. Gov. **Greg Abbott** announced Tuesday that FEMA had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Ross Fire, which gives local agencies financial help and reimburses eligible firefighting costs. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas to receive at least $7.5 billion from stalled border reimbursement fund, Cornyn says”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Gabby Birenbaum** — Texas is set to receive $7.5 billion from a federal fund to reimburse states for border costs incurred when **Joe Biden** was president, Sen. **John Cornyn** told The Texas Tribune in an interview, shedding light for the first time on the Lone Star State’s haul more than a year after Congress authorized the funding.

Cornyn, a Texas Republican who was defeated in his primary this year, said Gov. **Greg Abbott** and Department of Homeland Security Secretary **Markwayne Mullin** had negotiated the $7.5 billion amount. That accounts for three-quarters of the $10 billion in grant funding that is up for grabs from Mullin’s agency.

But getting that money into the hands of states has been slow going. The state border reimbursement fund was created in July 2025 in the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act, the tax-and-spending megabill supported by nearly all Republicans and uniformly opposed by Democrats. The bill authorized $13.5 billion in grant funding to state governments, a massive priority for Texas’ Republican delegation in Congress and for Cornyn, who pushed for its inclusion during negotiations over the legislation.

Texas, which spent over $11 billion on border security through Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative during the Biden era, has long been expected to receive the lion’s share of the funding. Cornyn said Abbott and Mullin worked out the deal “maybe a month ago,” but added, “we haven’t seen any real movement on that since that time.” _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Flock cameras face growing backlash across Texas counties, but getting rid of them is complicated”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Stephen Simpson **– At a 9 a.m. Harris County Commissioners Court meeting Aug. 17, dozens of Houston residents filed into the courtroom. The commissioners were meeting to review the region’s budget, but residents instead came to rally against the county’s use of artificial intelligence cameras, many citing privacy issues.

“You promised to protect us, but we see the abuse has come and there’s still no protections. We need to eliminate Flock,” said **Christopher Rivera**, a member of the Texas Civil Rights Project, to applause from the crowd. Harris County joins numerous counties across the state grappling with community backlash against Flock cameras. Government officials said they understand the community’s concerns, but backing out of contracts with AI camera companies is much more complicated than many think since the agreements affect several agencies and jurisdictions.

Atlanta-based Flock Safety is the camera system many counties use and is the company facing the most backlash. Flock uses artificial intelligence to scan every vehicle that passes by a camera, uploading plate numbers, car models, color, and even bumper stickers to the country’s largest vehicle surveillance database. Law enforcement agencies that contract with the company — here and across the U.S. — can search the accumulated database with a few keystrokes and without a warrant.

The backlash against Flock can’t be attributed to any one concern or trend, but rather to a series of recent incidents that have contributed to growing public unease over the extent of law enforcement monitoring. In 2025, a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy, without a warrant, used the nationwide network of over 83,000 Flock cameras to track a woman suspected of attempting to get an abortion. The woman was located, but the district attorney’s office declined to press charges after a medical examiner found the biological matter in question was a blood clot and not a fetus. The incident sparked national outrage and privacy concerns , and since then the abuse of these systems by law enforcement has been leaking out steadily. Earlier this month, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office admitted three of its deputies had been blocked from using Flock cameras while it investigates possible misuse. In Baytown, southeast of Houston, the city’s police chief filed a criminal investigation into an officer who was accused of misusing the city’s Flock cameras. A sheriff’s deputy was suspended in Fort Bend County after looking up one person’s plate 41 times and another 148. A Pasadena sergeant resigned after allegedly using Flock to track and stalk a fellow officer, but will not face prosecution. The Deer Park Police Department posted on social media an officer had been suspended after he admitted to misuse. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“UT replaces College of Liberal Arts dean with another temporary leader”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s** Lily Kepner** – The University of Texas is replacing College of Liberal Arts interim Dean **David Sosa** in yet another leadership shake-up at the university, according to an email sent Friday afternoon to some faculty in the college.

Sosa was named interim dean in May 2025 and led the college as four ethnic and gender studies departments were closed and folded into the new Department of Social and Cultural Analysis.

**Daniel Brinks**, the college’s associate dean for academic and faculty affairs and chair of UT’s government department, will be the next temporary leader of the college starting Wednesday through August 2027, according to the email sent by a department chair to faculty.

The change marks more turnover as the College of Liberal Arts enters its second academic year without a permanent leader in place. The last permanent dean was **Ann Stevens**, who said in 2024 that former President **Jay Hartzell** blocked her from a second term leading the college. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas A&M Regents approve interim provost, certify state compliance for DEI and more”** via [KBTX News 3]([link removed])‘s **Dylan Watkiss** – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously approved Dr. **Jerry Strawser** as interim provost and executive vice president of Texas A&M University during a special telephonic meeting Thursday.

Strawser will begin the role Tuesday, Sept. 1, and is expected to serve through May 2027 while the university conducts a national search for a permanent provost.

He replaces Dr. **Alan Sams**, who is stepping down to return to a faculty role in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Texas A&M President **Susan Ballabina** recommended Strawser for the position during Thursday’s meeting. _(__[KBTX News 3]([link removed])__)_

**2026**

**“New Poll: Talarico Holds Lead Against Paxton, While Texas Voters View Democrats Unfavorably”** via [The Texan]([link removed])‘s **Mary Elise O’Bar** – A new survey indicates state Rep.** James Talarico** (D-Austin) leads Texas Attorney General **Ken Paxton** in the U.S. Senate race, even while the majority of Texas voters view the Democratic Party negatively.

Talarico is ahead of Paxton by three percentage points in this new poll, conducted by the Texas Politics Project (TPP) at the University of Texas, although the number of undecided participants alone is enough to sway the race in the other direction.

The survey was conducted among 1,200 registered voters in Texas between August 5 and 13, with a margin of error of 2.83 percent. Talarico received 42 percent, ahead of Paxton’s 39 percent, while 14 percent of participants said they had no preference. Libertarian **Ted Brown** was preferred by 3 percent of respondents.

Paxton has struggled to match the fundraising prowess of U.S. Sen. **John Cornyn** (R-TX), whom he defeated in the Republican primary runoff in May, as well as that of Talarico — whose latest fiscal haul was triple the amount of Paxton’s. President **Donald Trump** is headed to Houston this week to fundraise for Paxton, after the former’s MAGA Inc. has been hesitant to pour funds into the Texas senatorial race. _(__[THE TEXAN]([link removed])__)_

**“Trump visits Texas to fundraise for Ken Paxton’s Senate bid”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Stephen Simpson** and **Gabby Birenbaum** – With early voting less than two months away, President **Donald Trump **appeared in Houston on Thursday to inject momentum and some much-needed cash in the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican **Ken Paxton**, his close ally who is in a tight race with Democrat **James Talarico**.

Trump’s first appearance for Paxton’s campaign comes in a week when ad spending by Republicans for the state’s attorney general surpassed his Democratic opponents for the first time.

The president, who upon deplaning was closely followed by **Bill Pulte**, the director of U.S. Federal Housing, was greeted by U.S. Rep. **Brian Babin**, R-Woodville, on the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base tarmac. The president waved to over a hundred fans who chanted his name and USA before leaving for a Republican National Committee fundraising event, where he is expected to be a keynote speaker rallying support behind the Republican nominee.

Trump was expected to headline a Republican National Committee fundraising event Thursday evening during his overnight stay in Houston. On Friday, the president is expected to honor members of the Artemis II lunar flyby crew at the Johnson Space Center. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Talarico campaign asks court to unseal Paxton’s depositions in energy investing dispute”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Kayla Guo **– Democratic U.S. Senate nominee **James Talarico’s** campaign on Wednesday asked a court to unseal transcripts of a pair of years-old depositions given by his opponent, Attorney General** Ken Paxton**, as part of a messy securities fraud dispute.

The petition, filed in Collin County, targets depositions Paxton sat for in 2019 and 2022 as part of a legal clash that ensnared the attorney general, his financial adviser and his former business associates.

North Texas businessman **Charles Loper III**, who oversees Paxton’s blind trust, in 2016 accused an energy company called Unity Resources and two of its investors, **Byron Cook** and **Joel Hochberg**, of defrauding him. The case centered in part on alleged securities fraud, with Loper accusing Cook and Hochberg of launching a scheme to profit off a Unity investment fund. Cook and Hochberg in turn accused Loper and Paxton of conspiring to sully their names because they were set to serve as key witnesses in a separate criminal securities fraud case against Paxton.

Paxton previously served as a lawyer and board member for Unity and invested in the company. In Paxton’s separate criminal securities fraud case, Cook and Hochberg accused Paxton of misleading them into investing in a McKinney technology company without disclosing he’d be paid a commission for the recruitments. Paxton was indicted in 2015, the year before Loper brought his lawsuit. Prosecutors dropped the charges against Paxton before trial in 2024, under a deal that required him to pay restitution and take legal ethics courses. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas Senate hopeful Talarico teams with Mark Cuban on plan to break up healthcare ‘monopolies’”** via [CNBC]([link removed])‘s** Justin Papp** – Texas Democratic Senate candidate **James Talarico** is out with a new plan to break up what he says are healthcare monopolies and bring down the cost of prescription drugs. And he’s teaming up with entrepreneur **Mark Cuban** to launch it.

Talarico, a member of the Texas House of Representatives who is running against state Attorney General **Ken Paxton** in one of the most closely-watched Senate races of the 2026 election cycle, will appear with Cuban for a live event and podcast recording in Fort Worth on Saturday to discuss the plan.

“Mark and I agree it’s time to break up the Big Medicine monopolies that control our broken healthcare system,” Talarico said in a statement. “Healthcare corporations are ripping us off — jacking up premiums and profiting off our pain. This plan will break up monopolies, lower medical debt, bring down the cost of prescription drugs, and ensure doctors decide what medication their patients need — not insurance companies.”

Talarico is trying to become the first Democrat elected statewide in Texas since 1994, in a seat that would be key for the party if they want to win control of the Senate from Republicans. The Cook Political Report with **Amy Walter** rates the race a “toss-up,” and recent polling shows Talarico and Paxton neck-and-neck. _(__[CNBC]([link removed])__)_

**“Talarico leads young voters, but older Texans may decide the U.S. Senate race”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **John C. Moritz** – As he sought to perfect his messaging ahead of entering the race for the U.S. Senate in the summer of 2025, Democrat James Talarico began road-testing a line that still finds its way into nearly every stump speech and cable news appearance more than one year later.

“The biggest divide in our politics is not left vs. right,” James Talarico has told audiences from Amarillo to Edinburg, “it’s top vs. bottom.”

Largely overlooked inside the charts and crosstabs that explain polling results in the U.S. Senate matchup between** James Talarico **and Republican nominee **Ken Paxton** is the yawning gap that divides young and older voters. Put simply, James Talarico decisively leads among voters ages 18 to 49, while Ken Paxton rules among those who are eligible for senior discounts.

In the 2018 midterm election, which was the best election cycle Democrats have seen this century, 56% of the votes cast were by Texans 50 and older. The rest were from voters in their 40s and younger, according to stats compiled by Texas political data analyst **Derek Ryan**. That trend grew even worse for younger voters in the midterms four years later. In 2022, voters 49 and younger accounted for just 41% of total Texas turnout. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“AI’s massive appetite for power, water ignites fight in high-stakes Texas Senate race”** via [Fox News]([link removed]) – There’s an ugly political fight brewing in the Lone Star State over data centers, and both candidates running for Senate are racing each other to unveil their plans to slow the AI boom in Texas.

**Ken Paxton** is rolling out his own plan to address what has become a political pressure point in Texas politics during this midterm cycle: how to add guardrails to the explosion of data centers across the state as voters’ concerns rise about skyrocketing power and water costs.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the United States will beat the Chinese Communist Party in the AI race,” Ken Paxton said in a statement. “This plan will ensure that happens while putting Texas First, protecting our culture and land, and safeguarding our families and communities. My plan will also work to ensure that data centers are not utilized to power AI platforms that endanger our children.”

**James Talarico**‘s political operation, through his Lone Star Rising PAC, has received about $10 million from **Reid Hoffman**, an advocate for data centers who has argued about the value that they present in the AI arms race against China. “While James Talarico and his campaign infrastructure accept millions of dollars from data center-affiliated donors and put their interests first, I will lead with Texans at the forefront. That’s exactly why I am proud to release my 4-Point Plan that will put Texans First and protect our communities,” Ken Paxton said. _(__[Fox News]([link removed])__)_

**“Paxton promises to ban Chinese technology and chatbots that endanger children in data center platform”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Samanta Habashy** – Attorney General **Ken Paxton** on Monday pledged to ban Chinese technology from U.S. data centers and hold companies criminally liable if their data centers power AI chatbots that endanger children if elected to the Senate.

His data center platform stakes out his position on what has become a flashpoint in Texas’ U.S. Senate race after months of pressure from Democratic opponent **James Talarico**, who rolled out his plan more than a month ago.

Paxton also backed the DATA Act, a bill by Sen. **Tom Cotton**, R-Arkansas, that would let data centers build off-the-grid power systems exempt from federal regulation, and to champion Gov. **Greg Abbott**’s state-level regulatory push — including a repeal of the industry’s sales tax exemptions, among “other outdated incentives,” per the plan.

**James Talarico**, an Austin state representative, has used the GOP’s early support for data center investment as a persistent line of attack, unveiling his “Hold Data Centers Accountable Plan” in July. His plan goes one step further than his GOP opponent, calling for giving local officials approval power over data center projects. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

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**2028 **

**“Ted Cruz says on podcast it’s “no secret that I want to be president””** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s** Gabby Birenbaum** – Sen. **Ted Cruz**, R-Texas, said “it’s no secret that I want to be president” on Lt. Gov. **Dan Patrick’s **podcast Wednesday as chatter about the 2028 presidential field — and whether Cruz will run — intensifies.

Cruz, who finished second in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries to **Donald Trump**, has served as Texas’ junior senator since 2013.

“I will say, this is a bug that history has proved is rarely ended,” Cruz said of his White House aspirations. “It is a permanent and often fatal bug.”

Patrick, noting that the GOP 2028 convention will take place in Houston, told Cruz that he “can’t imagine you not being on the stage” given Cruz’s love of politics and debating. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

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**STATE GOVERNMENT **

**“TxDOT announces $138 billion, 10-year transportation plan”** via [KXAN]([link removed])‘s **Warren Brown **– A new 10-year transportation plan with a $138 billion investment behind it was announced Wednesday in a news release issued by the Texas Department of Transportation and Gov. **Greg Abbott**. Out of the total funding allotted, $95 billion was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in a meeting on Wednesday as part of the 2027 Unified Transportation Program, or UTP.

The remaining $43 billion will go toward development and routine maintenance, the release stated. “This 10-year plan reflects the scale and complexity of meeting Texas’ transportation needs in one of the fastest-growing states in the nation,” said **Marc Williams**, TxDOT Executive Director in the release. “It is focused on practical outcomes - improving safety, preserving the system we have, and supporting reliable movement for people and goods.

The UTP, which is adopted annually, determines how funding for transportation systems across the state is distributed, and give TxDOT and its partners authorization to prepare projects to get under way. Funding will increase for congestion-relief projects that support completed, under-construction and planned non-tolled projects that since 2015 have received $90.6 billion, according to the release.

The UTP also includes investments in safety and funding for rural corridors and economic hubs in the Lone Star State. “Texas’ booming economy and growing population demand a transportation system that keeps people and products moving safely and efficiently,” said Gov. Abbott in the release. “This $138 billion investment will strengthen our roadways, reduce congestion, improve safety and support growing communities across Texas. By investing in critical infrastructure today, we are building a bigger, better Texas for generations to come.” _(__[KXAN]([link removed])__)_

**“’Couldn’t find a school’: Why only 76% of Texas’ school voucher recipients have used them”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Elizabeth Sander** and **Lawrence Mower** – Parents walk with their children to their first day of school at Conroe ISD’s Eissler Elementary School in Conroe, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. Conroe ISD’s use of the state-created Bluebonnet curriculum was part of the reason parent** Marissa Gonzalez** applied for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, although she was ultimately unable to use them, joining the 24% of families who received funding and either denied it or haven’t used the award yet.

Gonzalez was one of the first parents in Texas to receive funding from the state’s $1 billion private school voucher program. Her two children have dyslexia, and their family income is below 500% of the poverty level, putting them in the lottery’s top priority group. It also meant that her children were eligible to receive more funding than most applicants.

But when Gonzalez received $31,000 in voucher funding for her children, she had to turn it down, joining the 24% of recipients who haven’t used their voucher funding — including both families who opted-out and who have not decided yet. The user rate has puzzled leaders of the Texas Education Freedom Account program who are trying to figure out why some families outright rejected or haven’t used thousands of dollars for their children’s education.

Still, the rates aren’t far off from what other states have seen, said **Joshua Cowen**, a professor at Michigan State University who has studied vouchers for 20 years. “The voucher data may seem surprising” he said, adding, “As it turns out, these are pretty predictable phenomena.” So far, 109,000 Texas families have opted in and are using their funding, making the state’s program the second largest in the country in its first year. Still, nearly 25,000 families declined the funding, even after some spent months gathering the materials to apply for it. Another 9,000 families have yet to decide, even though school has already started for most Texans. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

**“Abbott asks court to reject Minnesota bid to force extradition of ICE officer”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Alex Nguyen **– Gov. **Greg Abbott **has asked a federal judge to reject Minnesota’s effort to force the extradition of an immigration officer arrested in Texas, saying he has “serious concerns” whether the officer is actually a fugitive from justice.

Abbott said state officials are still investigating whether **Christian Castro**, who is being held in Cameron County Jail, can be classified as a fugitive because he didn’t flee Minnesota but was apparently reassigned to Texas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Minnesota is also seeking a court order keeping Castro in custody beyond Thursday for fear he would “flee and avoid prosecution.” In Texas, people awaiting extradition cannot be held longer than 90 days. Castro was arrested in Cameron County on May 29 on a warrant issued by a Minnesota court.

Abbott, in a brief filed Monday, asked the judge to deny the request, noting Castro’s freedom would have “no effect on the Governor’s ability to issue a warrant to extradite.” The governor has instructed interim Texas Secretary of State **Robert Howden** — who was a senior adviser to Abbott before taking on the role — to investigate Castro’s circumstances and whether he should be turned over to Minnesota’s custody. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas should establish three-year bachelor’s degree options, Gov. Greg Abbott says”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Megan Menchaca** – Gov. **Greg Abbott **directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Wednesday to work on pathways for students to earn bachelor’s degrees in three years.

Such a program could have college students take about 90 hours of classes instead of 120 to earn a degree, thus reducing the cost of higher education, shortening the time for degree completion and allowing the state to respond to workforce demands quicker, state leaders said.

“Texas students are our future leaders and the workforce of tomorrow,” Greg Abbott wrote in a statement announcing the directive. “They deserve the option to receive a degree in a high-demand, high-wage field in less time as a means to reduce the overall cost of securing a degree.”

Officials at the coordinating board must establish a working group to develop recommendations based on student demand, employer needs, institutional approval requirements and other needs. **Wynn Rosser**, Texas Higher Education Commissioner, said shorter pathways could help students enter high-demand fields a year earlier as well as lower the cost of college. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

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**#TXLEGE **

**“Texas’ data center, transmission line pauses could be risky”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Paul Cobler** – For the first time in five years since Winter Storm Uri turned the electrical grid into a political albatross for Texas leaders, the state’s grid has again become a liability for politicians.

Many residents don’t want data centers in their communities, fearing their massive energy, water and land use, a majority of which is planned for rural Texas. Many residents are also balking at transmission lines lawmakers approved to build hundreds of miles across West Texas because they threaten to eat up their land.

The pushback has gotten so overwhelming that the state’s top leaders — the very ones that welcomed these initial proposals with open arms — have called on regulators to delay these projects.

“Whatever the complexities of the policies engaged here — and the degree to which the deployment of these high-capacity power lines and the construction of data centers are distinct issues — in this moment, it’s the politics that matter at least as much as the policy,” said **Jim Henson**, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Texas’ limits on certain drag shows ruled unconstitutional again”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Ayden Runnels** – Texas once again cannot enforce its restrictions on some public drag shows after a federal judge on Tuesday declared a 2023 law unconstitutional for the second time.

U.S. District Judge **David Hittner** initially declared Senate Bill 12 unconstitutional in September 2023 only a few months after it was passed by the Texas Legislature, citing First Amendment violations. More than two years later in November, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unblocked the law and returned the case to Hittner with specific instructions on how to reassess it.

Hittner reaffirmed his ruling Tuesday, stating in his order that besides removing several plaintiffs and defendants from the lawsuit, the appellate court’s decision “did not disturb” his prior decision declaring SB 12 unconstitutional. The ruling again pauses the law, which had gone into effect in March after the 5th Circuit’s decision.

The suit was originally filed against Texas Attorney General **Ken Paxton**, two counties three district attorneys and one county attorney by two community pride groups, two entertainment groups and **Brigitte Bandit**, a drag queen and longtime Texas LGBTQ+ rights activist. After the 5th Circuit’s ruling, the two pride groups were removed as plaintiffs and Paxton was left as the sole defendant, which Hittner said satisfied the higher court’s instructions. _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

**“Former Dem Shawn Thierry appointed to be a Harris County judge”** via [The Texas Tribune]([link removed])‘s **Eleanor Klibanoff** – Gov. **Greg Abbott** appointed former state Rep.** Shawn Thierry**, who left the Democratic party over its stance supporting gender-transition care for minors, to be a Harris County judge on Tuesday.

Thierry served four terms in the Texas House as a Democrat representing a Houston district, but lost her primary in 2024 after breaking with her party to back bills that barred doctors from providing transition-related medical care to children and teens.

After her defeat, she switched to the Republican Party, where she was warmly embraced. She quickly became the director of political strategy for an international anti-trans policy group, Genspect, and last year, Abbott appointed her to the state’s juvenile justice board.

He doubled down on his support for Thierry on Tuesday, naming her to the Harris County judicial bench. She will hear cases in the 515th Judicial District, which was created by the Legislature last session to address the county’s overstretched court dockets. Lawmakers directed Thierry’s court to “give preference to civil cases.” _(__[TX TRIB]([link removed])__)_

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**LOCAL GOVERNMENT **

**“Crickets: Mayor Jones’ plea to outside groups to replace city nonprofit funding falls flat”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘s** Molly Smith** – Mayor** Gina Ortiz Jones** didn’t get any takers when she asked area businesses and charitable foundations to step up to fund more than a dozen organizations that have counted on city dollars.

Jones had given “business, foundation and philanthropic leaders” she wrote to on July 24 until Aug. 21 to contact her office if they were “interested in funding these worthwhile efforts,” according to a letter she posted on her office’s official Instagram account.

Her goal was to close — if only by a relatively small amount — the $158 million budget deficit the city faces over the next two fiscal years by having private-sector dollars replace city grants to local nonprofits and programs.

“While there are no financial commitments at this time, I remain focused on exhausting all possible avenues to reduce expenses and explore revenue options, as raising property taxes on our neighbors during this affordability crisis remains my last resort,” Jones said in a statement Monday. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Old Parkland’s big expansion gets city approval”** via [Dallas News]([link removed])‘s **Nick Wooten **– One of Dallas’ most exclusive office campuses will get even bigger. Old Parkland is expanding. The Dallas City Council approved a request from developer Crow Holdings to raise the maximum allowable height at the 2½-acre site bounded by Fairmount Street, Shelby Avenue, Reagan Street and Maple Avenue during its Tuesday meeting. Early plans call for 300,000 square feet of new space and multiple buildings. It’s the second phase of Old Parkland East.

**Cody Armbrister**, senior managing director of Crow Holdings Development’s office sector, outlined the project during a May meeting with the Oak Lawn Committee. Crow Holdings plans to build a 10-story tower behind two four-story buildings. The 10-story building also includes two companion towers of seven stories, Armbrister said. The project’s highest point will be the spire at the top of the tallest tower — 290 feet. The phase will also include four levels of below-grade parking.

The project’s signature building will be called Tholos, a marble dome that will include statues and artwork celebrating Western civilization. A tholos is a Greco-Roman building type. It is a round structure with a circular wall and roof. One notable example: A tholos sits atop the U.S. Capitol’s cast iron dome. _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Will San Antonio pause new data centers? City Council weighs its options.”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Kelsey Brown **– The City Council is moving toward tightening its rules on building data centers in San Antonio as pushback against the facilities grows across the state. The council is tackling the issue two weeks after Council Members **Ric Galvan**, **Ivalis Meza Gonzalez** and **Teri Castillo** publicly called for a moratorium — a freeze on plans and permits for the power-hungry facilities that have been moving into San Antonio.

At this week’s specially called meeting, the council decided additional data was needed to determine whether a moratorium was warranted. In the meantime, it’s shifting its focus to fine-tuning proposed changes to the city’s zoning and land-use codes to better manage the data center boom. “I’m not ready to commit to a moratorium,” Mayor **Gina Ortiz Jones** said. “I think there’s a lot of things we can do to help ourselves.”

The pushback against data centers in San Antonio has been brewing since last year, when Galvan filed a policy proposal asking city staff to explore potential amendments to the city’s Unified Development Code that would better regulate the industry and its effects on communities. The comprehensive review was approved in December, and the city has hosted three stakeholder meetings since then, leading to this week’s council meeting.

San Antonio is joining a growing list of cities and counties across Texas looking for ways to control the sprawl of data centers that has sparked a public outcry from residents concerned about the facilities’ power and water usage and about their effects on the environment and quality of life. On Tuesday, Austin took its first steps toward banning large-scale data centers after earlier approving water-use restrictions for large industrial users. At the state level, Gov. **Greg Abbott** has called on utility regulators to audit data centers looking to connect to the state’s electric grid. The audit pauses approvals until it is complete. Last week, the Public Utility Commission approved a timeline pushing completion of the audit to late this year, punt­ing the polit­ic­ally volat­ile issue until after Novem­ber midterm elections. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Dallas snags Morgan Stanley with huge downtown lease; $1.3B Uptown hub planned”** via [Dallas News]([link removed])‘s** Nick Wooten** – Morgan Stanley has signed a lease for the Fountain Place skyscraper in downtown Dallas — a move that shows North Texas is poised to land the company’s new billion-dollar regional hub.

The firm signed a lease in mid-July to occupy 123,000 square feet in the green, rocket-shaped tower at 1445 Ross Ave. The deal includes an option for Morgan Stanley to increase its footprint as needed. The lease will run for about five years, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Dallas Morning News.

The lease is part of a two-pronged development process outlined in city documents. In June, Dallas City Council approved an $18.5 million incentive package and additional tax abatements to support a planned multiphase development that would see the company occupy a new 700,000-square-foot Uptown campus at McKinney Avenue and Fairmount Street. _(__[DMN]([link removed])__)_

**“Hundreds of sweeps later, homeless camps keep coming back. S.A. has a new plan.”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘s **Megan Rodriguez** – City employees **David Row** and** Stephanie Bracely **showed up to a recent sweep of a homeless encampment with food, water bottles and a final offer for assistance. Row, the city’s homeless outreach manager, and Bracely, an outreach specialist, thought one or two people might still be at the camp.

They found the site deserted, most likely because the city warns people who live in a homeless camp that’s scheduled to be cleared out days in advance. But it didn’t stay deserted. People have returned to the site in the weeks following the clean-up.

City officials want to break that cycle with a two-pronged strategy that other cities have experimented with in recent years. First step: stop the sweeps of targeted campsites for up to six weeks and send outreach workers into the camps to help their dwellers find shelter or housing. Second step: clear out the camps and take measures to insure nobody can return to the sites.

**Mark Carmona**, director of the Homeless Services and Strategy Department, said “It has to start with meeting people where they are for a longer period of time,” Carmona added, “This decommissioning model is much more intensive on the front end, with more targeted engagement, case management services, identifying the resources, the housing or shelter that’s available for them to get people out of the encampment and into a higher level of service,” _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

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**BUSINESS NEWS **

**“SpaceX unveils $100B Louisiana Starbase that will dwarf South Texas site”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘ **Brandon Lingle** – SpaceX President **Gwynne Shotwell **speaks during a Tuesday event announcing a deal to build a new SpaceX spaceport in Louisiana.

**Elon Musk**’s SpaceX revealed plans to build a new $100 billion base for Starship rockets on the southern coast of Louisiana. Dubbed Starbase, Louisiana, the 125,000-acre complex will dwarf its Texas counterpart with five launch sites that each have two launch towers, fuel and power plants, rocket processing facilities, office buildings, worker housing and its own airport.

“This will be a project like no other, another piece of science fiction transported into reality, or what I call science fact,” Shotwell said at Tuesday’s announcement. Work is expected to start next year, with the first launch planned for 2029. The project could bring 3,000 to 10,000 jobs to the area known as Pecan Island, about 50 miles south of Lafayette.

Musk said in a post that the Louisiana base “will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!” Louisiana Gov. **Jeff Landry** said “Today, what Elon Musk and his team is offering Louisiana is different. They are offering us a permanent future and lasting prosperity.” _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Paramount eyes Austin as potential new base in California exit”** via [Austin American-Statesman]([link removed])‘s **Ana Gutierrez **– Austin could soon be home to more film and television productions as a major Hollywood studio eyes Texas for a potential move.

Paramount is considering relocating some of its operations out of California as the company fights to close its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Austin has emerged as a possible destination.

The potential move is far from a done deal. But according to the New York Post , Paramount CEO **David Ellison** and his partners are in discussions about establishing a movie and television studio at the Bluebonnet Business Center at [9219 Old Manor Road]([link removed]) in East Austin. _(__[AAS]([link removed])__)_

**“Buc-ee’s expansion could skip states that don’t share its conservative values”** via [San Antonio Express-News]([link removed])‘s **Rhyma Castillo** – Buc-ee’s may be expanding rapidly across the country, but not every state will get a taste of the Texas-born travel center.

Co-founder, President and CEO **Arch Aplin III** discussed the company’s expansion plans on Aug. 17 during the grand opening of Buc-ee’s 58th store in Benton, Arkansas.

“We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” Arch Aplin III said in a video shared by Arkansas Gov. **Sarah Huckabee Sanders**.

The brand has faced criticism over its ties to conservative political causes. According to Transparency USA, Arch Aplin III has donated $882,500 to campaigns supporting Republican candidates and lawmakers. _(__[SAEN]([link removed])__)_

**“Shell puts longtime Houston headquarters on the market for $325M”** via [Houston Chronicle]([link removed])‘s **Marissa Luck** – Shell is planning to sell its nearly 1.5-million-square-foot office campus in Houston’s Energy Corridor. Shell’s Woodcreek campus has gone through several renovations and expansions over the years. Shell is selling its U.S. headquarters, asking about $325 million for the west Houston campus it has called home for more than four decades.

While the energy giant plans to give up ownership of the buildings, it will maintain a presence on the complex, known as the Woodcreek campus, with a far smaller office footprint. Shell is working with real estate brokerage JLL to market the nearly 1.5 million-square-foot Woodcreek office campus located in the Energy Corridor along Katy Freeway at [150 N Dairy Ashford Road]([link removed]).

Shell declined to confirm its asking price for the complex, but industry news site Green Street News reported that it is expected to fetch bids starting around $325 million. The Woodcreek campus is being marketed as a sale-leaseback opportunity. Shell would lease a little more than half the campus for 15 years from the new owners, while vacating roughly half the complex, according to marketing materials obtained by the Chronicle. _(__[HOU CHRON]([link removed])__)_

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**QUICK LINKS **

Spectrum News: **“New poll shows Democrats lead GOP in battleground districts in South Texas”** _[Spectrum News]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“Speaker Mike Johnson campaigns in South Texas as Democrats try to retake House”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

THE TEXAN: **“Democrats Lead in Poll of Closely Contested South Texas Congressional Districts”** _[THE TEXAN]([link removed])_

KUT: **“What does it mean to be a Texas Republican in 2026? It depends who you ask”** _[KUT]([link removed])_

Newsweek: **“Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton Going in Different Directions in New Texas Poll”** _[Newsweek]([link removed])_

Bloomberg.com: **“Data-Center Blowback Upends Politics Even in Deep-Red Texas”** _[Bloomberg.com]([link removed])_

HOU CHRON: Tomlinson: **“Don’t buy Abbott’s latest blame game: Texas’s data center problem is on him”** _[HOU CHRON]([link removed])_

TX TRIB: **“After years of hardship, Texas agriculture faces a new threat: data centers”** _[TX TRIB]([link removed])_

TPR: **“Gov. Abbott has ordered a ‘pause’ on data center approvals. Will it make a difference?”** _[TPR]([link removed])_

FWST: **“Judge keeps temporary restraining order in place against Westlake to study more evidence”** _[FWST]([link removed])_

DMN: **“Victory Park streets to be shut down for five days during Trump’s convention”** _[DMN]([link removed])_

AAS: **“Doggett: Don’t take Austin’s schools away from Austin”** _[AAS]([link removed])_

HOU CHRON: **“Exclusive: A startup is betting Houston will hit 103 degrees. It hopes to lose.”** _[HOU CHRON]([link removed])_

SAEN: **“San Antonio-area STAAR scores: How school districts compare by income”** _[SAEN]([link removed])_

TX MONTHLY: **“This Joint Might Have the Most Unique Menu in Texas Barbecue”** _[TX MONTHLY]([link removed])_

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**EXTRA POINTS**

Recent Texas sports scores:
_ Sunday 8/23_
> MLB: Oakland 7, **Houston **6
> MLB: **Texas **5, LA Angels 3
> WNBA: **Dallas** 92, Seattle 70
_ Monday 8/24_
> MLB: **Texas **11, Chicago (White Sox) 2
_ Tuesday 8/25_
> MLB: **Houston **9, New York (Yankees) 7
> MLB: Chicago (White Sox) 11, **Texas **7
> WNBA: **Dallas **96, Portland 78
_ Wednesday 8/26_
> MLB: New York (Yankees) 9, **Houston **3
> MLB: Chicago (White Sox) 10, **Texas **4
_ Thursday 8/27_
> MLB: **Houston **5, New York (Yankees) 1
_ Friday 8/28_
> MLB: **Houston **3, New York (Mets) 1
> MLB: Milwaukee 6, **Texas **1
_ Saturday 8/29_
> MLB: New York (Mets) 6, **Houston **2
> MLB: Milwaukee 5, **Texas **3
> NCAAF: UNC 15,** TCU **10 (Dublin, Ireland)
> MLS: **Austin** 2, Portland 1
> MLS: San Jose 0, **Houston **0
_ Sunday 8/30_
> MLB: **Texas **7, Milwaukee 4
> MLB: **Houston** 6, New York (Mets) 3
> MLS: St. Louis 3, **Dallas **3
> WNBA: **Dallas **97, Connecticut 71

_ Today / tonight’s Texas sports schedule:_
> 7:05pm: MLB: Oakland at **Texas**
> 7:10pm: MLB: Chicago (White Sox) at **Houston**

_ Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:_
> 7:05pm: MLB: Oakland at **Texas**
> 7:10pm: MLB: Chicago (White Sox) at **Houston**

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**TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS**

**HOUSTON ASTROS: **“First-place Astros, GM Dana Brown part ways after disappointing homestand” _[HOU CHRON]([link removed])_

**SAN ANTONIO SPURS:** “Spurs hire more firms to build $1.3B arena downtown” _[SAEN]([link removed])_

**TEXAS FOOTBALL: **“How Will Muschamp’s daily demands will benefit Texas football this fall” _[AAS]([link removed])_

**TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: **“How the Texas A&M Aggies can make it back to the College Football Playoff” _[AAS]([link removed])_

**TCU FOOTBALL: **“TCU bans Star-Telegram over coverage of football locker room attack” _[FWST]([link removed])_

**UH FOOTBALL: **“UH coach Willie Fritz’s latest adventure could be his biggest yet” _[HOU CHRON]([link removed])_


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