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Wednesday, July 29, 2026 |
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Good Morning! On this day in 1904, workers completed the original 3.3-mile section of the Galveston Seawall. The concrete barrier, built after the deadly 1900 hurricane, still guards the island today. The first story in the Et Cetera section below links to some dramatic images (from space!) of just how much fuller Canyon Lake is today, after the recent rain and floods, than it was about a year ago. Have the drought conditions improved where you are? Hit reply to let us know. Do you know which of your daily habits actually controls your dreams? That coworker from years ago who suddenly showed up in your dream last night, or that random worry that turned into a whole storyline while you slept. Well, scientists just finished one of the largest dream studies ever, and it turns out none of that is random. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shares the five things this study uncovered about what your dreams are really made of, including one thing that's been hiding in people's dreams for years without them realizing it. Tune in here! Today's sponsor, Spot Pet Insurance, is helping pet owners prepare for unexpected veterinary expenses with affordable coverage options that can provide reimbursement for covered accidents, illnesses, and more.
Abilene ☀️ 100°/76° | Amarillo 🌤️ 102°/74° | Austin 🌤️ 99°/77° | Brownsville 🌤️ 99°/80° | Corpus Christi 🌤️ 93°/79° | DFW 🌤️ 102°/81° | El Paso ☀️ 106°/80° | Houston 🌦️ 96°/79° | Laredo ☀️ 106°/79° | Lubbock ☀️ 100°/74° | Midland ☀️ 100°/74° | San Antonio 🌤️ 99°/77° | Tyler 🌤️ 98°/78° | Waco 🌤️ 101°/77°
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 Judge Orders ICE Shooting Witness Released
A federal judge has ordered ICE to release Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a key witness to agents' fatal July 7 shooting of Houston driver Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, within 48 hours. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ruled Monday that holding Rojas Pliego, who has lived in the U.S. nearly 30 years with no criminal record, without an individualized hearing violates his due process rights. In written statements released Tuesday, Rojas Pliego and fellow passenger Daniel Tirado Pantoja say agents kept firing after the van stopped, disputing the government's account of the shooting. ICE maintains the officer fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo rammed an agency vehicle, and DHS hasn't responded to requests for comment on the order. Two other witnesses have filed similar release petitions. |
Data Center Backlash Reaches the CapitolRanchers, farmers, and rural residents rallied at the Texas Capitol on Monday, urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session on data center oversight. Inside, the Senate Finance Committee reviewed a 2013 sales-tax exemption whose cost has ballooned from under $15 million to a projected $3.3 billion over the next two to three years. Texas currently has 335 data centers. Another 138 are applying for the incentive. The Data Center Coalition defended the incentive, telling lawmakers that the industry added $65.8 billion to Texas' GDP in 2024. Meanwhile, a law intended to shield households' utility data is blocking public records on water use at San Antonio-area data centers. Its author calls that reading wrong. The San Antonio Water System says it's following an attorney general's ruling. |
Meta, BlackRock Form $14 Billion VentureMeta and BlackRock announced a $14 billion joint venture Tuesday to develop and own the 1-gigawatt data center campus under construction in Northeast El Paso. BlackRock-managed funds will own 80% of the venture, and Meta will own 20%, with $12.5 billion in debt financing covering part of BlackRock's contribution. Meta will lease the entire campus as its initial sole occupant. The project represents more than $10 billion in Meta investment and supports 4,000 construction jobs, with 2,300 workers onsite now and 300 permanent roles to follow. Capacity is expected to come online in 2028, part of Meta's plan to spend $600 billion on U.S. AI infrastructure by that year. |
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➤ El Paso: Fort Bliss opened the first of 10 3D-printed barracks Tuesday, built with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and construction firm ICON. Each took just over six months to print, and the finished complex will house up to 560 soldiers. (See Details) ➤ Spring: Remains found in Missouri City in January 2020 have been identified as Kristen Galvan, a 15-year-old Spring girl reported as missing that month, the Texas attorney general's office says. Her death is being investigated as a homicide. (See Details) ➤ Rio Grande Valley: Two Edinburg pastors detained by ICE while traveling to a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association retreat have been released, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, says, hours after he contacted federal officials. DHS alleges the couple overstayed their visas. Cuellar says the pastors' visa status adjustment was pending. (More) ➤ El Paso: ICE will extend Amentum Services' no-bid contract to run the Camp East Montana detention center through September 2027, spending up to $776 million more, despite closure calls over reported detainee abuse and three deaths. The agency says relocating detainees is "impracticable." (See Details) ➤ Alpine: The city declared Stage 4 critical water restrictions after its municipal well system failed, banning outdoor watering, car washing, and pool filling. Mayor Catherine Eaves says a replacement pump isn't expected to be online until the middle of next week. (See Details) ➤ San Antonio: Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is asking Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to add San Antonio to the agency's psychedelic-assisted therapy trials for veterans with PTSD, citing the city's young veteran population and existing research resources, including UT Health's Strong Star Consortium. (More) ➤ Kerrville: A skunk killed by family dogs in a Kerrville family's yard is the county's seventh rabies case of 2026. The animal was too damaged to test, and Texas law requires such specimens to be treated as positive after an exposure. (See Details)
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➤ The Spikes Under the Lights mini volleyball tournament, the first women's collegiate sporting event ever held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, set its Aug. 27 matchups: Nebraska-Florida at 7 p.m. and Penn State-SMU at 8 p.m., with the winners meeting at 9 p.m. for a $1 million purse. (See Details) ➤ Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Mexico's all-time leading scorer for the men's national soccer team, agreed to join Atlético Dallas as the expansion club's first-ever signing. The team doesn't begin play until 2027, but they’ll play at the Cotton Bowl once they do. (More) ➤ Spurs Sports & Entertainment will pay a $2.1 million penalty to San Antonio over their failed bid to bring an MLS team to the city. The organization had paid just $250,000 of the original $5 million obligation before Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones pushed for collection amid a $158 million city budget deficit. (More) ➤ Houston Dynamo forward Guilherme represents the club in tonight's Major League Soccer All-Star Game in Charlotte, where the stateside All-Stars will face a collection of Mexican league stars. The only other Texas-based player in the game will be FC Dallas’ Petar Musa, a coach’s selection. (Details) Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Tennis | WNBA Flying together with our sponsor ➤ Wake up feeling refreshed with the VelaSleep Pillow. Its ergonomic design helps support proper head and neck alignment, reducing pressure while you sleep. Whether you're a side, back, or stomach sleeper, VelaSleep is designed to deliver cooler, more comfortable, and more restful nights. |
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➤ Venezuelan crude oil imports to the Gulf Coast jumped from roughly 110,000 barrels per day in January to 575,000 in June, the most since 2018, as the Iran war chokes off Middle Eastern supply. Texas refineries have taken 43% of the flow, the largest share. (See Details) ➤ Deep Ellum businesses say sales have dropped as much as 30% as Dallas' Commerce Street reconstruction, begun in 2024, drags toward a March 2027 finish. The city says the street's north half is complete, and signage reminds visitors that the neighborhood is open. (See Details) ➤ Daisy Brand, the century-old sour cream and cottage cheese maker, plans to move its headquarters from north Dallas to Plano after the City Council approved a $500,000 incentive package Monday. The deal requires at least $10 million in property improvements by the end of 2027. (See Details) ➤ Mexican cattle imports will resume Aug. 24 through Arizona after a screwworm suspension of more than a year, the USDA says, with Texas ports staying closed for now. A Texas A&M economist says the added supply could eventually trim beef prices, though likely not before mid-2027. (More) ➤ Bell Textron won an estimated $300 million Navy contract to upgrade as many as 49 Marine Corps helicopters at its Amarillo Assembly Center. Work begins in mid-2027, with the first upgraded UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft due for delivery in 2028. (See Details) Flying together with our sponsor ➤ Stop struggling to hear your favorite shows. Hear Direct Wireless TV Headsets deliver clear, personalized sound directly to your ears, so you can enjoy every word without turning up the TV volume. Lightweight, comfortable, and easy to use, they're perfect for quieter, more enjoyable television watching. |
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➤ Canyon Lake is 100% full for the first time since 2021, a rise so dramatic it's visible from space in satellite imagery. Medina Lake has climbed nearly 45 feet since May 2025, from 2% full to 29%. (See Photos) ➤ Atascosa County deputies called in a Lackland Air Force Base disposal team after a man reported the Civil War shell he'd owned for years might be live. The team confirmed it was, in fact, a live Parrott artillery round and safely detonated it at Camp Bullis. (See Details) ➤ Sandbar sharks have a newly discovered nursery ground off the Texas coast, the first described in the western Gulf and the first found in the Gulf since 1999. Harte Research Institute and Texas State Aquarium scientists announced the find during Shark Week. (See Details) ➤ CatVideoFest, a 70-minute compilation of the internet's best cat videos, hits North Texas screens in early August at Oak Cliff's Texas Theatre and Galaxy Theatres Grandscape in The Colony. The touring event has raised more than $1 million for cat charities since 2019. (See Details) Flying together with our sponsor ➤ Most People Blame Aging for Their Aching Joints "It's just part of getting older." "My knees aren't what they used to be." "I guess I just have to live with it." If you've ever caught yourself thinking one of these every time your joints feel stiff or sore, you're not alone. Click here to discover the natural protein that declines after 50—and why new research suggests it may help support healthy joints and cartilage as you age. Learn More |
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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories: ➤ Your dreams follow hidden rules, and scientists just uncovered what actually controls them every night. (Hear Details) ➤ Air Force One has scrapped its decades-old look for new colors. (Hear Episode) ➤ Birds are struggling to stay hydrated in extreme heat, and you can help by adding this one common freezer staple to your feeder. (Listen Now)   
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Why was Houston chosen as the site for NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in 1961? Show me the answer |
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