Sunday, August 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1832, Texas settlers under James Bullock refused a Mexican colonel's order to surrender their guns and ran his garrison out of Nacogdoches. Some call the battle the opening gun of the Texas Revolution.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla tackled the science behind what your dreams are actually made of. Researchers just wrapped one of the largest dream studies ever conducted, and it turns out the coworker from years ago and the worry that spun into a full storyline, are not random at all. Ayla broke down the five things the study uncovered, including one detail that has been hiding in people's dreams for years without them noticing. Tune in here!

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Texas Orders Halt to Border Clearing

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Friday to stop a contractor from clearing state land in Presidio County for the border wall.

The General Land Office says Barnard Construction trespassed across several sections of a 10,000-acre grazing lease and used heavy equipment to blade the terrain and strip every plant in its path.

"We will work with our federal partners to keep the southern border secured, but we will not compromise the integrity of Texas state property to do it," Buckingham said. She wants the ground restored to its original condition.

Buckingham's order comes after Presidio and the county's economic development group sued the federal government over the Big Bend barrier plan, arguing the barriers will cause flooding along the Rio Grande.

Equipment Causes Methodist Hospital Fire

Houston firefighters carried extinguishers and buckets of water up the stairs of Houston Methodist's Centennial Tower on Friday because the high-rise's fire pipes were dry.

The call came in just after 5 p.m., to the wrong address. Crews who found their way to the Texas Medical Center tower met heavy fire and smoke on the roof and pulled a second alarm.

Fire pipes were without water because the tower is under construction, so firefighters hauled what they could up to the fire by hand while working with building staff to get the pipes flowing.

Once the pipes had water, the fire was put out. It never reached the floors below, and nobody was hurt. Preliminary investigations suggest that a rooftop chiller started the blaze.

State Strips Buckholts Police of Authority

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement revoked the Buckholts Police Department's authority to appoint officers, and Milam County sheriff's deputies took over policing the town of about 500 on Friday.

The revocation stripped the department of its legal ability to hire, commission, or place licensed personnel, which Sheriff Mike Clore said forces the "complete separation of all active licensees" on its payroll.

Milam County's office lists 15 patrol deputies and investigators, covering a county of 24,000 people spread across 1,020 square miles.

Neither the commission nor Clore gave a reason for the revocation, and neither has tied the move to the department's former chief, Johnny Shawn Newsom, who was arrested in September on a Bell County felony theft indictment.

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➤ Statewide: An Austin retailer, a Galveston County store manager, and a national hemp manufacturer filed a federal lawsuit July 31, the day Texas' THC ban took effect, arguing the state's scheduling of delta-8 and similar compounds conflicts with the 2018 farm bill. (More)

➤ Houston: Three mothers sued in Harris County to pull Ten Commandments posters from Texas classrooms, invoking the state's religious freedom act and Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment. Ken Paxton's office argues the posters are displayed rather than taught, so students can ignore them. (See Details)

➤ Johnson County: A grand jury reindicted Sheriff Adam King on felony retaliation and evidence-tampering counts, alleging he kept a county laptop from Texas Rangers. King surrendered Friday and was released the same day. His attorneys call the case baseless, and retrial is set for Nov. 9. (See Details)

➤ Austin: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty asked Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday to sign extradition paperwork "immediately" for Christian Castro, an ICE agent charged in Minnesota with shooting a man through a front door. (More)

➤ Grimes County: SpaceX cut the county a nonrefundable $10 million check days ahead of its Aug. 2 deadline under the tax abatement for the proposed Terafab chip plant. County Judge Joe Fauth said it equals nearly 40% of the county's entire annual property tax revenue. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Ken Paxton rolled out the economic plank of his U.S. Senate campaign Friday, which includes federal deductions up to $50,000 for first-time homebuyers, $25,000 for out-of-pocket medical costs, and a doubled child tax credit. Democrat James Talarico's plan leans on taxing billionaires and corporations. (See Details)

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➤ The Texas Rangers fell 11-2 to the Houston Astros on Friday, surrendering first place in the American League West and losing the Silver Boot series for the sixth straight year. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai will work from the bullpen after recording only two outs in his most recent start, manager Joe Espada said Friday. (More)

➤ Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt spent nearly two years helping design a new away kit for Burnley, the second-division English soccer club he partly owns. He also portrayed a milkman in the unveiling video. (Watch Video)

➤ PGA Frisco hosted the final round of the 50th Junior PGA Championships on Friday, with Aubrey Hilgers winning the girls title on the third playoff hole and Jaden Soong claiming the boys title by one stroke. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf | Soccer

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➤ Caldwell Zoo's ocelot cubs passed their first veterinary exam, which Tyler zoo staff spent weeks planning so they could work around the cubs' mother, Maya. Fewer than 100 ocelots remain in the wild in Texas, and the zoo breeds them for release into South Texas habitat. (Read Story)

➤ Four eighth graders from San Antonio's Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls spent nearly two weeks in China for Destination Imagination's Summer Experience, the only San Antonio team to qualify. They teamed with Chinese students, performed at the closing ceremony, and toured Beijing and Shanghai. (Read Story)

➤ The Dinosaur George Traveling Museum wrapped a free two-day stop at Midland's Bush Convention Center this weekend, unloading life-size dinosaur skulls and fossil replicas from nearly every continent. George Blasing built the roadshow for communities that rarely see exhibits like it. (See Details)

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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, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The U.S. and Israel are reportedly preparing to bombard Iran's energy infrastructure this weekend, though no final order has been given. (Hear More)

➤ Police arrested a man who stole a running car in Atlanta with a 2-year-old in the back seat while her mother made a delivery. (Listen Now)

➤ Savannah Guthrie on Saturday pleaded again for answers after Arizona officials released the ransom notes sent following her mother's disappearance six months ago. (Podcast Available)

A thermal-imaging drone led Woodway police to an armed vehicle-burglary suspect hiding on a rooftop, ending a pre-dawn search in the Waco suburb. Check out the video!