Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1883, the University of Texas opened in Austin with eight professors and 221 students. Some classes still met in the temporary Capitol as late as January 1884.

Everything costs more these days, but experts say most people are overspending without even realizing it. The ways we waste money hide in plain sight, and researchers say 10 simple fixes could put thousands back in your pocket. One could save you more than $500 a year with a single phone call. Join Ayla on The Flyover Podcast to hear the money moves most people aren't making. Tune in here!

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Bo French Defends UT Posts

Texas Railroad Commission nominee Bo French stood by posts he made Sunday about the racial makeup of fans pictured at Saturday's University of Texas win over Ohio State, writing that "the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined."

French wrote that social media is "exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners." State law requires at least 90% of UT Austin freshmen to be Texas residents, and international students make up about 4% of recent freshman classes.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called the posts "intolerance and racism," and House Speaker Dustin Burrows told French to delete them. French didn't back down, replying that UT is filled with "foreign nationals and leftists."

Gov. Greg Abbott said the photo from the game shows "a way that Texans unite" and that French's message isn't his. Attorney General Ken Paxton said he condemns racism "in all its forms" but didn't name French, who faces Democrat Jon Rosenthal in November.

Texas Diesel Nears $6 Record

Diesel in Texas hit a record statewide average of about $5.84 a gallon Monday, according to AAA. Because diesel is a major cost for truck freight and other goods transportation, sustained increases can raise shipping costs and, over time, add pressure to grocery and other consumer prices.

West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3.5% to above $103 a barrel on Monday. Texas’ average price for regular gasoline was about $3.85 a gallon, according to AAA.

On prediction market Kalshi, traders put the chance that the national average gas price will exceed $5 a gallon at just over 40%. The national average last topped $5 in June 2022.

Energy markets are expected to be a focus as the United States hosts G20 meetings in Houston through Wednesday. Delegations from China, India, Japan, Germany, Canada, and Saudi Arabia are expected to attend. Russian officials also indicated that some diplomats would participate.

Air Taxis Begin Texas Test Flights

A Joby Aviation air taxi lifted off from Fort Worth's Perot Field Alliance Airport on Sept. 10, the first flight of a three-year state program testing whether electric aircraft can shuttle Texans between cities.

The aircraft spent the week flying practice routes, including a round trip to DFW International Airport and passes over the Fort Worth Stockyards and Toyota's Plano headquarters. Toyota has put nearly $900 million into Joby.

Texas is the sixth location to begin operations under the federal Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program. Its TxDOT-led Project Nexus began its first phase this fall, using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft—with no passengers aboard—to collect data and validate routes for future air-taxi operations.

Cargo runs come next, hauling medical supplies and donor organs between rural hospitals and medical centers in Austin and San Antonio. Passenger flights across the Texas Triangle are roughly three years out, from landing pads called vertiports rather than curbside.

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➤ Marfa: About 230 landowners sued the Trump administration Monday to stop border walls and roads from crossing their property in the Big Bend region, arguing the sector recorded just 1.3% of southwest border apprehensions last year. DHS hasn't commented. (See Details)

➤ Dallas-Fort Worth: DFW International Airport has gone 60 days without measurable rain, among the three longest dry streaks on record. Highs near 101 and a heat index up to 107 are raising wildfire risk west of I-35. (More)

➤ Howard County: Volunteer crews battled the Riddell Fire for nearly nine hours Sunday, holding the flames back from homes near Big Spring. One outbuilding burned, nobody was hurt, and the county's burn ban remains in place. (See Photos)

➤ South-Central Texas: Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to homeowners, renters, and businesses in eight counties hit by August storms, after the Small Business Administration approved Gov. Greg Abbott's request. A help center opens this week at the Las Palmas Library. (More)

➤ Pharr: Customs officers found 2,815 pounds of methamphetamine worth more than $25 million hidden in a load of cabbage, tomatillo, and cilantro crossing the Pharr International Bridge from Reynosa on Sept. 8. Officers seized the drugs and the truck. (See Details)

➤ Austin: The city spent $719,361 over 26 days this spring clearing homeless camps, with 62% going to staff salaries. Crews visited 127 sites and hauled off nearly 700,000 pounds of debris. Nearly 30% of the sites had camps again within a month. (See Report)

➤ San Antonio: The proposed 2027 budget would cut 101 city positions, including 39 in the library system and the cultural historian who helps designate heritage districts. Fifty-four of the jobs are filled, and the city says those workers can be placed elsewhere. (See Details)

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➤ Texas Tech volleyball dismissed head coach Tony Graystone on Sunday without giving a reason. The Red Raiders were 6-2 in his 11th season. Associate head coach Alisa Blair takes over Tuesday against Tarleton State. (More)

➤ The Texas Longhorns will face St. John's in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 25, ahead of the 2026-27 men's basketball season. The schools have met twice, splitting the series. (More)

➤ Central Texas rankings for Week 3 of the high school football season are out, after a slate that included Lake Travis at Cibolo Steele and Round Rock at Dripping Springs. (See List)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

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➤ Buc-ee's will collect $850,000 from a South Carolina apparel company that put the chain's beaver logo on shirts and shorts. A federal judge's Aug. 19 order also bars Born United from the branding and orders leftover merchandise destroyed. (See Details)

➤ San Angelo-area operators completed 87 new oil wells in August, second in Texas behind Midland's 270, and pulled 63 permits to drill. The Railroad Commission issued 695 drilling permits statewide. (See Report)

➤ The Lufkin Mall is up for sale, with listing broker SVN Group saying many of the interested buyers are looking at Lufkin long term. The 32-acre property was valued at more than $16.5 million in 2024. (More)

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➤ A moon rock from Apollo 14 left Lufkin's Naranjo Museum when NASA asked for it back, so a Stephen F. Austin State team 3D-printed a replica of it from 173 photographs, with AI filling the gaps, and an eight-hour print. (Read Story)

➤ A 524-foot ship built to train mariners docked at Texas A&M Galveston's Texas Clipper Pier on Sept. 8. The $325 million TS Lone Star State replaces the converted, aging vessels the Maritime Academy trained on before. (See Details)

➤ Nearly $27 million went to a Lake Jackson resident who matched every number in an August Lotto Texas drawing. (More)

➤ UT Tyler enrolled 11,701 students this fall, a record, along with its largest freshman class yet. The school says it's planning for more growth and expanded facilities. (See Details)

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