Friday, October 2, 2026

Capitol Plot Foiled, Data Center Companies Invest, and Orangetober

Friday, October 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1835, settlers at Gonzales fired on 100 Mexican dragoons sent to take back their cannon. The brief skirmish marked the break between the Texas colonists and Mexico, and the revolution was on.

Exciting news for us: The Texas Flyover just crossed over 700,000 readers, a new milestone. Enormous thanks to everyone who has helped make this daily email successful. If you enjoy reading it, click here to share it with someone else who might dig it.

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Capitol Plot Suspect in Federal Custody

The FBI took a 40-year-old Converse man into federal custody Wednesday night, hours after a DPS SWAT team pulled him from his home over an alleged plot to attack the Texas Capitol.

DPS said it received "credible information" Tuesday evening that Benny Caldera Jr. was planning an attack on the Capitol for Oct. 1. SWAT arrested him at about 3 a.m. Wednesday on a felony charge of terroristic threat against a public servant.

Caldera was released on a $75,000 bond, but the FBI arrested him again at the jail and charged him with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. DPS has not described the alleged plot or how it learned of the threat.

Gov. Greg Abbott credited the two agencies in a post on X: "Texas DPS and the FBI stopped a planned attack on the Texas Capitol." The Capitol kept regular hours on Wednesday, and DPS said it will keep extra security there.

Korea Backs $22B South Texas Plant

South Korea will help pay for a $22.3 billion natural gas power plant in the South Texas town of Encinal, President Trump announced Wednesday at the White House.

The plant is the first project picked under Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge from the 2025 trade deal that lowered U.S. tariffs on Korean goods. Seoul expects it to generate revenues of up to $45.4 billion over 20 years.

Power will go to data centers built alongside it, and Korean companies expect contracts for equipment, engineering, construction, and long-term maintenance.

Related Companies and NextEra Energy are leading the 6,472-megawatt build, with the first phase coming online in 2029 and the rest by 2032.

Storms Soak Texas, Ground DFW Flights

More than 300 flights were canceled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport by Thursday afternoon, as a storm off the Pacific pushed heavy rain and flash flooding across Texas.

Alerts, warnings, and watches covered parts of Central Texas as the same system rolled toward Austin.

TxDOT staged more than 1,200 crews statewide, and Texas A&M Task Force 1 put 150 responders and 31 flood boats on standby, part of the 1,900 responders Gov. Greg Abbott said the state has deployed.

"Just six inches of fast-moving water can cause drivers to lose control over their vehicles," said Brandye Hendrickson, TxDOT deputy executive director. A flood watch stays in effect through Friday morning, with more rain and storms ahead of a cold front projected to drop the DFW high to near 80.

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➤ Statewide: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Mystic Alerts Act, sending President Trump a bill allowing cell carriers to deliver emergency alerts by satellite when towers go down. Damaged cell networks kept some residents from getting warnings during last year's July 4 floods, which killed more than 130 people. (More)

➤ West Texas: U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, filed a bill requiring every state Medicaid program to name one official accountable for paying claims correctly, catching fraud, and reporting spending to Washington. The House Energy and Commerce Committee added it to a fraud-fighting health package. (More)

➤ Starbase: SpaceX sent four astronauts toward the International Space Station on Thursday, a trip NASA says will be the fastest U.S. flight to the station at about 7 hours, 50 minutes. The Texas company's Crew-13 lifted off from Florida. (More)

➤ Dallas: The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles granted parole to Amber Guyger on Thursday, seven years to the day after a jury convicted the former Dallas officer of murdering Botham Jean in the apartment she said she mistook for her own. (More)

➤ Austin: A federal judge denied bond Wednesday to a Venezuelan delivery driver after he allegedly struck an ICE officer with his car mirror. An agent shot the driver, Wilber Garces Perez, 28, during the stop. He faces up to 20 years. (More)

➤ Denton: Police and fire crews began flying Skydio X10 drones to 911 calls Thursday under a monthlong pilot program, sending live video to dispatchers before responders arrive. Every flight gets posted to a public dashboard. (More)

➤ Odessa: Police are looking for the man they say walked out of Paramount Jewelers in Music City Mall with $8,000 in jewelry on Sept. 21, including a necklace, bracelet, and a "Deck of Cards" pendant. Surveillance cameras caught the theft. (More)

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➤ The Dallas Wings visit the Golden State Valkyries tonight for a winner-take-all Game 3 in San Francisco after Arike Ogunbowale’s WNBA playoff-record 45 points powered a 108-100 overtime win Wednesday. (More)

➤ The Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues tonight in their home opener, starting with a green carpet walk outside the American Airlines Center. (More)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys agreed to acquire cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder. (More)

➤ Topgolf will turn Baylor’s McLane Stadium into a driving range Oct. 29 through Nov. 1, with up to 22 hitting bays aimed at targets on the field. It’s the series’ first stop in the Big 12. (See Details)

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➤ Data center companies have put more than $343 million into Texas communities over the past year, including a $3 million water tower in the Panhandle town of Turkey and $38 million for Temple's water system. (More)

➤ A Lubbock restaurant owner was recognized by President Trump at the White House's Hispanic Heritage Month reception on Wednesday. Gabe Vitela, who owns One Guy From Italy, told the room that No Tax on Tips has boosted his employees' pay. (More)

➤ Angelo State University made the national Great Colleges to Work For list for the 12th straight year, one of just four Texas public universities honored. The recognition leans mostly on surveys of faculty and staff. (More)

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➤ A 10,000-pumpkin village anchors the sixth annual Orangetober Festival, running Oct. 2-4 at Riverside Pavilion in Orange. A gumbo cook-off, pie-eating contest, and 5K run fill out the weekend. Admission, parking, and concerts are free. (See Lineup)

➤ Amtrak's Big Game Train is set to pull into Dallas' Union Station on Oct. 9, hauling Red River Rivalry fans from Oklahoma City. The train stops in Gainesville and Fort Worth and runs a lounge car with floor-to-ceiling windows. (See Schedule)

➤ The Texas Rice Festival at Winnie cranked up its midway on Wednesday and runs through Saturday, when Louisiana band Bag of Donuts closes it out. The harvest celebration, which has been running since 1970, has funneled more than $1 million into Chambers County since 2008. (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.

➤ Congress has passed a bill renaming Social Security terms that lawmakers say confuse the millions who retire every year. (Hear Details)

➤ New reporting reveals why body fat is so essential, raising the question of what the right amount is. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal health officials are putting $10 million on the line to revive the Presidential Fitness Test, which researchers say could backfire. (Full Story)

Will you go to any Oktoberfests, pumpkin festivals, harvest parties, or spooky celebrations this month?

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Steelmaker Dispute, Minimum Wage Increase, and a UFO-Themed Restaurant

Friday, October 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1850, the first Ohio State Fair kicked off in Camp Washington, near downtown Cincinnati.

⛽ Ohio drivers will soon get relief at the pump after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a 90-day gas tax holiday into law. Find out when it kicks in and how much drivers could save in Top Stories.

Today’s sponsor is Aerless Vacuum Travel Bags, helping fall travelers pack bulky sweaters, jackets, and layers while saving up to 60% of valuable luggage space.

Canada Tangles with Cleveland-Cliffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is threatening legal action against Ohio-based Cleveland-Cliffs, accusing the steelmaker of betraying workers after its subsidiary Stelco announced up to 500 layoffs.

Carney singled out CEO Lourenco Goncalves, who has called President Trump’s 50% steel tariffs “a necessary step” to protect U.S. steelmakers. Carney said the company is bound by employment commitments it made when it bought Stelco in 2024.

Goncalves says he has every right to idle the Hamilton, Ontario, plant, since selling steel freely into the U.S. was a condition of the deal.

Cleveland-Cliffs said that overall steel tonnage won’t change as production shifts to its Lake Erie Works site in Nanticoke, Ontario.

DeWine Signs Gas Tax Holiday

Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday signed House Bill 519, suspending the state’s gas tax for 90 days and handing Ohio drivers a break at the pump.

Starting Sunday, the 38.5-cent tax on gasoline and 47-cent tax on diesel drop to 1 cent per gallon and stay there until around the new year.

Candidates for governor—Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton—both called for the holiday, which passed with bipartisan support days before early voting begins Oct. 6.

Cleveland Steakhouse Makes National List

A downtown Cleveland steakhouse is the only Midwest restaurant on Tripadvisor’s annual list of the nation’s best fine-dining spots.

Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar ranked No. 13 among 20 Best of the Best winners, an honor Tripadvisor says goes to fewer than 1% of its 8 million listings. You can see the complete rankings here.

Diners eat inside a restored bank building on Euclid Avenue. Tripadvisor recommends the lobster or the raw bar and calls the cocktails a standout. Read more about the restaurant on its website.

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➤ Bowling Green: Health officials confirmed a measles case in an adult who caught the virus while traveling. Possible exposure sites from Sept. 23-28 include Bowling Green State University, Pagliai’s Restaurant, and Wood County Hospital’s emergency room. (See Details)

➤ New Carlisle: Repairs at New Carlisle Elementary School could cost around $1 million after lightning sparked a fire Sept. 16. (More)

➤ Nelsonville: The Ohio Supreme Court sent a former council president’s bid to reclaim her seat back to an appeals court. The city has had rival councils since its old council tried to undo voters’ 2024 decision to scrap the charter. (More)

➤ Columbus: Union nurses at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center voted 97% to reject the hospital’s “last, best and final offer,” which would have added $25 an hour for incentive shifts. (More)

➤ Also Columbus: Shamieke Pugh, 36, traveled from Los Angeles to Columbus and walked up to police officers to confess to a 2012 killing, according to court records. (More)

➤ Lorain: City Council voted 6-5 to allow golf carts on streets with speed limits of 25 mph or lower. Starting Oct. 21, carts will need seat belts, license plates, and a police inspection. (More)

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➤ Andre Szmyt drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining, lifting the Cleveland Browns to a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers after Pittsburgh tied the game with 1:42 left on Thursday Night Football. (Watch Kick)

➤ Matthew Knies scored twice and added an assist in his Columbus Blue Jackets debut, just three days after arriving in a trade with Toronto. The 6-3 win over Buffalo was Columbus' first season-opening victory in five years. (Watch Highlights)

➤ The Cincinnati Reds canceled Redsfest for the third time in four offseasons, citing the labor agreement that expires in early December. The fan festival is tentatively set to return in December 2027. (More)

➤ Two classic rivalries headline Ohio's high school football slate, as Lakewood St. Edward faces Cleveland St. Ignatius and Cincinnati Elder takes on Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller. (More)

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➤ Ohio’s minimum wage rises 3.5% on Jan. 1 to $11.40 an hour for non-tipped workers and $5.70 for tipped workers at businesses grossing more than $420,000 a year. (More)

➤ Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, saw his bill to permanently ban Chinese vehicles stall in the Senate, likely until after the November elections. (More)

➤ National Fuel Gas closed its purchase of CenterPoint Energy’s Ohio natural gas utility, which serves about 335,000 customers across 16 Dayton and Miami Valley counties. (More)

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➤ Ohio teachers earn an average of $70,586, ranking 23rd nationally and below the $74,495 national average. Starting pay fares worse, with Ohio’s $42,222 average ranking 46th. (More)

➤ Spotted lanternflies are laying eggs across Ohio. State officials urge residents to scrape the gray, waxy egg masses into soapy water or rubbing alcohol before they hatch in spring. (See Photos)

➤ Roswell’s will land in Grandview on Oct. 11, bringing UFO-themed burgers and chicken tenders to the former Blackbird Burrito Company space. (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.

➤ Congress has passed a bill renaming Social Security terms that lawmakers say confuse the millions who retire every year. (Hear Details)

➤ New reporting reveals why body fat is so essential, raising the question of what the right amount is. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal health officials are putting $10 million on the line to revive the Presidential Fitness Test, which researchers say could backfire. (Full Story)