Sabtu, 16 Mei 2026

Paxton Secures Detransition Clinic, UK Cowboys, and Summer Travel Spots

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1968, 400 students at Edgewood High School in San Antonio walked out to protest inadequate education, citing insufficient supplies and unqualified teachers. Parents later filed a class-action lawsuit for students in underfunded districts.

See today’s Around Texas to find out why two British cowboys arrived at a Texas rodeo with cameras rolling.

These are the three incredible benefits of drinking coffee in the morning that researchers say could have surprising effects on your long-term health. Your daily cup is reportedly doing far more than boosting energy, including helping protect one of your body’s most important organs. Tune in to The Flyover Podcast as Amy Hess breaks down the latest research on coffee’s unexpected health benefits and what you should know before your next sip. Listen here.

Father’s Day is coming up, and finding a gift for dads who already seem to have everything is never easy. That’s why today’s sponsor, Best Cigar Prices, is a great fit. Their Top Shelf Tour sampler feels like the kind of classic Father’s Day gift that actually gets enjoyed instead of tossed in a drawer.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Texas Children's Must Open Detransition Clinic

Texas Children's Hospital agreed yesterday to create the nation's first clinic for reversing sex-change procedures as part of a $10 million settlement with Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The agreement, reached in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, resolves Paxton's investigation into whether the Houston hospital illegally billed Texas Medicaid for sex-change procedures performed on minors. The state accused the hospital of using false diagnosis codes to disguise the procedures.

Under the settlement's terms, Texas Children's must establish a multidisciplinary detransition clinic, with the hospital funding all patient services for the first five years. The hospital must also terminate five physicians and permanently revoke their medical privileges.

Toyota Plans $2B San Antonio Plant

Toyota has filed for state approval to build a $2 billion assembly plant next to its San Antonio complex, a project internally dubbed “Project Orca” that would add 2,000 workers when production begins in 2030.

The proposed facility in Bexar County would sit adjacent to Toyota’s existing truck plant, which assembles Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs, employs roughly 3,700 workers, and built nearly 200,000 vehicles last year. Construction on the new line is expected to begin by the end of this year.

The expansion is part of a $10 billion U.S. investment plan Toyota announced last fall in response to 15% tariffs on Japanese vehicles and parts. The company also filed with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts seeking state tax incentives for the project.

The new plant could bring Tacoma production back to San Antonio. Toyota moved the midsize truck’s assembly to Mexico in 2022 when the existing facility transitioned to building full-size Sequoia SUVs.

Texas Court Rejects Abbott's Removal Bid

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected Gov. Greg Abbott's bid to oust state Rep. Gene Wu, who led more than 50 Democrats out of state in August to block a GOP-drawn congressional map.

Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, writing for the all-Republican court, said it isn't the judiciary's role to resolve disputes the Legislature can settle itself. See the opinion here.

In a concurring opinion, Justice James Sullivan warned that future quorum-breakers had better "be ready to pay us a visit."

The Texas map, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, could net Republicans five more House seats and has sparked redistricting fights nationwide.

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➤ Statewide: British filmmakers traveled across Texas rodeos, including Longview and Fort Worth, to document cowboy culture for their upcoming short film and photo essay, Rodeo Boy. (More)

➤ Canyon: Lightning-sparked fires merged into the 14,000-acre Hunggate Fire, destroying at least three homes and prompting mandatory evacuations to Cole Community Center as crews battled spreading smoke and shifting winds. (More)

➤ El Paso: A federal judge blocked key parts of Texas’ SB4 immigration law Thursday, ruling the measure allowing state arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants likely violates federal authority over immigration enforcement. (More)

➤ Austin: Attorney General Ken Paxton barred more than 130 Texas cities from raising property taxes after investigators found they failed to meet state audit and financial transparency requirements under a 2025 law. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: Vietnam veterans returned to Corpus Christi for the final USNS Corpus Christi Bay reunion, honoring the floating helicopter repair depot credited with returning more than 4,000 aircraft to service during the Vietnam War. (More)

➤ Arlington: AT&T Stadium installed a World Cup grass pitch grown in Colorado as crews completed a year-long transformation to host nine FIFA matches, the most of any North American venue. (See Pitch)

➤ The San Antonio Spurs looked to close out their Western Conference semifinal series Friday night in Minneapolis after Victor Wembanyama’s 27-point, 17-rebound performance powered a 126-97 Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead. (See Box Score)

➤ Five Texas softball programs opened NCAA regional play on Friday, including defending champion Texas, which entered as a top seed while Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Texas State also chase Women’s College World Series bids. (See Scores)

➤ The Tennessee Titans signed Denton native and former Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to a four-year rookie contract after he finished his college career with 249 tackles and consecutive second-team All-American honors. (More)

➤ Over 300 first and second-graders at Woodridge Elementary completed a full marathon over the school year, earning official San Antonio Marathon medals after tracking 26.2 miles in PE classes. (More)

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Gov. Abbott poked fun at some of the state's biggest metros.

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➤ Grapevine’s 42nd annual Main Street Fest continues through Sunday with high-wire performances above downtown, live music, carnival rides, food vendors, and a tribute honoring Mayor William D. Tate’s 50 years in office. (More)

➤ The fourth annual North Texas Arts Festival continues through Sunday at the historic Katy Depot in Denison, with artist booths, live music, dancing, food, panel discussions, and guided tours through the city’s Cultural Arts District. (More)

➤ Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas ranked among the nation’s top summer travel destinations for 2026, with Texas’ outdoor activities, dining options, attractions, and relative affordability drawing praise. (More)

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Coffee’s Hidden Health Benefit, Trump Weighs $1.7 Billion Deal, Prior Authorization Reform

Good Morning!

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Today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast with Amy Hess has a few stories you won’t find in today’s emailed edition, only in the podcast episode, because not everything fits in an inbox.

ICYMI: Yesterday’s Feel Good Flyover episode with Amy Hess is the perfect way to head into the weekend. Amy shared uplifting stories including a hospice patient’s final wish, a community rallying around foster parents, and the arrival of an adorable baby giraffe — check it out here.

Here's a sneak peek of what we're diving into in today's Podcast Extra section:

➤ Two to three cups of coffee a day may quietly support one of the body’s hardest-working organs. (Hear More)

➤ President Trump may drop his $10 billion IRS suit for a $1.7 billion fund paying Jan. 6 defendants and other Biden-era claimants. (Listen Now)

➤ Prior authorization, the insurer approval that often delays medical care, may be overhauled soon. (Podcast Available)

Hit play and get the full scoop.

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Helene Recovery 90% Complete, Harrier Jets Flyover, and Top Baby Names

SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1771, the Battle of Alamance took place when farmers known as Regulators clashed with Royal Governor William Tryon's militia near Great Alamance Creek in what is now Alamance County. Outnumbered and poorly armed, about 2,000 Regulators were defeated, ending the War of the Regulation—a prelude to the American Revolution.

Western North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene recovery just hit 90%, a milestone worth celebrating. Learn more in Top Stories.

Today's sponsor, Money.com, is helping homeowners unlock record levels of home equity by matching them with HELOC providers that could save thousands in rates and fees in under a minute.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Helene Recovery Nears 90% across WNC

State Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson visited Jackson County Thursday as part of Gov. Josh Stein's rural listening tour, reporting that Hurricane Helene recovery across western North Carolina has reached nearly 90% completion.

Johnson met with community members at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, part of a listening-session series Stein launched in March to hear directly from mountain residents still rebuilding. NCDOT had already reopened 90% of Helene-damaged roads within six months of the storm and hit 97% within the first year.

Last year, Stein described the broader effort as a "marathon" that won't wrap anytime soon.

However, recovery funding faces new scrutiny at the legislature, where a Senate bill would shift disaster authority and redirect nearly $5 million in remaining Helene funds, drawing concern from recovery advocates.

Four Amendments May Be Headed to November Ballot

North Carolina voters could weigh in on four proposed constitutional amendments this November, the most placed on a single statewide ballot since 2018.

Republican leaders in the General Assembly filed two additional proposals Thursday: a cap on the personal income tax rate at 3.5% and a measure limiting annual property tax revenue growth by local governments. The filings add to amendments already headed to voters, including one requiring photo ID for mail-in voting, which the legislature approved in December 2024.

Constitutional amendments require three-fifths support in both chambers and cannot be vetoed by the governor.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has called the income tax cap "a financial straight jacket that could wreak havoc on our public schools and public safety." Republican leaders say it would protect taxpayers from future rate increases.

Downtown Raleigh's hotel count nearly doubles

Downtown Raleigh has added five new hotels since 2019, nearly doubling a count that sat unchanged for half a century.

The Tempo by Hilton and Hyatt House Downtown—Raleigh's first Hyatt House—both opened in October 2024. A 29-story Omni hotel is under construction downtown, with plans for hundreds of rooms and 61,000 square feet of meeting space.

Downtown hotel rooms ran at 68% occupancy in 2025, outpacing comparable cities and the 65% national average. Average daily room rates reached $207, per the Downtown Raleigh Alliance's annual state of downtown report.

Between 1969 and 2019, the downtown hotel count held at just six properties for five decades. The recent surge reflects Raleigh's transformation into a tech hub and convention destination drawing more visitors and business travelers.

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Homeowners Are Quietly Tapping Record Equity

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➤ Hyde County: A boat fire sparked a community fundraising effort across Eastern Carolina, with shrimpers and fishing organizations rallying to help two Carteret County shrimpers who lost their vessel. (More)

➤ Burke County: Hallyburton Academy, the district's alternative school, will move into a wing of Draughn High School next fall, saving the county $400,000 per year. (More)

➤ New Bern: Crowds gathered in Union Point Park on Friday to see the Harrier Jets, one of the last showings of the planes to the public in eastern North Carolina. (See Video)

➤ Asheville: Two people were shot at Spruce Hill Apartments in east Asheville on Thursday, and police are still searching for a suspect after the midday attack. (More)

➤ Cary: Niche named Cary the top place to live in North Carolina for 2026, with the town earning top grades in public schools, families, and health. Morrisville and Apex also ranked high. (More)

➤ Greensboro: New Police Chief Kamran Afzal, sworn in May 12, will hold six community meetings across the city in June to connect with residents and share his vision for public safety. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Hurricanes swept into the Eastern Conference Final at a perfect 8-0, awaiting either Montreal or Buffalo as their opponent. The top seed in the East, Carolina will host Games 1 and 2 in Raleigh. (More)

➤ NCHSAA girls soccer second-round action wrapped Thursday, with Thomas Jefferson Classical blanking opponents 5-0 and programs across the Piedmont and coast advancing in the 1A–4A brackets. (More)

➤ UNC women's lacrosse defeated Stanford 14-11 at Dorrance Field Thursday to reach the NCAA Final Four for the 15th time, with sophomores Chloe Humphrey and Addison Pattillo each scoring three goals. (More)

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If you’re sitting on untapped home equity, Money.com says you may be able to turn it into cash for renovations, debt consolidation, or major expenses without touching your savings.

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➤ The Cheerwine Festival returns to its hometown of downtown Salisbury today, running 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with free live music, local vendors, a kid's zone, and two beer gardens. (More)

➤ West Charlotte High School hosted the annual Glam Exceptional Students prom this week, a fully immersive red-carpet celebration for students enrolled in Exceptional Children programs across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Programs for Exceptional Children serve students with disabilities. (More)

➤ North Carolina's most popular baby names in 2025 were Noah for boys and Amelia for girls, per new Social Security Administration data—Noah reclaiming the top spot for the first time since 2018. (More)

➤ The Cape Fear House, a clapboard Victorian built in Southport in 1868 by a Civil War blockade runner, is listed at $2.25 million, and TV fans may recognize it from The Summer I Turned Pretty. (More)

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