Sunday, May 24, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1893, Texas purchased William Barret Travis’s famed 1836 Alamo letter for $85 from his great-grandson, preserving one of the state’s most revered historical documents after years on public display.

In today’s Et Cetera section, we highlight Sadie, a very special graduate whom Texas Tech honored with her own “dogploma.”

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown highlighted new research on a kitchen staple that scientists say could play a surprising role in protecting brain health. Multiple long-term studies found people who ate it regularly had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, adding to growing evidence that everyday diet choices may have a bigger impact on memory and cognition than once thought. Listen here.

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SpaceX Aces Test Flight

SpaceX's Starship V3—the largest rocket ever built at 407 feet tall—blasted off from Starbase in South Texas on Friday evening, marking the company's first Starship flight of 2026.

The rocket hit most of its test targets on Flight 12, deploying 20 mock satellites before flipping and splashing down in the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy booster broke apart after separation over the Gulf of Mexico.

Friday's flight was a critical pre-IPO milestone. SpaceX is targeting a $2 trillion valuation in a planned public offering next month, after investing more than $15 billion in its Starbase program.

Texas Fossils Reveal 'T-Rex of the Sea'

Paleontologists working with North Texas fossils have identified a massive new marine predator they're calling Tylosaurus rex, a 43-foot mosasaur that ruled the seas roughly 80 million years ago.

Researchers from the Perot Museum, SMU, and the American Museum of Natural History say the predator had finely serrated teeth and powerful jaw muscles, making it likely "much meaner" than other mosasaurs of its era.

The holotype, discovered in 1979 near Lake Ray Hubbard, is now displayed at the Perot Museum in Dallas. One specimen, nicknamed The Black Knight, bears injuries that could only have come from another T. rex.

Officials Eye Mountain Lion Reporting

Texas wildlife officials are weighing a first-ever rule requiring hunters to report mountain lion kills, a shift from a status quo where the cats can be taken without limits or paperwork.

Mountain lions are classified as non-game in Texas, a standard no other western state shares.

Under the proposed rule, hunters would file a report within 24 hours via the Texas Hunt and Fish app and submit a tooth and tissue sample within 60 days.

Voluntary reporting hasn't produced enough data to track populations, TPWD said. The Parks and Wildlife Commission votes May 28; public comment closes May 27.

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➤ Statewide: Heavy rain triggered a flood watch through Monday evening across Southeast Texas, where street flooding began on Saturday. Central Texas lake communities also face elevated risks. (More)

➤ Also statewide: Game Wardens will deploy extra patrols across Texas waterways for Memorial Day weekend after 50 people died and 77 suffered serious injuries in water-related incidents last year. (More)

➤ Amarillo: A Panhandle volunteer organization hosted a resource event for survivors of the “Stinky Fire,” which destroyed 52 homes, while local groups coordinated support for displaced residents. (More)

➤ Frisco: Hunter Metcalf accepted a posthumous diploma for his twin brother, Austin, during Memorial High School’s graduation ceremony on Thursday, drawing a standing ovation more than a year after Austin’s fatal stabbing. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: KRIS-TV marked 70 years on the air on Friday as the Coastal Bend’s first network-affiliated television station, celebrating seven decades of local journalism across South Texas. (More)

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➤ The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-108 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday, as Victor Wembanyama's 26 points couldn't offset a 76-point effort from Oklahoma City's bench. Game 4 is set for tonight. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Wembanyama—the unanimous NBA Defensive Player of the Year—was also the lone unanimous selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team after he led the league in blocks per game for the third consecutive year. (More)

➤ Arizona State defeated Texas in Game 1 of the NCAA softball Austin Super Regional on Friday, putting the defending national champion Longhorns in a must-win situation in Game 2 on Saturday night. (See Result)

➤ Texas Tech dropped Game 2 of the NCAA softball Gainesville Super Regional to Florida 10-2, evening the series at one game apiece after the Red Raiders' 10-8 win on Friday. Game 3 is scheduled for today. (More)

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➤ Several hundred people joined a three-mile Carry the Load walk through Fort Worth’s Trinity Park on Saturday to honor fallen service members and first responders during Memorial Day weekend. (More)

➤ Texas Tech surprised service dog Sadie with a ribbon-wrapped rawhide “dogploma” during commencement after she spent years supporting graduate Makaela Muse through serious medical challenges. (More)

➤ The Salvation Army is seeking 500 donated box fans through its annual Beat the Heat Fan Drive to help Corpus Christi residents cope with South Texas summer temperatures. (More)

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