Jumat, 31 Juli 2026

Most and Least Safe Cities, Greatest Texas College Athletes, and Mum Wars

Friday, July 31, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts took humanity's first drive on the moon, steering the new lunar rover across the Hadley Plain.

Were you a mum maker? Et Cetera features an item about a new reality series called Mum Wars that turns the Texas homecoming tradition into a competition show. Our Poll asks if you ever made mums. Hit reply to share photos of your best creation.

Today's sponsor, PuriProduce, offers a simple, chemical-free way to help clean your fruits and vegetables, giving you added peace of mind with every meal.

Paxton Suit Ends Endangered Status

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ended endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard, a 2.5-inch reptile native to the Permian Basin, after Attorney General Ken Paxton sued over the designation.

The reversal came in a July 21 settlement that vacates the 2024 classification and requires the agency to reassess the lizard's status within two years. Paxton argued the service ignored "the best scientific and commercial data" and habitat restoration efforts.

"Texas, its people, and its industries should not have to suffer the effects of an illegal rule while the Fish and Wildlife Service further evaluates the status of the species," Paxton said.

Conservationists say the reversal benefits oil and gas interests, with the Center for Biological Diversity accusing the agency of abandoning struggling wildlife. Oil and gas groups had warned for years that the protections would slow Permian Basin projects.

Texas Cities Bookend National Safety Rankings

Plano ranked as the second-safest big city in America, and Houston the second-least safe, in a SmartAsset study published this week.

The study ranked the nation's 83 largest cities by violent crime, property crime, traffic fatality rates, and disaster risk. Twelve Texas cities made the list, the only state with entries at both ends.

Plano posted a violent crime rate of 1.5 per 1,000 people, while Laredo ranked sixth, the only other Texas city in the top 10. Houston recorded 11.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents and a "very high" disaster risk.

Elsewhere, Fort Worth ranked 22nd, Austin 26th, San Antonio 54th, and Dallas 73rd. Virginia Beach, Virginia, took the top spot overall, while Memphis, Tennessee, finished last.

Thermal Drone Nabs Rooftop Burglary Suspect

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.

Officers responded to Topeka Drive around 5:45 a.m. on July 23 after a resident reported someone trying to break into vehicles. The department's drone unit tracked the suspect as he fled onto a nearby roof. See the drone video here.

Officers ordered him down and arrested him without incident. Police identified the suspect as Asiya Taylor and found a ski mask, burglary tools, and keys to a truck reported stolen in Waco, with a loaded pistol inside.

Taylor is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and criminal trespassing. Officials credited the resident's quick 911 call.

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➤ Crowley: A school bus driver was fired after a pre-K student was left alone on a hot bus at the end of a morning route, Crowley ISD and Durham School Services said. An employee found the child at a transportation lot, and a medic evaluated the student. (More)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Greg Abbott announced 17 Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership grants totaling $2.56 million to help rural school districts build college and career pathways, including $200,000 planning grants and $80,000 expansion grants administered by the Texas Education Agency. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, says ICE detained 16-year-old Churchill High School student Emely Suaza Chambo on her way to church, then detained her father when he came to pick her up. Castro said neither has committed a crime, and their asylum case is pending. (More)

➤ Fort Worth: Police launch a 90-day crackdown on excessive speeding Aug. 1 along Loop 820 and Interstate 30 between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Speeding accounted for 34% of the region's serious and fatal highway crashes in 2025, per the North Central Texas Council of Governments. (See Details)

➤ Carrizo Springs: Border Patrol agents found 22 illegal immigrants crammed beneath a trailer's floor during a smuggling stop, the Del Rio Sector said Thursday. The agency said the group had no easy escape from the compartment amid soaring summer heat. (See Photos)

➤ San Antonio: Facing a $158 million budget deficit, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones defended her push to ask voters to end the Ready to Work program early and redirect roughly $100 million, telling a District 1 town hall she'd rather do that than raise property taxes. (See Details)

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➤ USA Today named the 10 greatest college athletes from Texas as part of its USA250 series, with Johnny Manziel, Hakeem Olajuwon, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Vince Young among the selections. (See List)

➤ San Angelo tie-down roper Joel Harris pocketed more than $39,000 in the best week of his career, climbing within $7,000 of No. 2 in the PRCA world standings with $158,749 in season earnings. The rodeo season ends Sept. 30. (More)

➤ The UFL announced Thursday it's leaving Houston, pulling the Gamblers as part of a realignment that also drops Birmingham. The former Roughnecks went 4-6 in 2026 and finished last in league attendance at Shell Energy Stadium. (More)

➤ The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama unveiled a newly renovated community basketball court in Nanterre, France, the latest addition to the team's Play Paris initiative. The refurbished court will host youth clinics, tournaments, and free play. (See Photos)

➤ A judge in Waco denied an injunction for Baylor center Yakiri Walker, who’s suing the NCAA for counting his 96-second stint at Colorado against his eligibility. Walker also testified that Colorado coach Deion Sanders dismissed his mental health struggles while playing for the Buffaloes. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ Houston's Barbecue Inn will close for good after Saturday's service, ending a nearly 80-year run in Independence Heights. News of the closure sent a line of customers wrapping around the family-owned restaurant, which the Skrehot family opened in 1946. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Lammes Candies sells its final batches today at its Airport Boulevard flagship, closing Austin's oldest continuously run family business after 141 years. Real estate firm Topo Development Group has already purchased the property. (Read Story)

➤ Texas gas prices dropped 6 cents this week to a $3.64 statewide average, still 86 cents higher than a year ago, per AAA Texas. El Paso drivers pay the most at $3.99 per gallon, while McAllen drivers pay the least at $3.49 per gallon. (See Report)

➤ The University of Texas at El Paso will receive a $1,990,265 federal grant to expand artificial intelligence and cybersecurity workforce training, Sen. John Cornyn announced. The funding flows through the National Science Foundation's CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program. (See Details)

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➤ Mum Wars, a new reality competition series, pits 10 teams of Texas homecoming-mum makers against a surprise theme and a three-hour clock. Creator Leatha Sims says the glittery tradition is a half-billion-dollar industry from August to November. (See Video)

➤ Wylie High School's Apex Legends team brought home a national esports championship from Orlando, the crowning achievement for a Collin County program that also won two state titles this past school year. (More)

➤ The Texas Hill Country ranked third among the nation's best wine regions to visit in USA Today's readers' choice awards, noting the area's more than 60 wineries. (See List)

➤ Plano-based Cinemark topped $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, drawing more than 60 million moviegoers with premium screens and collectible popcorn buckets. Admission revenue hit a record $540 million. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The father who gave his son the rifle used in Georgia's deadliest school shooting has been sentenced in a first-of-its-kind case. (Hear Details)

➤ Coordinated cyberattacks on dozens of Minnesota water plants are reportedly under investigation for possible ties to Iran. (Hear Episode)

➤ Belgian authorities say an intern inside NATO's top military command is suspected of spying for an unnamed foreign power. (Listen Now)