Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1993, White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura charged the mound at Arlington Stadium after Nolan Ryan hit him in the shoulder with a pitch. The 46-year-old Ryan caught him in a headlock and threw a flurry of punches.

The ground opened up and tried to swallow a pickup in Beaumont this weekend. The driver is fine, but if that happened to us on a Sunday morning, we'd be tempted to take a hard look at our life choices. Get all the details in Et Cetera.

What if the biggest threat in your diet isn't sugar or fat, but something hiding in more than half of everything you eat? Ultra-processed foods have been linked to plenty of chronic conditions, all of which can shorten your life. And they're lurking in products you'd never suspect, from your morning bagel to the sauce on your stir fry. The good news? You don't have to overhaul your kitchen or your budget to cut them out. On today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla reveals six everyday swaps that push these foods off your plate, plus the one trick that exposes them on any label. Tune in here!

If you haven't compared your car insurance in a while, there's a good chance you're paying more than you need to. Even if you checked rates a year ago, the market has changed. That's why today's sponsor, Insurify, makes it easy to compare quotes from more than 120 insurers in just a few minutes.

Abbott Halts Data Center Grid Approvals

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state regulators Monday to halt approvals of new data center connections to the Texas grid until every pending project clears an audit.

His letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT requires developers to disclose tax breaks, power and water use, cooling technology, ownership, and noise and light controls. Projects that fail will be denied a connection.

ERCOT is tracking more than 1,800 projects seeking over 474 gigawatts of capacity, five times the grid's record peak demand. Roughly 90% are data centers.

Abbott said several operators failed to comply with a state survey on water and power use, leaving regulators without the information they need. "Simply put, Texans must come first," he wrote.

Gina Hinojosa, the Democrats' nominee for governor, said Abbott should go further and halt projects until lawmakers meet to write protections into law. ERCOT said it will postpone its Batch Zero transmission planning study.

Kay Granger Dies at 83

Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House, died Sunday at 83, her son J.D. Granger said.

She taught high school English in Birdville schools, then sold insurance after a divorce left her raising three young children. Fort Worth elected her to the city council, then made her its first woman mayor in 1991.

Granger won the 12th District seat in 1996 and served for 28 years, 25 of them on the Appropriations Committee, where she pushed for F-35 production in Fort Worth. She took the gavel in January 2023, the first Republican woman to chair it.

Granger cast her last vote in July 2024 and retired the following January, citing health challenges her son later described as dementia.

Rice Expands Free Tuition to $200K

Rice University will offer free tuition to students from families earning up to $200,000 a year, beginning with students who enter in fall 2027.

Families earning less than $100,000 will have tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board covered in full. The expanded Rice Investment lifts thresholds that previously stood at $75,000 for full coverage and $140,000 for free tuition.

Rice lists tuition at $71,140 plus $984 in fees, with the total cost for on-campus students estimated at $97,309. Families who receive aid pay an average of $16,819 a year.

"Talent exists in every community and across every socioeconomic background," President Reginald DesRoches said.

The university says the program has delivered more than $1 billion in aid since 2019. Undergraduate enrollment has grown about 25% since 2020.

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Your Insurance Rate Might Be Higher Than It Should Be

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➤ Statewide: New proof-of-residency requirements for Texas hunting and fishing licenses took effect Monday, two weeks before annual licenses go on sale Aug. 15. Parks and Wildlife says the change targets people falsely claiming Texas residency to get cheaper licenses. Buyers must show a valid, unexpired driver's license or ID. (More)

➤ Lubbock: Six people pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil from producers and reselling it well below market prices. One admitted to selling 10,975 barrels worth $888,975 for $164,625. Fourteen people were indicted in the conspiracy. (See Details)

➤ Presidio: A federal judge refused to block DHS from building a border wall through the levees protecting the town of 3,200. The town's development district argued the work could worsen flash flooding, but Judge Reggie Walton ruled Congress didn't intend to limit the homeland security secretary's waiver authority. (More)

➤ Buckholts: Milam County deputies took over full-time policing after the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement revoked the city police department's authority to hire or keep licensed officers. Inspectors found no secure evidence storage, no proof of sustainable funding, and missing active-shooter policies. (See Details)

➤ Austin: Police exceeded their sworn overtime budget by more than $2 million through June, while Austin Fire overspent its $10.2 million overtime budget by roughly 46%. APD points to more than 300 vacant sworn positions. Austin-Travis County EMS finished under budget. (See Report)

➤ Uvalde County: Ryan McKnight, the environmental crimes investigator for the Caldwell County Precinct 2 Constable's Office, drowned Saturday in the Nueces River near Cooksey Dam while on a personal outing. Constable Paul Easterling called his death "a tremendous loss." (More)

➤ Falcon Lake: Three adults and a child were rescued Friday afternoon after their boat capsized on Falcon Lake, the Zapata County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies searched with Texas Rangers, firefighters, state troopers, and Border Patrol. Sheriff Ramón Montes warned that the wind on the lake can turn conditions dangerous within minutes. (See Details)

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➤ The Houston Astros made a deadline-day splash yesterday, acquiring center fielder Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays for starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers picked up catcher Logan O'Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth from the Angels and acquired lefty reliever Adam Macko from the Blue Jays for utility infielder Josh Smith. (More)

➤ NFL defensive end Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year deal to return to the Houston Texans, the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2014. Clowney led the Dallas Cowboys with 8.5 sacks last season. (More)

➤ The Dallas Wings announced they will play all home games at the American Airlines Center for the 2027 WNBA season, ending 11 years in Arlington's College Park Center. The move is temporary while the team's permanent home, a renovated Dallas Memorial Auditorium, faces construction delays. (More)

➤ Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall agreed to a three-year, $52.2 million extension, keeping him in Dallas through the 2029-30 season. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Texas families will spend a record $800 per K-12 student on school shopping this year, according to a Texas A&M retailing expert. The state's tax-free weekend runs Friday through Sunday. (More)

➤ Texas ranks 14th nationally for the largest year-over-year jump in the gap between top earners and median workers, according to a SmartAsset analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. (See Report)

➤ Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue, a Pflugerville joint that cracked Texas Monthly's Top 50 barbecue list in 2021, will close Aug. 30. Its owners blamed the economy, the "outrageous cost of beef," and parking trouble at the location. (More)

➤ Methodist Healthcare System bought 18 Texas MedClinic urgent care clinics in San Antonio, the hospital system said Monday. Methodist already runs 35 CareNow urgent care locations locally, along with 11 hospitals. (See Details)

➤ Smalls Sliders, the cheeseburger chain backed by former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, filed permits for two more North Texas locations, in Anna and North Richland Hills. Each roughly 790-square-foot drive-thru is estimated at $1.25 million. Texas has 10 open now. (More)

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➤ A massive sinkhole swallowed a pickup truck early Sunday morning at a Beaumont intersection, police said. The 20-foot-wide, 20-foot-deep hole, caused by a broken water main, filled with several feet of water. The driver crawled out without injury. (See Details)

➤ Alamo Drafthouse will rename its Mueller location in Austin the Matthew McConaughey Cinema on Monday, Aug. 10. The Uvalde-born actor plans to be there for a private screening of his new film, The Rivals of Amziah King. (More)

➤ A melon-headed whale stranded on Mustang Island near Port Aransas over the weekend, just the 24th documented stranding of the deep-water species on the Texas coast since 1980. Responders euthanized the animal, which beachgoers had repeatedly pushed back into the surf. (See Details)

➤ Rolling R Ranch, a 1,300-acre property in Cooke County owned by a grandson of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, hit the market Saturday for $21.5 million. Oil executive Elliott "Tony" Roosevelt Jr. spent nearly 30 years expanding the Clear Creek Valley spread, which holds hardwood forest and ancient pecan groves. (See Photos)

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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:

➤ Hidden ultra-processed ingredients lurk in over half your diet, but there are six simple swaps to fight back. (Hear Details)

➤ The first deaths have been reported in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, with two victims confirmed in Michigan. (Hear Episode)

➤ New Yorkers can finally camp overnight in Central Park, but scoring a free spot means winning a coveted citywide lottery. (Listen Now)