Rabu, 26 Agustus 2026

Robot Sidewalk Inspectors, 1981 Murder Solved, and Remembering Dolly Parton

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1837, two Mexican warships cornered the Texas Navy schooner Invincible off Galveston. She snagged her rudder on the harbor bar and ran aground. The breakers pounded her to pieces within 48 hours.

Country music legend Dolly Parton passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Et Cetera includes a link to some of her biggest Texas moments, and our Poll today asks about your favorite Dolly Parton song. If yours isn't on the list, hit reply to tell us what it is.

What is your go-to breakfast? Some people have been eating the same breakfast for decades. But when we stacked 10 of America's most common breakfasts against what researchers have to say about your blood sugar and long-term health, some of the most trusted morning favorites landed way lower than expected. Even the breakfast with the best reputation couldn't hold the number one spot. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counts down all 10 from worst to best and reveals the healthiest breakfast staple. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Frontieras, is aiming to unlock new value from America’s coal resources by transforming them into jet fuel, diesel, and other commodities, and its opportunity for early-stage investors ends tomorrow.

Ross Fire Burns 50,000 Acres

A wildfire has burned more than 50,000 acres of ranchland in Palo Pinto and Jack counties since it broke out Monday afternoon about 60 miles west of Fort Worth.

The Ross Fire forced about 630 homes to evacuate overnight and was 8% contained as of Tuesday. Perrin CISD canceled classes, and Jacksboro ISD pushed its start back two hours.

"We've thrown everything at this, and we're still having minimal effect," said Palo Pinto County Fire Chief Danny Watkins. Winds carried flames across creeks and rivers, and a fifth-generation canoe rental business outside Graford lost its office and repair shop. At least five structures have been destroyed.

Gov. Greg Abbott said FEMA approved a grant covering 75% of the state's firefighting costs. Texas has sent National Guard helicopters, aircraft, and heavy equipment.

Judge Orders Second Witness Released

A federal judge has ordered the release of the second of three witnesses to an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Houston man.

Daniel Tirado Pantoja was riding in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's work van on July 7 when ICE officers followed the vehicle through Houston's East End and shot the driver. The officers had no body cameras or dashcams, leaving the passengers as the only known witnesses.

Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Pantoja freed within 48 hours of his Aug. 24 order, finding he has no criminal history and poses no danger. The government had argued he must be held without bond.

ICE says the officer fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo rammed an agency vehicle and tried to run over an officer. Attorneys for the passengers dispute that account. A judge ordered the first witness released in July. Salgado Araujo's brother, the third, remains detained.

Robots to Inspect Universal City Sidewalks

Two small white robots will roll onto sidewalks in Universal City, northeast of San Antonio, on Sept. 7, measuring every slope and cracked slab they cross.

The city set aside $94,000 after a state transportation notice flagged that it had no sidewalk plan that met the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Oregon-based Daxbot's machines will cover 11.9 miles over one to two weeks along Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City Boulevard, Old Cimarron Trail, and two other stretches. They'll log sidewalk width, slopes, curb-ramp shape, and surface hazards, with a city employee walking alongside.

Public Works Director Randy Luensmann asks residents to keep their distance so the data stays clean. "They cannot talk to you," he said. "They make little R2-D2 noises."

Flying together with our sponsor

[LAST CHANCE] The Next $435B Energy Empire Is Being Minted

In today’s dollars, John D. Rockefeller would be worth $435 billion. But “oil money” is old news, and what’s next might surprise investors in 2026: a $2.1 trillion opportunity in “clean” coal*.

Now is the “Rockefeller” moment for Frontieras North America as it reforms coal into jet fuel, diesel and other valuable commodities (just like Rockefeller did with oil). Their tech is capable of making coal 10X more valuable.

Until tomorrow, you can invest in the company behind the technology the energy industry has been waiting for.

With a White House that favors domestic energy, the NASDAQ ticker ‘FASF’ reserved, and construction underway on their $850M flagship coal reformation plant, Frontieras is positioned for potential growth.

This opportunity to invest ends TOMORROW at 11:59 p.m. PT. Become an early-stage Frontieras shareholder while you still can.

➤ Universal City: A 68-year-old man confessed to the 1981 murder of 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera after genetic testing matched DNA from her autopsy, police said Tuesday. Kelly Lee Brower Sr. will be extradited to Bexar County. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Greg Abbott told a federal judge he isn't obligated to extradite an ICE agent charged with shooting a man during a Minneapolis immigration operation. Abbott says the agent didn't flee. Minnesota calls signing the warrant mandatory. (See Details)

➤ Dallas: The newborn at the center of a Texas surrogacy fight is in critical condition after open-heart surgery. The California couple who commissioned the pregnancy and surrogate McKenna West, who refused to have an abortion, are contesting custody. (More)

➤ Fort Worth: A 25 mph wind gust burned two firefighters inside a Crowley Road home late Monday. Hours later, a three-alarm apartment fire on Calmont Avenue displaced about 100 people. Several were treated for smoke inhalation. (See Details)

➤ Hardin County: A judge declared a local disaster Tuesday and banned outdoor burning in unincorporated areas, citing flash drought and gusty winds. Violators face fines up to $500. Tyler, Jasper, Newton, and Chambers counties have also instituted burn bans. (See Details)

➤ Lufkin: Officer Zach Klein, an 11-year veteran, allegedly used the city's Flock license-plate cameras 100 times to track 10 vehicles for personal reasons, court records say. He's indicted on 100 counts, and the department suspended Flock use. (See Details)

➤ Central Texas: The FBI's local office reports a sharp rise in cryptocurrency scams, which typically start with a stranger on a dating app or social media who builds trust, then steers the victim into a fake investment site. (More)

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➤ Former Baylor basketball assistant Jared Nuness received a two-year NCAA show-cause penalty for placing about 3,400 bets on professional sports over five years. (More)

➤ The San Antonio Spurs will play three games at Austin's Moody Center this season, up from two, after adding a Rockets matchup during Formula 1 weekend in October. (More)

➤ The Houston Texans traded for Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, sending safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick to New England. Boutte fills the roster hole left by Jayden Higgins, who tore his ACL last week. (More)

➤ Houston wide receiver Stephon Johnson is back with the Cougars after a federal court ruling granted an extra year of eligibility to players from the high school class of 2022. A foot injury had cut his 2025 season short. (More)

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

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➤ Could One Everyday Food Be Affecting Your Blood Pressure? Elevated blood pressure can involve constricted blood vessels and excess fluid in the bloodstream, forcing blood through tighter spaces. Surprisingly, one common food may contribute to both problems—and it’s not salt. Cottage cheese, peanut butter, eggs, and deli meats are among the foods worth examining. Discover which food may be affecting your blood pressure >>

➤ Shell's Houston campus at 150 N. Dairy Ashford has reportedly been listed for sale, with the company planning to lease part of it back for 15 years. Shell says it remains committed to the city. (See Details)

➤ A California manufacturer of power systems for data centers will build a 1 million-square-foot plant at Brooks on San Antonio's South Side, hiring 3,000 people by 2030. IEM's $200 million investment drew a $3.36 million state grant. (More)

➤ Six Flags will move its corporate headquarters from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Arlington by March 2027, consolidating leadership at its Choctaw Stadium offices. The company's original park opened in Arlington more than six decades ago. (See Details)

➤ A $489,624 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission will pay for safety and emergency-response training at Lamar State College Orange, designed around Southeast Texas industry needs. (More)

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Final Days to Invest in The Company Unlocking $2.1T in Energy Potential

Founders Matt McKean and Joseph Witherspoon are on the path to commercializing a technology that extracts valuable resources (like jet fuel and diesel) from coal without burning it. For their team at Frontieras, it’s an opportunity to address up to $2.1 trillion worth of annual markets.

Their latest progress speaks for itself. You have until tomorrow to invest in this limited-time opportunity:

“FASF” ticker reserved on the NASDAQ
$850M flagship facility in development
$50+ million raised from investors so far

Under a White House that favors domestic energy production, Frontieras is set up for potential growth. Final call to become an early-stage Frontieras shareholder. Invest by 11:59 p.m. PT tomorrow.

Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC
Sources: The global market for our products is worth a combined value of over $2.1 trillion.

This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com/

Reservation of the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that we will be listed on the NASDAQ. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.

➤ Dolly Parton, who died yesterday at 80, created some major memories in Texas: the 1982 Austin premiere of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Paramount, a 1989 concert for 15,000 NASA workers, and a Cowboys halftime show in a cheerleader uniform. (See Photos)

➤ Fletcher's Corny Dogs will all cost under $10 at this year's State Fair of Texas, including the $7 Chocolate Corny Dog that won Best Taste Sweet at the Big Tex Choice Awards. (More)

➤ A San Antonio baker will appear on two Times Square Jumbotrons on Sept. 12 as part of the National Down Syndrome Society's video presentation. Leah Meyer's photo, in a chef's hat and jacket, was chosen from more than 2,700 submissions. (See Details)

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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.

➤ Ten of America's most trusted breakfasts, ranked worst to best for your long-term health. (See List)

➤ Ghislaine Maxwell pointed to newly released Epstein files in her push for freedom, but a federal judge rejected every claim. (Hear Episode)

➤ United Airlines is planning what it calls its largest expansion ever, adding flights to eight cities that no other US carrier serves nonstop. (See Cities)