Selasa, 29 September 2026

Starship Reaches Orbit, Onside Kick was Off, and Y'all Street Grows

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1785, three Comanche chiefs rode into San Antonio alongside Pedro Vial and interpreter Francisco Xavier Chaves. Nearly three weeks of talks followed, and the two sides agreed to a peace treaty with Spanish Texas.

Could your pet be adding years to your life? A study that followed 3.4 million people for 12 years found that owners of a particular pet were 40% less likely to die during that period than those who didn't own it. And no, it's not a golden retriever. Ayla counts down the seven pets linked to longer lives on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Where do cats fall? Are pet fish, reptiles, or even chickens in the top seven? And which pet landed at No. 1? Tune in here to find out!

Later today, watch for an email from our partner, Green Coffee Company, about its farm-to-shelf coffee business and a private investment offering at $1.10 per share through Sept. 30.

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 Declares Emergency over Diesel Prices

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster proclamation for all 254 Texas counties Monday, clearing farmers and truckers to run dyed diesel in vehicles on public roads as pump prices hit a record $5.97 a gallon.

Dyed diesel is the red-marked off-road fuel that powers tractors and bulldozers and is sold without the state motor-fuels tax. Texas normally bars it from public roads, and the proclamation lifts that ban and its penalties, though not the tax.

Trucks hauling fuel, crops, or timber can also skip oversize and overweight permits and move loads up to 95,000 pounds. Abbott asked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to temporarily waive federal ultra-low sulfur diesel rules in 110 counties.

"Texas agriculture and freight run on diesel," Abbott said. "Record prices put both industries at risk and raise costs for every Texas family."

Starship Reaches Orbit, Ends Flight Early

SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time Monday and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii roughly three hours after lifting off from Starbase in Cameron County.

One of the rocket's 33 Raptor engines failed during the climb, and about 15 minutes into the flight, the team began reevaluating whether Starship could still reach orbit. The booster dropped into the Gulf as planned.

It made orbit, then released 26 of the newest Starlink satellites into the constellation, the first income-generating payload Starship has ever delivered. Earlier test flights only skimmed space, lasting at most about an hour.

SpaceX ended the flight early instead of flying the planned 10-hour, six-orbit mission. The company is pushing to certify the 407-foot rocket for NASA's Artemis moon landings and to haul the satellite loads that Falcon 9 now carries.

Paxton Probes Blue Cross Denials

Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation Monday into Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas over reports that the insurer denied or delayed care doctors said was urgent.

One complaint involved a newborn who needed urgent treatment but whose transfer to a hospital equipped to provide it was held up by paperwork denials, even though the family's plan allegedly covered it.

The company declined to comment on the investigation, though the national Blue Cross association said in April that it had cut the number of services requiring advance approval by 11% and pledged to respond to 80% of electronic requests in real time.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is the state's largest health insurer, with more than 10 million members.

A Note from Cole, CEO of The Flyover

Dear Reader,

Buried in the official editorial guidelines of one of the world's largest news organizations—on the books for decades, published for anyone to read—is a remarkable sentence. It says the word terrorist "can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding."

The written policy is that the plainest true word for an act of terror gets in the way of understanding it.

That's not one outlet's quirk. It's mainstream media doctrine. And last month, you got to see where doctrine like that leads. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11, reporters at another major news organization, a national public broadcaster, received a memo from the standards office: "Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks."

The approved language for the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, in which nearly 3,000 people were murdered, was "hijackings that led to plane crashes."

The memo leaked. Two days of daylight later, the broadcaster backed down. Sort of. They carved out an exception for 9/11, and only 9/11. The rule stands.

And their defense was telling. They didn't argue that the rule is right. They argued that it's the industry standard and that newsrooms everywhere follow the same practice.

The worst part is, they're right. It is the standard. That's the problem.

You know why we exist. The truth isn't a barrier to understanding. It's the only road there. The facts arrive the way we found them, in plain words, and you decide what they mean. That's your job, and we'd never dream of doing it for you.

We call things what they are.

We keep the spin out and trust you with the facts.

And The Flyover stays free.

A terrorist attack is a terrorist attack. We'd print that sentence any day of the week. No memo required.

So today I'm asking: if news that calls things what they are is something you want to see thrive, will you stand behind it?

Support the news in plain words. Free, every morning.

Make a generous donation to support The Texas Flyover.

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Our promise: we answer to you. Help us keep it.

- Cole
CEO, The Flyover

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➤ Amarillo: Xcel Energy asked state regulators to make data centers and other large power users pay for the transmission lines, substations, and generation built to serve them, with 15-year commitments and charges if projects fizzle. (More)

➤ El Paso: Up to 6 inches of rain from Hurricane Polo's remnants could reach the Borderland today. Water rescue crews are on standby, and free sandbags are available at Blackie Chesher Park and three county warehouses. (More)

➤ Tyler: Four teenagers died early Sunday after a shooting on Lake Placid Road sparked a police chase that ended in a crash on Highway 31 East, where DPS troopers forced the fleeing car to a stop. (More)

➤ Waco: A Liberty Hill man faces nine felony criminal mischief counts after detectives tied his Tesla to 31 BB gun shootings at 15 businesses, including the tower that houses the local FBI office. (More)

➤ Dallas: Two Atmos Energy contractors landed in the hospital Monday after a line they were pressure testing with air exploded in the Design District. Fire-Rescue said one of the injuries was critical, and Atmos said no natural gas was involved. (More)

➤ Friona: Two 18-year-old feed yard workers drowned Saturday evening after an accident that happened in Parmer County. Game wardens ran two sonar-equipped boats before crews found both bodies Sunday night. (More)

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➤ The SEC said Tennessee's onside kick recovery against No. 1 Texas on Saturday was "incorrectly officiated" and should have brought a 5-yard penalty and a replay of the down. Texas held on to win. (See Details)

➤ The Houston Astros host the White Sox today in Game 1 of the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series. Houston won the AL West despite sitting at 20-31 in mid-May. (More)

➤ Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving deflected retirement questions at media day, saying he's focused on his return after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. The 34-year-old says he has no physical restrictions. (More)

➤ The Dallas Wings face elimination from the WNBA playoffs at home tomorrow night after a 104-80 Game 1 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. Guard Paige Bueckers scored 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting. (More)

➤ Waxahachie holds the No. 1 spot in Class 6A heading into Week 6 of Dave Campbell's Texas Football state rankings. Smithson Valley leads 5A Division I, Stephenville tops 4A Division I, and Shiner sits atop 2A Division I. (See Rankings)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | Soccer

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➤ Morgan Stanley will open a Dallas hub with more than 3,800 jobs and $684 million in investment, helped by a $43.85 million state grant. "Opportunity's address is now Y'all Street," Gov. Greg Abbott said. (More)

➤ Neiman Marcus will close its downtown Dallas flagship tomorrow after more than 100 years at Main and Ervay, ending a reprieve city leaders won during parent Saks Global's bankruptcy. Business shifts to NorthPark Center, which will recreate the Zodiac Room. (More)

➤ Methodist Healthcare plans to seek a Level II trauma designation in San Antonio on Oct. 1. City leaders are weighing a resolution warning the new capacity could cut into the patient volume Brooke Army Medical Center needs for military training. (More)

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➤ A $100,000 gift from Woodside Energy will fill weekend backpacks with meals for 500 Southeast Texas elementary students for a year. Woodside employees handed over the check at the Beaumont food bank on Friday and packed baskets for seniors. (See Check)

➤ A suppressed novel that skewered Fort Worth's wealthiest families is back in print 86 years after sermons were preached against it and copies vanished from local shelves. TCU Press reissued James Young Phillips' The Inheritors this month. (Read History)

➤ A 40-acre complex of ball fields, a covered track, and beach volleyball courts is headed to Leander after the City Council signed a letter of intent with CenTex Sports. The cost of the build-out could top $145 million. (See Renderings)

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