Good Morning! On this day in 1954, blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas. Considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, he spearheaded the blues revival of the 1980s as the leader of the band Double Trouble before his life was tragically cut short in a helicopter crash in 1990.
The FDA has granted conditional approval for a new drug to treat infestations of the New World screwworm as the parasite nears the Texas border and threatens the state’s livestock industry. Get the details in today’s Around Texas section.
When a University of Texas student broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident, his Uber driver did more than take him to the ER—he stayed for six hours. Amy Hess interviews Joey and Beni about the night that turned into a lifelong friendship—only on today’s edition of The Feel Good Flyover Podcast.
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Six Injured in Houston Hotel Explosion
At least six people were hospitalized following an explosion at a high-rise hotel under construction in Houston yesterday morning.
According to investigators, a natural gas line for multiple tankless water heaters ignited on the 17th floor of a downtown Holiday Inn Express hotel, which was scheduled to open in December. The victims, all of whom are believed to be construction workers, suffered lacerations and burn injuries.
The names of the victims have not been provided, and their condition is unknown. Arson investigators are reviewing the incident.
“It’s very fortunate that more people were not injured,” said Houston Fire Department Communications Director Brent Taylor.
UT Austin Asked to Sign Compact for Priority Funding
The University of Texas at Austin is one of nine U.S. universities that were asked to adopt a series of policies that align with Trump administration priorities in exchange for expanded access to federal funding.
According to the 10-page “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” applicants should be required to take the SAT or ACT, and admission must not be based on sex or race. Additionally, international student enrollment should be capped at 15%, and administrators must enforce the single-sex use of bathrooms and locker rooms.
The agreement also asks universities to freeze tuition for five years and publicize the earnings of students who graduate with certain degrees. Regarding free speech, signatories are asked to “commit themselves to fostering a vibrant marketplace of ideas” and “shall neither support nor permit a heckler’s veto.”
Kevin Eltife, the chair of the UT System Board of Regents, said, “We look forward to working with the Trump Administration” in implementing the agreement. UT recently joined UNT in launching a course review to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, while Texas Tech issued guidance restricting classroom discussions of gender identity.
Chili’s Introducing New Queso
Dallas-based Chili’s Grill and Bar is discontinuing two longtime menu items—Skillet Beef Queso and White Skillet Queso—and replacing them with its new Southwestern Queso.
Chili’s introduced its Skillet Beef Queso in 1990, and White Skillet Queso was added within the past decade. “Dissatisfaction with Chili’s queso lineup” and “low sales numbers told us that our guests were clearly looking for a better queso,” said chief marketing officer George Felix.
The new vegetarian menu item is made with American and cheddar cheeses, green chiles, onions, and lime. Chefs have been working on the recipe since the fall of 2023, and 70% of consumers at a Curion Insights event in Atlanta preferred it over the Skillet Beef Queso.
Southwestern Queso will be rolled out to customers on Oct. 7. Those enrolled in the restaurant’s rewards program can get it for free through Oct. 21.
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➤ The Food and Drug Administration has granted conditional approval for Dectomax-CA1, an injectable drug that aims to treat New World screwworm larval infestations. “We understand the urgency with which America’s farmers and ranchers are asking for tools to fight New World screwworm,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. (See Details)
➤ Harris County: Gov. Greg Abbott announced the creation of a new task force to target repeat violent criminals in Houston and Harris County on Wednesday, saying DPS troopers and Texas Rangers would be “swarming” high-crime neighborhoods. “We are coming for you, we’ll target you, arrest and put you behind bars,” Abbott said. (More)
➤ Uvalde CISD: Officials on Wednesday released more than 2,100 files related to the Robb Elementary School shooting, including termination paperwork for former District Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who asked the district for a $1.1 million settlement in exchange for his resignation. He was fired and faces charges of child endangerment. (More)
➤ State Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock) raised $6.2 million from more than 125,000 contributors in the three weeks since he announced his run for U.S. Senate. Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred raised $4.1 million since launching his campaign for the Democratic nomination on July 1. (More)
➤ Georgetown: Raul Franco Jr., 26, has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with a triple homicide at an apartment complex last month. A 34-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, and an eight-year-old girl were shot and killed. (More)
➤ Meanwhile, a San Antonio couple has been charged with capital murder for the death of their 10-year-old son, who was allegedly confined in a laundry room for extended periods. (More)
➤ Austin ISD: Roberto López Falcón, a fifth-grade ESL teacher at Hart Elementary School, has been detained by ICE since September 3. According to ICE, Falcón, 34, is a Cuban national and entered the country illegally in March 2022. (More)
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➤ UNT‘s football team is 5-0 for the first time since 1959, and President Harrison Keller is canceling today’s afternoon classes ahead of the Mean Green’s game against South Florida at 6:30 p.m. Faculty and staff are getting two free tickets to fill the stadium. (More)
➤ Austin FC fell to Nashville SC 1-2 in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday night. Matthew McConaughey, a minority owner and the team’s “Minister of Culture,” attended the game at Austin’s Q2 Stadium. (More)
➤ Five former Dallas Cowboys players were nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the seniors category—players who haven’t competed in the last 25 years. (See List)
➤ Texas Tech women’s basketball secured a trio of commitments from basketball recruits Gianna, Milania, and Natalia Jordan—three sisters who currently play at Southlake Carroll. Gianna is a four-star recruit. (More)
➤ Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford suffered an ankle sprain in the team’s first preseason practice, putting his availability against the Spurs in the home opener in doubt. The injury has a recovery time of two to three weeks. (More)
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➤ Juan C. Andrade, the new CEO of San Antonio-based financial services giant USAA, has announced a series of leadership changes in the past month, including the departure of four top executives and the hiring of a new president of the company’s life insurance division. (See Details)
➤ Austin-based autonomous vehicle developer Avride is disputing claims that one of its delivery robots caused a cyclist to crash last year. Both parties to the lawsuit have requested a jury trial. (More)
➤ A federal judge dismissed all but three plaintiffs from a lawsuit alleging the founder of San Juan-based Delia’s Tamales withheld wages from employees. A separate class-action lawsuit against the company alleges that Delia Lubin participated in a criminal racketeering scheme. (More)
➤ Houston-based Occidental Petroleum is selling its chemical manufacturing division, OxyChem, to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway for $9.7 billion. Berkshire holds a 28.2% stake in Occidental. (More)
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➤ According to Forbes, Elon Musk’s net worth briefly topped $500 billion on Wednesday as Tesla’s stock surged following news of his $1 trillion pay package proposed by the company’s board. He’s the first person ever to achieve the milestone. (More)
➤ A 14,000-square-foot home built by Cinemark founder Lee Roy Mitchell in the 1995 has hit the market for $22 million. The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion includes a 20-seat soundproof theater and a 1,000-bottle, temperature-controlled wine room. (See Photos)
➤ San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum is showcasing 64 original maps of Texas by prominent European, Mexican, and American mapmakers, spanning nearly 500 years of Texas history. The collection is on loan from the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University. (More)
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Six Injured in Houston Hotel Explosion
