Good Morning! On this day in 1930, test pilot and astronaut Ed White was born in San Antonio. White became the first American to walk in space as a member of the Gemini 4 mission in June 1965. On January 27, 1967, White perished in a fire during pre-launch testing for Apollo 1.
A McDonald’s in San Antonio is raising eyebrows over its policy of banning students from its premises during school hours. Let us know what you think about it in today’s Poll.
Did you know The Colorado Flyover just turned one year old? Its first edition landed in only a few thousand inboxes, but yesterday it crossed the threshold of 100,000 readers. If you know somebody in the Centennial state, forward them this link to sign up.
With America racing to secure the minerals that power its defense systems and clean-energy future, today’s sponsor, M2i Global, is emerging as a rare early mover already delivering results—and now offering investors a chance to get in before its planned NYSE uplist.
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Lawmakers Discuss Campus Speech
Texas House and Senate members of the newly formed Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech met for the first time yesterday, engaging in a prolonged discussion about speech on college campuses with university officials, students, and representatives from the attorney general’s office and Turning Point USA.
The committee was formed following the assassination of outspoken Christian and conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in September. Students at Texas Tech and Texas State were expelled for celebrating Kirk’s death, and the University of North Texas was investigated for its response to students who reportedly expressed approval of his murder.
University of Austin President Jim Davis said he aims to create a culture of compassion and respect while maintaining a steadfast commitment to free speech. Although he vowed to protect offensive or even hateful speech, he insisted the “heckler’s veto” would not be tolerated.
“We do not want hateful, ugly ideas, but we also respect the First Amendment’s protection of ideas, and when they cross over into conduct or illegal or unprotected speech, we are very careful about that,” he said.
21 Arlington Gang Members Arrested
The Arlington Police Department announced the arrests of 21 alleged members of the local Kiccdoe gang on Wednesday, accusing the group of 180 violent crimes since January 2022.
Arlington police and the FBI had been investigating the gang since April of last year. Several other local law enforcement agencies, along with the U.S. Marshals and ATF agents, participated in making the arrests last Thursday.
The suspects, all of whom are between 18 and 23 years old, face federal racketeering, murder, and assault charges. Officials seized 16 guns, five and a half pounds of marijuana, and $11,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia during the arrests.
“Do not let the ages distract from the havoc they’ve inflicted on the community. These gang members used violence to allegedly inflict violence to protect power, territory, and profits,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Wright.
Kentucky Woman Conducts “Experiment” on Texas Churches
A Kentucky woman called Houston’s Lakewood Church and First Baptist Church of Dallas this week as part of her “Testing Your Church” TikTok series, an “experiment” in which she poses as a single mother in desperate need of baby formula while playing the sound of a crying infant in the background.
When Nikalie Monroe told a woman at First Baptist Dallas that she was conducting a social experiment, she was asked, “So, what would you like for me to say?” The woman hung up on Monroe when she asked if the church is pro-life.
A representative for Lakewood Church told Monroe they have a benevolence ministry that could provide the formula, but it could take days or even weeks to approve the request. The church later acknowledged that the person who answered her call “made an error,” clarifying they support 21 crisis pregnancy centers and 16 food pantries across Greater Houston.
“We have no problem with the fake baby lady conducting her telephone experiment,” a spokesperson said. “She has every right to do so.”
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➤ Kingwood: Mike Collier, an accountant who ran for lieutenant governor as a Democrat in 2018 and 2022, is challenging Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick again, but this time as an independent. “The partisan warfare is just off the charts,” he said. (See Details)
➤ Texas A&M University System professors will not be allowed to teach courses that “advocate race or gender ideology” without a campus president’s prior approval, according to a new policy approved by the system’s Board of Regents on Thursday. (More)
➤ Dallas: During Wednesday’s city council meeting, members voted unanimously to move elections from May to November in odd-numbered years. They also directed the city manager to explore alternative meeting venues due to concerns about the costly repairs to City Hall. (More)
➤ Lubbock: Renderings of Buddy Holly’s iconic eyeglasses painted on city crosswalks will have to be removed to comply with state and federal regulations regarding non-standard road surface markings, staffers informed city council members Tuesday. (More)
➤ San Antonio: Jose Hernandez Galo, the 21-year-old man who killed three coworkers at a landscape supply company last Saturday, was a Mexican national who illegally entered the country in 2019, according to ICE. (More)
➤ Meanwhile, an illegal immigrant detained in Williamson County is accused of stealing the identity of a 13-year-old Hutto boy in 2022, and an illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 2010 was arrested by Brazos County officials on Tuesday. (More)
➤ Houston: The Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. approved a $55 million renovation project for NRG Stadium last month. The stadium is scheduled to host seven World Cup matches next summer. (More)
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➤ Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades announced yesterday he’s stepping down from both his role at the school and with the College Football Playoff for “personal reasons.” The move comes after the school received unspecified allegations involving Rhoades earlier this week. (More)
➤ San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama both recorded 20-point triple-doubles in Wednesday’s 125-120 loss to the Golden State Warriors—just the fifth time in NBA history two teammates have done so in a single game. (More)
➤ No. 17 TCU women’s basketball defeated Tennessee State 122 to 39, the largest winning margin in program history. The victory also tied a school record for the longest home winning streak in school history, 27 games. (More)
➤ The Dallas Cowboys set up a memorial fund that will directly benefit Marshawn Kneeland’s girlfriend and unborn child following the former defensive end’s suicide last week. (More)
➤ Former Texas Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski, 34, has rejoined the team as a first base coach, the team announced yesterday. Jankowski transitions into a coaching role just months after playing for the Mets. (More)
➤ Neuropathy? Tingling Feet? This new home device Is a game-changer for seniors.Millions are finding fast relief from foot pain with this doctor-designed home device—no pills, injections, or expensive treatments required. Created to boost circulation and ease nerve discomfort, it quickly reduces burning, tingling, and stabbing pain, making it a must-try for plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, or chronic foot pain. (LEARN MORE)
➤ The bill Congress passed to reopen the federal government includes a provision that bans the sale of hemp-derived products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC. While U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was one of just two Republicans to vote against the amendment, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said, “This ban will save a generation from getting hooked on dangerous drugs.” (More)
➤ Chevron plans to build a 5,000-megawatt natural gas power plant in West Texas for an unspecified data center in the region. (More)
➤ A community of 3D-printed homes is going up in Houston. The 80-home development, called Zuri Gardens, is a collaboration between local builder HiveASMBLD and Florida-based Cole Builders. (See Photos)
➤ Royal Caribbean Cruise Line announced that its $1.79 billion Icon of the Seas—the world’s largest cruise ship—will dock in Galveston beginning in August 2027. (More)
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➤ The Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market opened yesterday and runs through Saturday, while the last day of New Braunfels’ Wurstfest is Sunday. (More)
➤ A “McConaughey for Governor” sign spotted at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin caused some Texans to assume the famous actor is running for office, but it was actually a prop for his upcoming Apple TV+ series Brothers. (Watch Video)
➤ James Van Der Beek, the 48-year-old star of the 1990s teen drama Dawson’s Creek, is selling props from the show to pay for cancer treatment. Van Der Beek moved to Spicewood with his family in 2020. (More)
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Should restaurants ban minors during school hours?
Lawmakers Discuss Campus Speech
