Court Overturns 48-Year Death Sentence

The state’s Court of Criminal Appeals has overturned the death sentence for Clarence Jordan, who has been on death row for 48 years, one of the nation’s longest running death sentences.

Jordan, who has intellectual disabilities and schizophrenia, was sentenced to death for the 1977 murder of Houston grocer Joe L. Williams. 

Jordan’s case was one of many delayed criminal appeals in Harris County that came to light in 2024, when new legal counsel was appointed for him.

The state’s highest criminal court agreed that the jury that sentenced Jordan, now 70, was not able to fully consider his mental illness at the time of the trial, overturning his death sentence to life with a chance of parole. 

Education Board OKs Bible as Required Reading

The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a new required reading list that includes biblical texts.

The list of required reading material, which would go into effect in 2030, can undergo further revisions before pending final approval in June.

The board heard hours of public testimony this week, leading up to the eventual 9-1 vote for approval, with critics saying the reading list is too long, emphasizes Christianity, and underrepresents Black and Hispanic authors.

The initial required reading list recommended by the Texas Education Agency was pared down from roughly 300 to 200 titles, but still includes readings from the Bible.

Texas Braces for Severe Weather

Gov. Greg Abbott has activated emergency resources ahead of potentially severe weather over the weekend and into next week.

Light rain and wet conditions are expected this morning through many parts of the state, with storm chances increasing this evening and risk of hail, flash flooding, and tornadoes rising in some areas tomorrow.

The National Weather Service is advising that conditions may persist through Wednesday, with chances of strong to severe storms in the afternoon and evenings each day.

In his statement Friday, Abbott asked Texans to make a storm plan and follow guidance from local officials.

➤ Denton: Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a probe into the University of North Texas over its DEI practices. If its confirmed that the school is teaching DEI concepts, Paxton said it “should result in immediate termination” for university leadership. (More)

➤ Houston: A teen riding his bike in the Addicks Reservoir discovered the body of a woman thought to be between 30 and 40 years old. Police are investigating her death as a homicide. (More)

➤ Galveston: Royal Caribbean announced Thursday that its cruise liner Symphony of the Seas will be repositioned from Galveston to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the 2027 season. (More)

➤ Tyler: Invasive hammerhead worms have re-emerged in East Texas after heavy rains hit the region. The worms prey on critical soil decomposers like earthworms and are extremely difficult to kill. (More)

➤ New Braunfels: The city has entered the final phase of a $7 million wastewater renovation project in its Historic Gruene District. The project has disrupted traffic patterns for months in one of the city’s most-visited areas. (More)

➤ Weslaco: The family of Larissa Rodriguez, who died suddenly at 17 due in part to “large amounts of caffeine,” has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, the distributor of Alani Nu energy drinks, claiming the drink “had inadequate warnings about the serious cardiac risks.” (See Details)

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➤ The Dallas Stars rallied in the third period to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in a preview of their first-round playoff matchup. Jason Robertson scored the go-ahead goal, his 42nd of the season. (See Goal)

➤ Argentina will play a World Cup warm-up match against Honduras at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field on June 6. Lionel Messi is expected to be part of the squad. (More)

➤ The Rangers unveiled their new “Tejas” City Connect uniforms this week, a nod to the state’s Tex-Mex heritage. They’ll debut April 24 against the Athletics. (See Uniforms)

➤ Former Baylor women’s basketball star Melissa Jones died last week at her home in Colorado at 36. Jones helped lead the Lady Bears to the 2010 Final Four and had her No. 5 jersey retired by the program. (More) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: Masters | NBA | MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis

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➤ Motor City Pizza in Lewisville was recently ranked the best pizza in Texas by travel website 5 Reasons to Visit. The Detroit-style pizza joint was also ranked No. 16 nationally in Yelp’s list. (More)

➤ Two San Antonio lakes are being stocked with catfish by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, allowing locals a chance to fish for them through October. (More)

➤ A video showing a San Antonio Chick-fil-A manager praying with customers and telling them to “stick to God” has gone viral on X. The person who posted the video added in her caption, “More of this, please! God bless him.” (More)

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Do you like sparkling water?

1. Absolutely
2. It’s okay
3. No way
4. Never had it

Yesterday’s Results:

Should Texas summer camps be required to have fiber internet service?

1. No: 43%
2. Not sure: 33%
3. Yes: 24%

What city in Texas is home to the National Border Patrol Museum?

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