Good Morning! On this day in 2005, a swapped pipe elbow ruptured at BP’s Texas City refinery, triggering a hydrogen jet fire that burned for two hours, causing $30 million in damage and injuring one worker.
Et Cetera features a story about the millions of dollars of counterfeit World Cup merch seized by customs this summer, and the Poll asks if you’ve ever bought “fake” merchandise. If so, hit reply to let us know how it turned out.
Depending on when you claim, picking the wrong time to start collecting Social Security could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. Yet most Americans rush the decision instead of running the numbers. Where does your break-even age fit into it? What about your spouse’s check, or the paycheck you’re still earning? In today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla breaks down the three claiming options on the table and the one number that reveals which path actually fits your plan. So do you know which of the three is right for you? Tune in here!
Today’s sponsor, Reiturn, is giving investors the opportunity to own equity in a real estate investment platform built for the coming $84 trillion generational wealth transfer before its investment window closes on Aug. 13.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued seven new interim charges to the Texas Senate on Monday, three of them aimed at its newly formed Religious Liberty Committee.
The committee will compare Texas and federal religious protections, study ways to educate Texans about their religious rights, and monitor new laws requiring Ten Commandments displays in classrooms and allowing prayer periods in public schools.
“Come January, the Senate and I will advance the priorities of Texas’ conservative majority,” Patrick said. The charges follow his tenure as chair of President Trump’s federal Religious Liberty Commission.
The classroom displays remain contested: a divided Fifth Circuit upheld the law in April, and the multifaith families who sued say they’ll ask the Supreme Court to reverse it.
Midland Father Charged in Toddler’s Death
A Midland father has been charged with capital murder after police say his 2-year-old daughter died Sunday inside a locked car parked outside their home.
Relatives told police they went to check on Lorenzo Rodriguez, 25, and his daughter after he’d been drinking the night before. When knocking brought no answer, they pulled out a window air-conditioning unit and climbed inside.
They found Rodriguez asleep and learned he had been unconscious since about 11 a.m. The girl wasn’t inside. Family members found her in a parked Kia, broke a window, and rushed her to Midland Memorial Hospital, where she died.
Police estimate the toddler spent about nine hours in the vehicle. Rodriguez was arrested after officers responded at 7:56 p.m.
Mandatory Heat Rules Start Aug. 1
Every Texas high school must follow mandatory heat-safety rules for outdoor sports and marching band beginning Aug. 1, under a formal University Interscholastic League (UIL) rule change.
Schools will use wet-bulb globe temperature readings—which factor in humidity, wind, and sunlight—to set work-to-rest ratios, add hydration breaks, require athletes to shed pads and gear, or cancel practice outright when regional thresholds are crossed. Rapid-cooling equipment, such as cold-water immersion tubs, must be on site.
The mandate follows the August 2025 death of Preston Malone III, a 15-year-old Lancaster junior varsity football player who apparently collapsed from exertional heatstroke during an indoor practice.
The UIL adopted the monitoring as a recommendation in 2023. Its Medical Advisory Committee urged making it mandatory, and the Legislative Council approved.
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➤ Statewide: Attorney General Ken Paxton launched investigations into Tampax, Kotex, and other feminine care and cosmetic brands over whether they misled consumers about heavy metals and other chemicals. His office says the investigative demands don’t yet allege wrongdoing. (See Details)
➤ Canyon Lake: Residents are fighting a state permit that would let a Lennar development discharge up to 300,000 gallons of treated wastewater daily toward Canyon Lake, citing risks to water quality, more than 8,000 private wells, and an archaeological site. (More)
➤ Corpus Christi: Floodwater flowing into the region’s reservoirs has pushed the city’s projected water emergency back a full year, to fall 2028. Choke Canyon Reservoir jumped from 7.9% to 24% of capacity in a week. (See Details)
➤ Statewide: The State Board for Educator Certification voted to require the National Board teaching credential to align its materials with Texas’ anti-DEI law by Nov. 2, or teachers holding it could lose automatic eligibility for raises of up to $9,000. (Read Story)
➤ Dallas: Tom Luce, the Dallas attorney who founded the think tank Texas 2036, chaired Ross Perot’s presidential campaign, and served as an assistant U.S. education secretary, died over the weekend at 86. (More)
➤ Lubbock: Two men accused of stealing information from 149 cards with a skimmer planted at a Lubbock Walmart are being held on bonds totaling $2.7 million, according to court documents. (See Details)
➤ Baytown: Police Chief John Stringer has opened internal and criminal investigations into an officer accused of misusing the department’s Flock license plate reader system, asking the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to assist. (See Details)
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➤ Incoming University of Texas golfer Charlotte Naughton won the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship by two shots, beating world No. 6 Meja Örtengren. The 18-year-old phenom will be joining the Longhorns this fall. (More)
➤ Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud helped provide 250 backpacks, free haircuts, and physicals to Houston children this weekend at his foundation’s annual Back to School Backpack Blitz. (More)
➤ Baylor football is bringing Connor Morgan back from SMU as director of recruiting. Morgan previously spent three seasons on Dave Aranda’s staff at Baylor before leaving for SMU in 2024. (More)
➤ Ticket demand for the 2027 PGA Championship at Frisco’s Fields Ranch East has hit record levels nearly a year out, organizers say. The May 17-23, 2027, tournament, the first men’s major in North Texas in more than 60 years, is expected to draw 200,000 spectators. (More)
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➤ Texas job scams jumped 25% from 2024 to 2025, a SmartAsset analysis of FTC data finds, with 370 reports per 1 million residents. Employment scams are now the most-reported fraud among adults ages 18 to 34. (See Report)
➤ Texas factories picked up speed in July. The Dallas Fed’s production index rose six points to 10.1, new orders strengthened, and company outlooks jumped 11 points. Half of the surveyed firms are trying to hire, with a lack of applicants the top obstacle. (See Report)
➤ San Antonio’s biggest-ever airport bond issue has hit the municipal market, priced at $866.44 million and drawing $3.9 billion in orders from 78 institutional investors. The money backs the $1.4 billion, 18-gate terminal, which is about 25% built and due to open in 2028. (See Details)
➤ Eli Lilly has started construction at its $6.5 billion, 236-acre manufacturing campus at Generation Park near Humble, state filings show. The site will produce orforglipron, an experimental once-daily GLP-1 pill, and is expected to bring 615 permanent jobs when complete by 2030. (See Details)
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➤ Customs officers at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport seized nearly 20,000 counterfeit FIFA World Cup items worth almost $9 million at retail, including fake national-team jerseys, whiskey decanters, and soccer jerseys for dogs. Most shipments came from China, CBP said. (See Photos)
➤ An unclaimed $1 million Powerball ticket sold at an Austin Circle K expires Saturday. The holder matched five numbers in the Feb. 2 drawing and must claim in person by 5 p.m. Friday or mail a claim postmarked by Aug. 1. (See Details)
➤ Saundra Paschal, who spent 46 years teaching math in San Angelo and coaches Lake View High School’s math team, was named Top Mathematical Visionary of the Decade by the International Association of Top Professionals, which will honor her at a New York City gala. (Read Story)
➤ Madison “Maddie” McGuire of El Paso was crowned Miss U.S. International 2026 over the weekend in Philadelphia, where she represented Texas as Miss Lone Star State. She’ll now represent the U.S. at the Miss International pageant, set for Nov. 25 in Tokyo. (More)
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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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:
➤ Rushing the Social Security claiming decision could cost retirees tens of thousands over a lifetime, so which choice makes sense for you? (Listen Now)
➤ Gunfire erupted at a crowded Seattle food festival, leaving three dead and forcing thousands of visitors to flee. (Hear Episode)
➤Authorities say a Secret Service agent took part in a fraternity hazing that nearly killed a University of Miami pledge. (Listen Now)
Patrick Expands Religious Liberty Agenda
