Abbott Halts State Funding for Flock

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered every state agency Thursday night to stop spending money on Flock cameras, the AI-powered license plate readers Texas cities have been abandoning.

Abbott’s office said that most funding for the cameras comes from the federal government, and that state agencies are “clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras.”

The order landed the same day Princeton’s mayor asked his council to shelve six cameras the city bought with a state grant. As reported Friday, Wylie voted 7-0 this week to end its contract, and Hood County pulled its three cameras earlier in August.

Police departments argue the cameras solve crimes and recover stolen vehicles. Flock Safety says it backs privacy rules that still let officers use the technology.

1.2 Million Texans on Suspense List

About 1.2 million registered Texas voters sit on the state’s “suspense” list, five weeks out from the Oct. 5 registration deadline.

A voter usually lands there when a registration card comes back undeliverable because the address is stale, said Alicia Pierce of the secretary of state’s office. With roughly 19 million registered voters statewide, she said the total isn’t unusual heading into an election.

“It sounds scary, but it’s not,” Pierce said.

Suspense voters can still cast a ballot by confirming their address at the polls. Anyone who moved to a different county votes a limited ballot, covering only the races both counties share.

Bexar County alone lists more than 153,000 suspense voters. Stay on the list through two straight federal election cycles, or four years, and you come off the rolls entirely.

Texas Ranks 7th Hardest-Working State

Texas ranked as the nation’s seventh hardest-working state in a WalletHub report out this week, down from the top five a year ago.

The firm scored all 50 states on 10 measures, weighting workweek hours and employment rates most heavily. Commutes, second jobs, volunteer hours, unused vacation time, and leisure time made up the rest.

Texas placed sixth on those direct factors and tied Louisiana for the second-longest average workweek in the country. Only Alaska, at 41.4 hours, averages more than 40.

South Dakota led with 64.59 points out of 100, 10.32 ahead of Texas.  Texas has held a top-10 spot for close to a decade.

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➤ Guadalupe County: Three men face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity after investigators tied them to 176 stolen semi-trailer loads of grain, about 9.1 million pounds worth $791,739. The sheriff’s office expects more arrests. (See Details)

➤ Houston: Court filings obtained by the media say the ICE team that fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in July had earlier received intelligence from DPS troopers about a white van. DPS says the document is wrong and that it gave ICE nothing. (More)

➤ Austin:Unionized developers at Bethesda Game Studios are pressing Microsoft for a first contract and calling July’s Xbox layoffs illegal. ZeniMax says the cuts were part of a broader restructuring and that it wants an agreement. (See Details)

➤ Brewster County: The federal government agreed in court Friday to extend its pause on border construction inside Big Bend National Park until mid-September. A Justice Department lawyer said no final plans have been set for what would be built. (See Details)

➤ Travis County: A two-story house under construction collapsed on four workers Thursday afternoon in 50 to 70 mph straight-line winds, killing one man and pinning another. OSHA is investigating, and KB Home says the worker killed was employed by a subcontractor. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Ad tracker AdImpact projects $446 million in spending on the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, which would make it the nation’s most expensive. (See Details)

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➤ TCU football jumped to an early 10-3 lead in its season-opener, but was shut out the rest of the way in a 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. TCU’s final two drives ended on failed fourth-down attempts. (More)

➤ No. 16 Allen opened its high school football season by upsetting No. 10 Duncanville 26-7 as sophomore quarterback Ty Snell threw two touchdown passes and the Eagles recorded eight sacks. (More)

➤ Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau fractured his left forearm in Friday’s preseason finale and is expected to undergo surgery as early as Monday, sidelining him for weeks. (More)

➤ SMU safety Ahmaad Moses was granted a fifth year of eligibility through a Dallas court order, clearing the 2025 first-team All-ACC selection to return this season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NCAAF | Soccer | WNBA | Golf | NASCAR | IndyCar | LLWS

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➤ With the Van Zandt County fire now contained, two neighboring gyms and a Myrtle Springs learning center have turned themselves into drop-off points for water and Gatorade. Owner Cayla Goodson, whose husband is a volunteer firefighter, said her kids handed out snacks from the car window. (See Video)

➤ K-9 Maki, a Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, has spent her first year working the U.S. 290 drug corridor with Sgt. Jimmy Ha. An Aug. 14 traffic stop on West Main Street turned up nearly 40 pounds of methamphetamine. (See Video)

➤ Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop in Austin is selling Dolly Parton sugar cookies through the weekend, and the State Theatre will screen Steel Magnolias twice in September, with 15% of ticket sales going to the Dollywood Foundation. (Read Story)

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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, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Forecasters can’t agree whether fall will bring sweaters, storms, or lingering summer heat. (Hear More)

➤ Thieves pull off a massive beer run involving 1,600 cases.(Listen Now)

➤  A veteran’s final words capture a life filled with family, laughter, and adventure. (Podcast Available)

A bomb-sniffing dog at DFW won TSA’s 2026 Cutest Canine Contest, beating out 84 other dogs nationwide. Bolt, a 3-year-old German shorthaired pointer, is “always 1,000% excited to go to work,” handler Daphne Wang said.

How far will you drive for good barbecue?

1. Across town
2. An hour or two
3. Half the state
4. I smoke my own
5. I don’t like bbq

Yesterday’s Results:

Should teachers use ChatGPT in the classroom?

1. No, keep AI out: 39%
2. I’m not sure yet: 24%
3. Yes, with safeguards: 20%
4. Only for planning: 17%

What is Texas’ official state sport?

Show me the answer