Sunday, October 25, 2026

Good Morning! On this day 1886, a farm in north Dallas hosted the first Texas State Fair. The following day, a competing event, the Dallas State Fair and Exposition, opened its doors just north of town. The two groups merged in 1887 to form what eventually became the State Fair of Texas.

In case you missed it in The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counted down the five best and five worst fast-food chains in America, ranked by more than 16,000 customers based on food quality, order accuracy, and value. McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Panda Express all made the list. One sits near the very top, and one is tied for dead last. Plus, a champion that held the crown for 11 straight years just lost it, and the new No. 1 had never even been ranked before this year. Where does your favorite land? Tune in here!

A fresh start can begin long before someone leaves prison. For men and women behind bars in Texas, it can start with something as simple as receiving a Bible. Today’s sponsor, Prison Fellowship, invites you to help put God’s Word into the hands of someone asking for it.

Homicides Falling in San Antonio

San Antonio is on track to finish the year with fewer than 100 homicides for the first time since 2015.

Police Chief Jesse Salame told the city’s Public Safety Committee that SAPD recorded 66 homicide cases from January through September. Overall, crime is down 6%.

He credited a violent crime reduction plan, designed by UTSA criminologists and in place since 2023, that sends extra officers to crime hot spots. He also pointed to falling homicide numbers in big cities nationwide.

The decline has been steady. Homicides peaked at 231 in 2022 and fell to 105 last year, according to a KSAT analysis.

Cheerleaders Sue Over Lookalike Uniforms

The company behind the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders went to court on Friday to stop My Chemical Romance from dressing dancers in its famous uniforms.

Pro Silver Star filed for a temporary restraining order in Dallas County district court.

At the band’s Oct. 21 show at the Hollywood Bowl, dancers in white-and-blue outfits performed a routine during Teenagers, then picked up rifles for a staged firefight.

“Audience members and online commentators understandably believed that the performers were the real Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” the filing states. The company says the band refused its request to stop.

My Chemical Romance has not publicly responded.

Plano Makes the Grade as a College Town

A new ranking of 415 cities put Plano, home to campuses of Collin College and its more than 60,000 students, at No. 16 among midsize college towns, tops in North Texas.

The study weighed affordability, social life, and career opportunities, and Plano’s report card was a mixed bag. It scored well on jobs and academics, placing 25th nationally, but stumbled at 271st for affordability, which factors in housing costs.

Overall, Plano ranked 54th, third in Texas behind College Station at No. 37 and Austin, which claimed No. 1 for a fifth straight year. As for Big D? Dallas came in at No. 108, so the suburb gets bragging rights.

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Someone in a Texas prison is asking for a Bible. You can help answer.

Texas has the largest prison system in the country. Behind those walls are individual men and women looking for forgiveness, direction, and a reason to believe their lives can change.

Some want a Bible but don’t have access to one.

Prison Fellowship’s roots in Texas run deep. Its intensive in-prison program began in a Texas prison in the 1990s. Today, you can support its mission through a simple, personal gift: helping place a Bible in someone’s hands.

For the person receiving it, that Bible can offer a place to turn, a message of grace, and a first step toward new life.

Help send a Bible today.

➤ Statewide: An analysis of Halloween workplace searches ranked Texas No. 2 behind California, with pumpkin decorating, team games, and potluck ideas among the terms tracked. (More)

➤ Houston: Passengers evacuated an Atlanta-bound United Express flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday after a sensor flagged cabin smoke shortly after pushback. No injuries were reported. (More)

➤ Grimes County: The Texas Renaissance Festival briefly evacuated its grounds on Saturday after a nearby underground propane tank began leaking. Normal operations resumed after hazmat crews burned off the propane. (See Details)

➤ Sunray: Firefighters warned on Friday that excess odorant could cause stronger gas smells but urged residents against assuming odors are harmless, advising them to call 911 from a safe location if smells persist. (More)

➤ El Paso: TxDOT crews are alternating lane closures on U.S. 54 between Mesquite Hills and McCombs on Monday morning to shift traffic for a new Borderland Expressway overpass. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: Pre-K 4 SA and Early Matters San Antonio launched EarlyConnectSA, a free online tool that helps parents find local child care providers. (More)

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➤ No. 19 Texas knocked off No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 after the Rebels rallied from a 24-3 deficit. Ole Miss recovered an onside kick with just over a minute left, but the Longhorns intercepted a Hail Mary as time expired to seal the win. (Watch Final Play)

➤ Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders unionized Friday after years of pushing for higher pay, with the franchise agreeing to recognize the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association as their collective bargaining representative. (More)

➤ No. 23 SMU routed California 59-20 yesterday, but four other Texas programs fell: No. 8 Texas Tech lost 37-24 at Cincinnati, Texas A&M 31-20 at No. 13 Alabama, TCU 24-20 to West Virginia, and Baylor 25-24 at Kansas after a late blocked field goal. (See Scores)

➤ No. 14 Houston visited No. 10 Utah, where ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast ahead of the matchup, as the Cougars sought to end the Utes’ nation-leading 12-game winning streak. (See Details)

➤ Kimi Antonelli starts today’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin from pole after qualifying ahead of Max Verstappen yesterday, and he could clinch his first Formula 1 title with a win and help elsewhere. (See Grid)

➤ The Houston Texans seek their third straight win today when they host the New York Giants, who turn to J.J. McCarthy for his first start with the team. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | MLB | WNBA | NHL | NBA | Soccer | Golf

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One Bible. One person. A place to begin.

The scale of Texas’ prison system can make it hard to picture making a difference. But you don’t have to reach everyone to reach someone.

Through Prison Fellowship, your gift helps provide God’s Word to an incarcerated person seeking hope and a new direction. It’s a tangible way to care for someone you may never meet.

Help put a Bible in someone’s hands.

➤ Houston residents can compost pumpkins for free through Nov. 28 at the Reuse Warehouse on North Main and Westpark Recycling Center after removing candles, paint, and glitter. (See Details)

➤ Sugar Land approved a $15 million restoration of the historic Imperial Sugar Char House, aiming to preserve the eight-story landmark and prepare it for new uses after more than 20 years of vacancy. (Read Story)

➤ Hundreds of children with developmental challenges or complex medical needs enjoyed rides, costumes, and trick-or-treating Thursday at University Health’s annual Fall Fest at Morgan’s Wonderland, San Antonio’s accessible theme park. (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.

➤ Linda McMahon pursues an unusual career goal: convincing Congress that her own department isn’t needed. (Hear More)

➤ Pooh’s rumored British homecoming fizzled before the bear could pack his pants, which he never wore anyway. (Listen Now)

➤ Michelin inspectors loosened their belts across the South and crowned three new stars, including a restaurant in rural Georgia. (Podcast Available)

Formula One fans at Circuit of the Americas can now drink in the shade of the world’s largest cowboy hat, a 47-foot-long replica of Tecovas’ Cattleman that Guinness certified Monday.