Good Morning! On this day in 1924, novelist and screenwriter Terry Southern was born in Alvarado. He contributed to the script for the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove after his 1959 novel The Magic Christian brought him to the attention of director Stanley Kubrick.
A Houston biotech company has received FDA approval to test a brain implant to treat depression. Check out today’s Business section for details, and hit reply to let us know what you think about this technology.
One year ago, we hit “record” on something new, and it’s grown into something incredible. Today, The Flyover Podcast reaches more than 1.4 million listeners each month, delivering clear, direct, and unbiased coverage of the stories that matter most. What started as a simple idea is now part of daily routines across the country, and we couldn’t have done it without you. As we head into year two, we’re excited to bring you new content, new formats, and new ways to stay informed. We’re just getting started. Tune in to today’s Podcast Extra stories, featuring a new form of “genetic cholesterol” that could become the next big breakthrough in preventing heart attacks. Listen here.
Today’s sponsor is TerraCycle US, a company tackling one of the biggest gaps in modern waste: what to do with the items most recycling systems ignore. From everyday packaging to hard-to-recycle products, they’re building solutions where others haven’t, and turning that challenge into a fast-growing, profitable business.
Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.
Paxton Targets Houston ‘Birth Tourism’ Center
Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against De’Ai Postpartum Care Center, a Houston-area business accused of operating a network of “birth tourism” facilities.
The business has allegedly facilitated the births of more than 1,000 children in nearly two decades by providing housing and travel assistance to foreign nationals. According to the lawsuit, it has advertised its services on Chinese social media platforms.
“America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship,”said Paxton. “Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security, and I will do everything in my power to stop unlawful ‘birth tourism’ schemes like this one.”
The Center is accused of violating multiple laws, including the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit aims to shut down the business and impose fines of more than $1 million.
Meanwhile, Paxton has also expanded an ongoing investigation into Texas businesses accused of fraudulently exploiting the H-1B visa program.
Austin Officials Discuss Self-Driving Vehicles
Austin first responders shared their concerns about self-driving vehicles during a special city meeting Wednesday. Waymo, the Google affiliate whose autonomous vehicles have been involved in numerous recent safety incidents, declined to participate in the meeting.
One of Waymo’s vehicles briefly blocked an ambulance responding to the March 1 mass shooting at a downtown bar. Since then, the company has implemented a “geofence” of at least 1,000 feet around active emergency scenes.
Still, first responders indicated they want more collaboration with Waymo. “We’ll do these scenarios that way we can help you kind of work through that, and they have yet to take us up on that,” Austin Fire Battalion Chief Matt Holmes said.
City officials are asking state lawmakers to pass legislation that restricts autonomous vehicle operations in the vicinity of serious crashes and allows police officers to issue digital tickets to self-driving vehicles more quickly.
Despite at least 236 complaints about traffic violations, Austin police issued just nine citations against Waymo since the company started operating in 2024.
Texas Roosters Tied to Global Cockfighting Industry
Korean Air has suspended rooster shipments from the United States to the Philippines after an investigation exposed how chickens sold by a Texas broker would be used to supply the Asian country’s $13 billion cockfighting industry.
During a recent meeting with Korean Air officials, Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, shared how North Texas Livestock Shipping Services has used the carrier to transport hens and roosters to the Philippines, where they are purportedly bred for cockfighting.
While cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, American cockfighters are “the biggest global players in trafficking fighting birds,” according to Pacelle. In November, a vendor at El Gallo Show Worldwide in Cleveland confirmed the offspring of a rooster being sold for $2,500 are “winning everywhere in the whole world.”
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Richmond) has introduced legislation to ban the shipment of adult roosters by all air carriers. Another bill would prohibit online gambling on cockfights and prohibit the use of the U.S. Postal Service to ship adult roosters.
Flying together with our sponsor
Recycling 400+ waste streams others won’t
TerraCycle US partners with hundreds of major brands like Coca-Cola, Gillette, Whole Foods, and Taco Bell to recycle products and packaging not accepted locally, like razors, sauce packets, coffee pods, and so much more.
TerraCycle US has been profitable for 10+ years, turning their mission-driven recycling solutions into revenue-driving success. Their business model has seen 93% revenue growth between 2020 and 2025, hitting $47M in 2025.
And they’re dominating the search engines for recycling solutions. Go ahead and look up how to recycle any hard-to-recycle trash, like “recycle cigarette butts” or “recycle contact lenses,” and see who shows up.
Early backers from the previous Reg A (2018-2020) have already seen 17-20% of their investment capital back in dividends.
➤ Huntsville: James Broadnax, 37, was executed yesterday for the 2008 murders of two music producers outside a Garland recording studio. The convict’s cousin, Demarius Cummings, recently confessed to the killings, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to stay the execution. (More)
➤ Statewide: Only three camps in Texas have been approved for a license this summer following the implementation of new regulations stemming from legislation passed in response to last summer’s deadly flash floods. (More)
➤ Hays County: Authorities arrested three suspects accused of tampering with 11,563 gift cards with an estimated value of $5,699,650. Houjie Lin, Yi-Hsun Wu, and Hsai Lin face at least 15 years in prison if convicted. (See Details)
➤ South Houston: A worker died Wednesday afternoon when an asphalt tank at Martin Asphalt ruptured. An estimated 50,000 gallons of black tar spilled at the site. (More)
➤ North Texas: A Travis County judge ordered the Texas Workforce Commission to abide by its fair housing agreement with the developers of The Meadow, a proposed 402-acre Muslim-centric community previously called EPIC City. Community Capital Partners accused the agency of failing to approve revisions to its fair housing policies. (More)
➤ Harris County: Long Weekend, a newly opened restaurant in the Shady Acres neighborhood, is being sued by a resident who claims that its elevated playground poses an “imminent risk of catastrophic bodily injury or death to children using the structure.” (See Details)
Enjoy reading The Texas Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️
➤ The Dallas Stars lost to the Minnesota Wild 5-2 last night, ending their NHL playoff run in Round 1. (More)
➤ A new analysis ranks Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas as the state’s best high school for athletes, followed by Aledo High School and St. Agnes Academy in Houston. (See List)
➤ Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant will miss Game 6 against the Lakers tonight with a bone bruise. It’s his fourth straight absence in the series. (More)
➤ Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag, temporarily ending speculation he might be traded. (More)
➤The Houston Texans signed Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a three-year, $54 million extension that will keep him under contract through 2029. His $18 million-per-year average ranks third in the NFL at his position. (More)
➤Millions of Americans are discovering a breakthrough that helps relieve foot pain without pills or expensive treatments. Vita-Feet Relieve, a doctor-designed device improves circulation and eases nerve discomfort in minutes a day. Now going viral for fast relief, it’s a game-changing solution for plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, and chronic pain. (LEARN MORE)
➤ Dallas-based de-extinction firm Colossal Biosciences announced it is working on bringing back the bluebuck, an African antelope that went extinct around 1800. It’s the sixth animal the company has tried to resurrect, joining two birds—the dodo and the moa—the Tasmanian tiger, the woolly mammoth, and the dire wolf. (More)
➤ Republic National Distributing Company, an alcohol distributor based in Grand Prairie, plans to lay off 1,977 workers pending the partial sale of its operations to competitor Reyes Beverage Group. (More)
➤ Houston-based Motif Neurotech has received the FDA’s approval to conduct a human trial of its brain implant to treat depression. Developed by researchers at Rice University, the device can be implanted during a 20-minute outpatient procedure and is activated by wearing a baseball cap that wirelessly connects to it. (See Details)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤ You only have until May 15 to protest your property taxes. If you miss it, the opportunity is gone for the year. Resolute Property Tax Solutions makes it easy to save money on property taxes by handling everything for you. You pay nothing upfront and only pay if they save you money. It takes just minutes to get started, but time is running out. Learn more here.
Flying together with our sponsor
The world’s biggest brands turn to TerraCycle US
In a world where 95% of waste isn’t recycled, TerraCycle US builds profitable recycling solutions for “unrecyclable” products and packages by working with hundreds of major brands, like Coca-Cola, Gillette, Whole Foods, and Taco Bell, to recycle razors, sauce packets, coffee pods, and so much more.
With over 8 billion items recycled and kept out of landfills, they’re becoming the world’s go-to name in recycling. It’s fueling 10+ years of profits for TerraCycle, with 93% revenue growth since 2020.
Previous Reg A investors (2018-2020) have already seen 17-20% of their investment capital back in dividends.
This is a paid advertisement for TerraCycle’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.terracycle.com/.
➤ White Settlement police officers used a pair of jumper cables to rescue a mother and her three children after their vehicle got stuck near a flooded drainage ditch Saturday night. (Watch Video)
➤ A five-student team from UT Austin won a nationwide urban design competition with their plan to redevelop Austin’s Hancock Center into a 29-acre mixed-use site called The GreenLink. The $1.3 billion proposal includes “a greenhouse on top of H-E-B to kind of create a self-contained food ecosystem,” according to team leader Michael Alada. (More)
➤ A crossing guard at Dallas ISD’s Lakewood Elementary was given a new car after parents and community members learned he rode Uber to get to work. (Watch Video)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤Unlock smarter travel with the Venture Rewards card featured by FinanceBuzz—earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and a generous bonus worth hundreds in travel when you qualify. With flexible redemptions, no foreign transaction fees, and perks like Global Entry credits, it’s built to turn everyday spending into your next getaway.
Paxton Targets Houston ‘Birth Tourism’ Center
