Tornado Hits Temple

An EF-2 tornado touched down in Temple on Wednesday, destroying around 200 homes and businesses and causing widespread damage to infrastructure. Over 30 people were injured.

The National Weather Service estimates the tornado produced winds up to 120 mph. Surveys are still being conducted to determine its path and how long it was on the ground.

Local officials have declared an emergency, and residents are being urged to minimize travel throughout the area, as many roads are closed.

San Antonio Hosts Republican State Convention

The Republican Party of Texas kicked off its biennial state convention Thursday in San Antonio, where delegates will meet for three days to vote on a new chairman, party rules, and a legislative platform.

Key proposals up for debate include endorsing an effort to move to closed primaries and barring candidates censured by the state party—such as Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and San Antonio Rep. Tony Gonzales—from running as Republicans.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton took shots at Phelan when they addressed the convention, arguing he’s blocked conservative agenda items by empowering Democrats in the Texas House.

NOAA Releases Hurricane Forecast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its official prediction for this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season, calling for an 85% chance of above-average activity due to warm sea surface temperatures and the chance for La Niña conditions.

Scientists are predicting 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger), with about 70% confidence in these ranges. It’s the highest number of hurricanes the NOAA has predicted in its annual May forecast.

The outlook agrees with more than a dozen other forecasts, including one from Colorado State University that pegs the odds of a major hurricane making landfall along the U.S. coastline at 62%.

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➤ Matthew McConaughey is backing Tony Gonzales in his runoff against YouTuber and 2nd Amendment advocate Brandon Herrera, recording robocalls for the moderate Republican congressman. A Uvalde native, McConaughey got to know Gonzales in the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary in 2022. (See details)

➤ Edinburg: Mario Lizcano Jr., a prominent South Texas businessman and an appointed member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, stepped down from his post after being arrested for DWI last weekend. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed the 55-year-old to the licensing body in 2022. (See details)

➤ Austin: The city’s chief sustainability officer floated the idea of imposing a “climate fee” to fund a list of environmental projects totaling at least $1.8 billion. Zach Baumer made the suggestion in a Tuesday memo obtained by local media. (More)

➤ Amarillo: State lawmakers are urging the Public Utility Commission to block electricity providers Xcel Energy and Southwestern Public Service from increasing fees to recover costs associated with the devastating Panhandle wildfires earlier this year. (More)

➤ College Station: Texas A&M has fired associate professor Jong Wha Chang for breaking into a student’s apartment earlier this year. According to police, the 55-year-old stole the student’s key, made a copy of it, and broke into her apartment while she was away for Spring Break. (More)

➤ Houston: City council members voted 11-4 Wednesday to sell about three acres of land to the Texas Department of Transportation for its I-45 expansion project. The state will pay about $260,000 for the property, which includes a portion of a popular hike and bike trail. (See video)

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➤ Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s combined 63 points, the Dallas Mavericks stole Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, beating the home team 108-105. Game 2 is tonight in Minneapolis. (See details)

➤ FC Dallas beat the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They’ll play Sporting Kansas City in their next matchup. (More)

➤ Houston’s Minute Maid Park was selected as one of the sites for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, an international competition held every few years featuring the best players around the world. Houston will also host several FIFA World Cup games in 2026. (See details)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL | WNBA

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➤ A 13,000-acre, $7.4 billion multi-use development project north of Laredo broke ground last week. The “Talise” development is being funded by descendants of Gene S. Walker Sr., a longtime South Texas rancher, after the discovery of a natural spring on his estate. (More)

➤ An old Exxon research facility in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood is being transformed into a 17-acre walkable mixed-use development. The RO will also feature two new high-rises that will include apartments, a hotel, office space, and retail shops. (See drawings)

➤ American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, retracted a filing that blamed a 9-year-old girl for being filmed in an airplane restroom last year. The girl’s family sued the airline after the FBI alerted them about the incident. (More)

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➤ Houston beekeeper Doug Holloway is denying claims he sabotaged a Texas House candidate’s campaign event by bringing active hives to the polling site where Jeff Barry was meeting with supporters. Holloway is backing Barry’s opponent Alex Kamkar. (More)

➤ The valedictorian of Early College High School north of Dallas shocked his classmates and audience members when he revealed that he helped bury his father right before attending graduation last week. Alem Hadzic, who will be attending the University of Texas at Austin to study chemical engineering, credited his father for his academic success. (See photos)

➤ Carter Copeland, a 59-year-old San Antonio man, has accumulated around 100 vintage Stanley bottles, some dating back to the company’s founding in 1913. (See photos)

Do you plan to travel for Memorial Day Weekend?

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2. No

Thursday’s Results:

What is your favorite month of the year for Texas weather?

1. 1. October: 18.5%
   2. April: 14.6%
   3. November: 9.8%
   4. March: 8.8%
   5. May: 8.5%
   6. September: 6.9%
   7. December: 6.8%
   8. June: 6.3%
   9. January: 5.1%
   10. February: 5.1%
   11. August: 4.8%
   12. July: 4.8%

What Texas city is known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World”?

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