Sunday, October 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1928, cowboy detective Charles Siringo died in California. The Matagorda County native wrote A Texas Cowboy, the first cowboy autobiography, then spent 22 years chasing outlaws for the Pinkertons.

In case you missed it on The Flyover Podcast, Amy unpacked the IRS notices landing in millions of mailboxes about a new program that deposits up to $1,000 a year in federal matching money directly into retirement accounts, rather than just trimming your tax bill. But there’s a catch. Plenty of savers will get the full amount while others won’t see a dime, and the difference comes down to a few details on your tax return. Amy covered who qualifies, what disqualifies you, and how to actually claim the money. Tune in here!

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Streamer Turns Austin Into a $50K Game

Kick streamers are expected to descend on Austin on Saturday for a shot at $50,000 in Safe Zone, a real-life video game from streamer Ice Poseidon, whose real name is Paul Denino.

Think Fortnite on city streets. Contestants walk Austin while livestreaming, and their phones’ GPS places them on a shared digital map. Denino controls a circle that can move, shrink, or split; anyone caught outside is out. Viewers can spawn zombies and other hazards. The last player inside wins.

Entry is open to anyone streaming on Kick. Austin police said they support participants but urged everyone to stay safe.

Second Glitch Delays Voter Updates

A Texas.gov error delayed about 15,000 voter registration updates from reaching election offices in Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties, the Texas Secretary of State’s office said Friday.

The glitch hit voters who used the state portal to update information tied to their registration. Williamson County processed its roughly 700 files overnight and said no voters there were affected.

The error surfaced days after state officials said counties had cleared a much larger backlog caused by a separate DPS software problem. Travis County Voter Registrar Celia Israel said her staff has worked overtime: “We are all hands on deck.”

Voters who registered by the Oct. 5 deadline can still cast ballots when early voting opens Monday or on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Rollins Offers Cotton Farmers Insurance Fix

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told farmers in Caldwell on Friday that cotton growers will be able to insure against both hurricanes and drought on a single policy starting in 2027.

Growers now must pick one or the other. “If having to make this decision ahead of time doesn’t drive you to drink, making the wrong decision absolutely will,” one farmer said.

Rollins also said USDA will press Bangladesh, Indonesia, and other countries to buy more American cotton. Brazil overtook the U.S. as the top cotton exporter in 2023.

Texas growers insured about 97% of their cotton acreage in 2024, when crop insurance paid more than $1 billion in cotton claims. Rollins warned the country will keep losing “tens of thousands of farmers and ranchers every year” unless farms profit more than two years in 10.

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➤ El Paso: Ray Provencio, who took over CBP’s El Paso Field Office in June, says rebuilding the Bridge of the Americas could shorten wait times and that other ports can absorb the commercial trucks the project will bar. El Paso Chamber leaders want the truck ban stopped. (More)

➤ Houston: Thieves took 12 cameras, 18 lenses, and a drone from Harvuni J Studios, halting production of a dating show that streams on Tubi. Owner Jimi Harvuni suspects the same three men seen in other break-ins. At least seven studios have been hit since late August. (More)

➤ Amarillo: Amarillo ISD trustees renewed the district’s exception to a state law requiring an armed officer at every school, citing staffing and funding limits. The district instead rotates trained guardians and commissioned officers across campuses. Board President Jon Mark Beilue said full coverage costs roughly $100,000 per campus. (More)

➤ Beaumont: Beaumont ISD ordered every campus door, including classroom doors, kept closed and locked throughout the school day, reversing an open-door practice teachers had questioned for months. The district announced the change Thursday night, hours after a deadly elementary school shooting in Bend, Oregon. (More)

➤ El Paso: State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, will host a forum Tuesday on how residents are warned during emergencies, following the Aug. 4 emissions incident at Marathon’s El Paso refinery. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will join the event at El Paso Community College. (More)

➤ San Antonio: City Council is weighing whether each data center should need its approval, with a vote set for Oct. 29. Staff options would confine them to industrial and heavy commercial zones. Councilwoman Misty Spears warned tight rules could push projects to Medina County. (More)

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➤ Texas dropped its second straight game, falling 27-24 at home to Florida. Star edge rusher Colin Simmons left in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury, while Arch Manning was sacked five times. (More)

➤ TCU never trailed in a 17-6 victory over rival Baylor, while No. 20 Houston withstood a furious comeback by No. 18 Oklahoma State to beat the Cowboys 35-32 and improve to 6-1. (See Scores)

➤ Texas Tech stayed unbeaten with a 53-25 rout of Arizona State, No. 24 SMU beat Virginia 23-13, and Texas A&M shut out The Citadel 41-0. (See Scores)

➤ Petar Musa converted a penalty in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time to pull FC Dallas level with the Houston Dynamo in the Texas Derby, minutes after Houston’s Mateusz Bogusz scored on a penalty of his own. (Watch Equalizer)

➤ The 1-4 Houston Texans face the 4-1 Jacksonville Jaguars in London today after acquiring receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. On Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys visit the Green Bay Packers. (See Preview)

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➤ A piano more than 70 years old, which stood in the church where Dale and Billie Grandstaff married in 1954, now sits in the Home Life section of the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore. The church gave it to the couple when it disbanded in 1959, and their daughter donated it. (See Video)

➤ The Faust Hotel in New Braunfels opened in 1929 as the four-story Travelers Hotel, drawing more than 2,000 people to its grand opening. It took the Faust family name in 1933 and, after a 2022 sale, spent two and a half years closed for renovations. (Read Story)

➤ Gusty winds knocked out power to more than 7,000 CPS Energy customers across San Antonio Friday and sent a 7-foot inflatable pumpkin flying. The pumpkin’s owner said, “I have two sad children and one large missing pumpkin.” (More)

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➤ Why Do Bruises Suddenly Show Up After 50? You don’t remember bumping into anything—yet another bruise appears. While many people chalk it up to aging or medication, easy bruising may be a clue worth paying attention to. It’s one of 7 commonly overlooked warning signs that can become more noticeable with age. See all 7 warning signs—and what they could be telling you.

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.

➤ A grandfather built a $2 million business by giving families a reason to get lost in a cornfield. (Hear More)

➤ The NBA has built an AI detective to sniff out suspicious bets. (Listen Now)

➤ Three studies suggest that the cold shoulder sometimes conceals a guilty conscience. (Podcast Available)

A tornado touched down near Fort Stockton on Wednesday afternoon ahead of a strong cold front. Residents posted videos of the funnel amid reports of downed tree limbs.