Good Morning! On this day in 1954, former Dateline NBC co-anchor Stone Phillips was born in Texas City. Among those he has interviewed are serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.
The city of San Antonio is asking for input on how to improve its famous River Walk. Get the details here.
Shopping for your loved ones? Skip the guesswork and use The Flyover Christmas Gift Guide, packed with the year’s smartest, most reliable picks.
If you’ve ever wished your generosity could stretch even further, today’s sponsor, Convoy of Hope’s Matching Challenge, lets every dollar you give right now be doubled to feed hungry families and bring hope around the world.
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.
Colder Temps Predicted
Temperatures across North Texas will likely dip below freezing for the first time this season this morning, and parts of the Panhandle could see snow on Thursday ahead of a warmup as the weekend approaches.
Currently, the La Niña weather pattern—driven by cooler-than-average temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator—is expected to keep the polar jet stream from dipping too far into Texas throughout the winter, producing warmer and drier weather.
According to a long-range prediction from the Farmers’ Almanac, North and Central Texas could see snow around the middle of this month, and rain is expected for much of the state the week before Christmas. Historically, the Panhandle has a roughly 10% chance of experiencing a white Christmas.
School Choice Program Rules Finalized
Rules for the state’s new $1 billion school choice program were finalized by the Texas comptroller’s office last week.
Authorized by the legislature earlier this year, Education Freedom Accounts will provide most students participating in the program with approximately $10,300 to pay for private school tuition. Students with disabilities could receive up to $30,000, while those who are homeschooled are eligible for $2,000.
New York-based Odyssey will receive up to $50 million to administer the program. Private schools and vendors can apply for eligibility on Dec. 9, while families can apply for funding on Feb. 6, 2026. Families should learn if they have been accepted by early May.
Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock’s office published the final rules after conducting a public hearing in September and receiving more than 200 written comments on a draft proposal. “These administrative rules, like the program itself, put Texas parents in the driver’s seat,” Hancock said in a statement.
Pecos River Murals Show 4,000 Years of History
Researchers from Texas State University and the Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center in Val Verde County have constructed a timeline for dozens of pictographs along the Pecos River, using radiocarbon dating to find that some are nearly 6,000 years old.
In an article published in the November issue of Science Advances, the researchers discovered that the pictographs were painted over a period of about 4,000 years using the same materials and methods, indicating the practice was passed down from one generation to the next.
The murals portray consistent symbols, and many are nearly the same age, suggesting they represent a unified “visual narrative” of cultural beliefs that influenced Mesoamerican societies like the Aztecs and Mayans.
“Perhaps the most exciting thing of all is that today Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Mexico can relate the stories communicated through the imagery to their own cosmologies,” said Texas State University anthropology professor Carolyn Boyd.
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➤ Corpus Christi: Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Avilés was born in Mexico City in 1969 and has been an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Brownsville since 2018. (More)
➤ Houston: Four firefighters were hospitalized Sunday morning after Engine 104 was hit by an 18-wheeler while blocking traffic. They are expected to make a full recovery. (See Details)
➤ Killeen: Thousands gathered at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Saturday to lay about 17,000 wreaths as part of an annual wreath-laying ceremony. “It’s a sign of respect,” said organizer Hilary Shine. “We never forget.” (More)
➤ New Braunfels: River Road Ice House, a music hall that closed in 2023 following a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement, has been listed for $2.6 million. Among the artists the venue has hosted are the Randy Rogers Band and Eli Young. (See Photo)
➤ Houston: Authorities busted a cockfighting ring on Sunday at a mobile home listed as a barbershop. Four people were arrested, and at least 60 roosters were recovered. (More)
➤ El Paso: The Texas Transportation Commission has approved more than $31 million to develop nearly eight miles of the Paso del Norte Trail. (More)
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➤ The Houston Cougars dropped five spots to No. 8 in this week’s men’s AP college basketball poll, while Texas Tech moved up one spot to No. 19. (See Poll)
➤ Wyatt Johnston scored the fourth hat trick of his career on Sunday to lead the Dallas Stars to a 6-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. (See Highlights)
➤ Former Texas A&M edge rusher Von Miller was forced to wear a Longhorns jersey after losing a bet with former Texas offensive lineman Sam Cosmi on the outcome of Friday’s rivalry game. Cosmi posted a photo of a clearly unhappy Miller on social media. (See Photo)
➤ Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs returned to practice this week and will likely be available against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. (More)
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➤ Houston-based pipeline operator Targa Resources is acquiring Stakeholder Midstream of San Antonio for $1.25 billion. The all-cash deal will add about 480 miles of pipelines to the company’s portfolio in the Permian Basin. (More)
➤ The Texas Department of State Health Services has proposed rules that would hike summer camp licensing fees by as much as 4,000% and overhaul the membership of a regulatory advisory board. “This causes an undue burden for smaller or more remote camps,” read a survey response. (See Details)
➤ Elizabeth Friedman of San Antonio is the founder and CEO of Safen, a company that sells uniquely colored plastic tags to clearly label IV lines. “I wanted to make the world a safer place for all patients,” she said. (More)
➤ Abbey Hagan, a 28-year-old sales specialist from Dallas, is the founder of Datey, a singles community group that hosts events around Dallas-Fort Worth. Her first event, a happy hour at a bar along the Katy Trail this summer, drew over 800 people. (More)
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➤ Grandma Stand, a pop-up booth where grandmas offer free life advice to anyone willing to listen, has made its Texas debut in McKinney. “We’re talking and listening,” said Grandma Nancy. (More)
➤ Two Mansfield ISD students, seventh graders Aeiress Jones and Raymond Ware, landed roles in upcoming episodes of the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. (See Details)
➤ Amarillo veteran Matthew Reed published Remember, a children’s book to help kids process the emotions of losing a loved one. “I really wanted a way to remember my dad in a good way and all the good things about him,” said Reed. (More)
➤ Meanwhile, Austin writer and food critic Veronica Meewes recently published a 5.23-pound coffee table book called Texas BBQ: The Art of Low and Slow, described as the Texas barbecue bible. (More)
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Colder Temps Predicted
