Good Morning! On this day in 1895, Constable John Selman shot gunfighter John Wesley Hardin in the back of the head at El Paso’s Acme Saloon. Selman’s murder trial ended in a hung jury. Both men are buried in Concordia Cemetery.
Yesterday, we asked which eatery (or drinkery!) you visit more than any other. Several emailers mentioned Whataburger, Starbucks, McD’s, and Sonic, but most of you mentioned beloved local restaurants, bars, burger joints, or hometown staples that have been your forever hangouts. We’ve added several to our list of places to stop by when we get a chance.
Where did margarine go? Why did an entire country stop eating liver almost overnight? The food industry doesn’t advertise these changes, but the answers are out there, buried in USDA consumption data, FDA rulings, and a peer-reviewed study that flipped decades of nutrition advice on its head. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counts down five foods that quietly vanished from the American table, and reveals the one swap science actually got backward. Tune in here!
Later today, watch for a message from our partner Vision Secrets about four subtle warning signs that your vision may be changing, including some that are easy to dismiss as normal aging.
Today’s sponsor, Oricle Hearing Aids, is helping readers hear more clearly without sky-high prices, offering a tiny, easy-to-use hearing aid with clear sound and all-day power for under $100.
Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s attorney general, sued Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday to force the extradition of an ICE agent sitting in a Cameron County jail.
Christian Castro, 52, faces four counts of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in north Minneapolis. Officers arrested him in Harlingen on May 29.
Castro said two men came at him with a broom handle and a snow shovel, and DHS called the shooting self-defense. Prosecutors say video and witness accounts contradict him.
Ellison says Texas caps detention of fugitives awaiting extradition at 90 days, so Castro could walk free Aug. 26. He asked a judge to block the release and order Abbott to sign the warrant.
Paxton Bars Cities from Raising Property Taxes
Attorney General Ken Paxton barred 116 more Texas cities from raising property tax rates this year, pushing the total to 251.
Each city missed a deadline under Senate Bill 1851, the 2025 law that requires a city to remain at its no-new-revenue rate unless it completes an audit and files financial statements within 180 days of the fiscal year’s end. That rate keeps revenue from existing property from increasing.
“I am continuing to fight to stop cities from unlawfully raising taxes on hardworking Texans,” Paxton said. His office has been reviewing more than 1,000 cities since December.
Ivanhoe Mayor Skip Blackstone said the firm that handles the city’s audit filed two months late. Ivanhoe had planned to cut its rate to 72 cents per $100 of value, but will instead drop it to its “no-new-revenue” rate of 71.71 cents, resulting in roughly $20,000 less revenue for the city.
Padres Staffer Detained in El Paso
Border Patrol agents arrested a San Diego Padres minor-league catching coordinator at El Paso International Airport on Sunday as he waited to fly home to Arizona. Oswaldo Pirela, 34, had been working with the Padres’ Triple-A club in El Paso. ICE records show he’s been held in the city.
DHS said Pirela entered the country legally in 2014 and had permission to stay until Feb. 10, 2018. “In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome,” the agency said, calling him an “illegal alien from Venezuela.”
Pirela’s family says he applied for asylum after arriving and has kept his work permit current. His brother, Jorge Pirela, said he wasn’t carrying the card when agents stopped him.
The Padres said they’re gathering more information and had no further comment. Pirela lives outside Phoenix with his wife and two daughters, both born in the U.S.
Big companies charge THOUSANDS for hearing aids—but guess what? You don’t have to pay that much! Oricle Hearing gives you crystal-clear sound, wireless charging, and all-day battery life for under $100! No doctor visits, no crazy prices—just amazing hearing at an unbeatable deal. Over 150,000 happy customers are already loving their new way of hearing. Don’t let overpriced hearing aids hold you back—order yours today!
➤ Tarrant County: A multiagency sting during the FIFA World Cup netted 56 arrests, 10 of them men accused of trying to meet minors for sex. Investigators also identified or recovered more than 40 possible trafficking victims. (See Details)
➤ Statewide: More than two dozen families petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Texas law requiring Ten Commandments posters in public school classrooms. The Fifth Circuit upheld it 9-8, ruling the law “punishes no one who rejects” them. (More)
➤ Porter: Deputies pulled a 53-year-old theft suspect from a burning car Sunday after he fled a Walmart, crossed a median on FM 1485, and hit a Chase Bank sign. One deputy climbed into the passenger side to unlock the driver’s door. (See Video)
➤ Waco: Gov. Greg Abbott named a commission of more than 20 current and former teachers to recommend ways to lift reading and math scores. He also plans to push legislation creating Student Success Academies. (See Details)
➤ Galveston County: Game wardens hiked more than a mile on a tip and caught three people setting illegal gill nets at the Texas City Dike, seizing 700 feet of net, 137 saltwater fish, and four crabs. (More)
➤ Houston ISD has lost nearly 26,000 students over five years, a 13.25% drop, as growth shifts to the outer suburbs. Pasadena ISD fell 10.5% over the same stretch. (See Report)
➤ Richmond: Frank Beard, ZZ Top’s drummer for 56 years, died Tuesday at his ranch at 77. Billy Gibbons called him “a great and true son of Texas,” and said the Houston band will keep touring. (Read Story)
Enjoy reading The Texas Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️
➤ The Dallas Mavericks and Stars settled their legal fight over control of the American Airlines Center, agreeing to stay through 2031 before both teams leave for new arenas in Far North Dallas and Plano. (More)
➤ Houston and Dallas ranked 18th and 19th out of 30 NFL markets in a new Nielsen fan passion index that tracked TV viewership, radio, merchandise, and five other metrics. (More)
➤ O.J. Brigance, a Houston native and former Rice football star who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, died this week at 56 after a long battle with ALS. (More)
➤ Texas Tech men’s basketball guard Donovan Atwell is returning for a fifth season after a court ruling granted extra eligibility to players from the 2022 recruiting class. He set a program record with 130 three-pointers last season. (More)
➤ Make Everyday Cleaning Simple with X-All. X-All is a powerful multi-purpose cleaning solution designed to cut through stubborn grease, grime, stains, and everyday messes around your home. Use it across a variety of surfaces for a deeper, easier clean without stocking your cabinets with multiple specialty cleaners. Discover X-All today >>
➤ Texas restaurant closures hit 1,039 in the first half of 2026, the most of any state, with food costs up 35% and wages up 30%. Texas also leads the country in openings, with 391 new spots in July alone. (See Report)
➤ Buyers under 35 filed 259,737 mortgage applications in Texas in 2025, more than in any other state. That’s nearly 23% of all applications, ranking Texas No. 18 nationally. The typical Texas home is worth $302,187. (See Report)
➤ Knightvest Capital bought 1,027 Round Rock apartments across three complexes, saying a housing oversupply and high interest rates pushed owners to sell at a discount. The Dallas firm will renovate and rename them Brixton, Calder, and Sutton. (See Details)
➤ American Airlines will put 4K seatback screens in every seat on its smaller planes, starting with new deliveries in 2028 and retrofits after. The Fort Worth carrier is also raising premium seating from about 25% to nearly 40%. (See Details)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤ Could You Be Overpaying for Auto Insurance? SmarterAuto makes it fast, easy, and free to compare auto insurance options from 90+ partners. Simply enter your ZIP code, answer a few questions, and explore available rates and coverage options—all in about two minutes. Compare auto insurance options with SmarterAuto >>
Flying together with our sponsor
Why pay thousands for hearing aids?
Oricle Hearing Aids deliver crystal-clear sound, all-day comfort, and rechargeable convenience for under $100. No prescriptions, no appointments—just powerful, affordable hearing support you can trust. Join over 150,000 satisfied customers who’ve made the switch.
➤ An electric airplane started test flights Tuesday out of Galveston’s Scholes Field, a first for Texas. Beta Technologies’ aircraft will fly routes to Sugar Land and Brenham over the next few weeks. A single charge covers 300 miles. (Read Story)
➤ The State Fair of Texas crowned four tasty Big Tex Choice Awards winners Tuesday from a record 77 entries: Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog, Tropical Coco Fresca, and Berry Me in Matcha. (See Details)
➤ The Hill Country town of Boerne is a finalist in the Hallmark Channel’s Merriest Christmas Town contest. Boerne’s holiday offerings include a lit-up Hill Country Mile and the Victorian-style A Dickens Celebration. (More)
➤ A bronze statue of a World War II airman goes up Wednesday in San Angelo, with panels listing 20,542 veterans from the Concho Valley. (See Details)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤ What Do These 7 Common Symptoms Have in Common? Muscle cramps, restless nights, and brain fog are often blamed on stress, aging, or lack of sleep. But researchers are exploring another factor that may connect these everyday complaints. Magnesium could be part of the picture, and certain medications may make the signs easier to overlook. Discover the 7 signs to watch for >>
The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:
➤ Your childhood kitchen held these five staples that America has abandoned, and experts now say one is healthier than butter. (See Foods)
➤ Fraternity pledges were allegedly forced to cut and bag cocaine for a sprawling drug ring at Penn State. (Hear Details)
➤ Reports of worsening conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are raising serious questions about life on the warship. (Listen Now)
If you had to eat one, which of the Big Tex Choice Award winners from the state fair would you choose? (See photos here.)
Minnesota Sues Abbott over ICE Agent
