Good Morning! On this day in 1885, 31 bankers formed the Texas Bankers Association in Lampasas Springs (now Lampasas). With more than 375 member banks, it is the oldest state bankers’ association in the nation.
Have you ever wondered how big The Flyover is? Many readers have written us asking about similar statistics. Well, you might be surprised to know that The Flyover family of newsletters is among the largest newsletters in the world. With a family of 2.7 million readers across 11 state and national publications, our growth over the last 2.5 years has soared like a rocket ship. Thanks for flying with us and being a part of something special!
Speaking of soaring, the Irving-based American Athletic Conference unveiled a new mascot during a Monday rebranding announcement. Get the details in today’s Sports section.
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Senate Committee Weighs THC Ban
A Texas Senate committee met yesterday to discuss legislation that would ban THC products rather than strictly regulate them, as Gov. Greg Abbott directed. Today, lawmakers from both chambers will hear invited testimony about disaster preparedness and the state’s response to the July 4 flash floods.
Over the next several days, a Senate committee will hold four virtual hearings on congressional redistricting, while a House committee will hold in-person hearings. On Monday, House Democrats said they “refuse to engage in any other legislative work” until flood relief and mitigation are addressed.
Meanwhile, Army veteran and former federal prosecutor Eric Flores announced Monday he would challenge U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) for his seat in Congress, providing Republicans an opportunity to flip a district that President Trump won in 2024.
Last Friday, Joe Rogan’s interview with State Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock) generated headlines when the podcaster urged him to run for president. Talarico, 36, is a potential candidate for U.S. Senate.
Kerr County Releases Property Damage Estimate
Kerr County officials estimate the July 4 flash floods damaged over 2,000 buildings and caused at least $200 million in local property damage while claiming over 100 lives. The county is weighing a property tax increase to pay for lost revenue and recovery efforts.
Kerr County Engineer Charlie Hastings described the flood as “an inland tsunami” that “ripped everything up.” The temporary flight restriction over the affected area was recently lifted, allowing media crews to use aircraft and drones to survey the flood’s aftermath.
Compiled in the days after the flooding, this chart shows how quickly the Guadalupe River rose in the early morning hours of July 4. This analysis explains the factors that contributed to the disaster and why the Texas Hill Country is known as “Flash Flood Alley.”
Another Strategy to Combat Screwworm Spread
State and federal authorities previously announced that millions of sterile male flies would be released to combat the spread of the deadly parasitic screwworm. On Monday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced another strategy: a synthetic bait that mimics the scent of open wounds.
The compound, called Swormlure-5, is a highly targeted bait that kills screwworm flies when ingested and poses no danger to honey bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Two earlier versions of the bait were used during a screwworm outbreak in the 1970s.
Miller said the bait killed 90% of the flies within two to four weeks during previous applications, and the remaining 10% were eliminated by sterile male flies.
“We’ve beaten the New World screwworm before, and we’ll do it again. But it will take all hands on deck,” he said. “We need another success story like we had in the ’70s, and I believe Swormlure-5 bait is the game-changer that will get us there.”
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Now, Immersed is preparing its first shipment of headsets, with over 75,000 buyers waiting already. That’s a projected $71 million in first-year sales. No wonder leaders at Intel and Meta have already invested.
➤ Deer Park: An unknown odor was detected at a Shell refinery yesterday morning, causing two employees to experience headaches and a nearby site to issue a shelter-in-place order. Around midday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said an air quality test had not indicated any hazards. (More)
➤ Hays County: Commissioners are appealing a court ruling that invalidated a $440 million road bond approved by voters last November. “This is about thousands of voters’ voices being overturned,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Cohen. (See Details)
➤ Uvalde CISD: The board of trustees unanimously voted Monday to release records related to the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting after a state appeals court ruled they could not be withheld. “I’m sorry it took so long,” said Board Secretary Jesse Rizo, who lost a niece in the tragedy. (More)
➤ Dallas: Seven people were hospitalized in a four-car pile-up Saturday night. A group of bystanders prevented one of the vehicles from toppling over until a baby inside could be extracted. (See Photos)
➤ Austin: Carolyn Feinstein, a former DOJ forensic accountant in Austin, claims she was terminated last Friday after her superiors learned that she is married to the creator of an app that alerts users if ICE officials have been spotted nearby. (More)
➤ San Antonio: Democratic State Rep. Josey Garcia’s husband, Army veteran Ramon Alberto Salcedo, was arrested Friday on drug and weapons charges. (See Details)
➤ Hebbronville: Three men were arrested during an attempt to smuggle over 20 illegal immigrants through a checkpoint in a box trailer last week. Following the arrests, authorities raided a stash house in Mission, where they found 10 more illegal immigrants. (More)
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➤ The Texas Longhorns were ranked the most valuable college football program in the country by The Athletic, with an estimated $2.38 billion valuation. (More)
➤ New documents reveal that student-athletes at Texas A&M received $51.4 million in NIL payments last season, with $49.2 million going to men’s sports and $2.2 million to women’s sports. (More)
➤ The Irving-based American Athletic Conference has rebranded as the American Conference and unveiled a new mascot, Soar the Eagle. Its member schools include Rice, UTSA, and UNT. (More)
➤ The Houston Cougars volleyball team earned another AVCA Team Academic Award, extending a five-year streak of maintaining a team GPA of at least 3.3. (More)
➤ Thinking about starting a business in Texas? LegalZoom makes forming an LLC easy, helping protect personal assets and boost business credibility. Join over 4 million entrepreneurs who trust LegalZoom. Start your Texas LLC today!
➤ Chevron has completed its $53 billion acquisition of New York-based Hess Corporation after the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris dismissed a challenge by rival Exxon Mobil. The purchase gives Chevron access to 30% of the lucrative Stabroek Block oil field off the coast of Guyana. (More)
➤ Shredder Ski School just opened in Dallas, bringing an indoor skiing and snowboarding venue to Texas for the first time. (More)
➤ Austin bootmaker Tecovas is teaming up with Chili’s for a limited-edition Booth Boot, made using the same material as the restaurant’s iconic red booths and embroidered with chili peppers. (See Photo)
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Now, Immersed is shipping the first units of its productivity-designed Visor headset. Over 75,000 people are already waitlisted, representing $71 million in projected first-year sales. No wonder leaders at Intel and Meta have already invested.
➤ Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized edge rusher Micah Parsons and quarterback Dak Prescott for missing games last season. “Nothing makes guys want to fight for you more than hearing how upset you are that they got hurt while fighting for you,” remarked former Houston Texans linebacker J.J. Watt. (More)
➤ Hundreds of people participate in the NBTX Run Club’s Wednesday night jogs through downtown New Braunfels. (See Photos)
➤ Fans of Galveston’s growing raccoon population were dismayed when animal services officers were photographed laying traps for the critters last week. (More)
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Senate Committee Weighs THC Ban
