Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1821, the flag of Spain was lowered for the last time in San Antonio after Mexican revolutionaries gained control of the city. A treaty recognizing Mexico’s independence was signed the following month.

Today's Poll at the end of this email asks if you own a pair of cowboy boots, and Business mentions the reopening of a historic saddle shop in Brenham. Do you have a go-to place for boots, cowboy hats, and other western gear? Hit reply to let us know.

For years, the diet soda felt like the smart choice. Skip the sugar, save the calories, and protect your health. But a first-of-its-kind study that followed nearly 13,000 adults over 8 years found that the low- and no-calorie sweeteners hiding in everyday products may be quietly speeding up how fast the brain ages. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shares which sweeteners proved harmful, which one came out clean, and the everyday drinks and snacks they turn up in. So which of the sweeteners sitting in your own kitchen made the list? Tune in here to learn more!

Today's sponsor, PuriProduce, offers a simple, chemical-free way to help clean your fruits and vegetables, giving you added peace of mind with every meal.

Car insurance rates have climbed for many drivers over the past few years. Later today, watch for a message from our partner, Insurify, about a simple way to compare quotes and see if you could save.

Texas Shifts from Response to Recovery

Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that Texas is shifting from emergency response to recovery after last week's floods damaged about 490 homes across the state.

Abbott surveyed the Kerrville area by helicopter before meeting with state and local emergency officials on cleanup, debris removal, and infrastructure repairs. He was joined by Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd and Adjutant General Thomas Suelzer.

"I want to thank all the first responders, volunteers, and our fellow Texans for the swift and effective response to the floods," Abbott said, pointing donors to the Rebuild Texas Fund.

First responders rescued more than 500 people during the flooding, which killed two: a 74-year-old man in Uvalde and John Mark Steward, who was swept several miles downstream. Abbott declared a major disaster in at least 28 counties on Friday.

Carrollton Soldier Killed in Jordan

The Department of War on Monday identified Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, as one of two soldiers killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan.

Gonzales died July 17 at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. She was assigned to an air defense artillery battalion based in Ansbach, Germany.

The second soldier, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed a day later. Their deaths raise the U.S. military toll in the conflict with Iran to 17.

U.S. forces launched a ninth straight night of counterstrikes as the two countries battle over the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran "continues to launch against ships in that international waterway" and urged other countries to join the U.S. effort.

Small Plane Lands on Fulshear Home

A pilot escaped with minor injuries Monday morning after his small plane came down on the roof of a house near Fulshear in Fort Bend County.

Photos from the Fulshear Simonton Fire Department showed the yellow Piper J3C-65 propped on the home's roof with one wing on the ground, on Kitty Hawk Street in the Covey Trails neighborhood.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said the pilot was trying to land at the neighborhood's airstrip and was the only person aboard. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Katy.

It's unclear whether anyone was inside the home. The FAA said it will investigate.

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➤ Kerrville: James Avery is donating $1 million to Hill Country flood relief, covering food, shelter, and mental health care as many of its own employees recover. The jeweler has called Kerrville home for more than 70 years. (See Details)

➤ Amarillo: An 18-year-old Gardena, California, woman was arrested Friday, accused of destroying electronic evidence tied to Kevin Hunt, who pleaded guilty to planning an attack on Canyon's 2025 Fourth of July parade. Kristina Maria Partida's bond is set at $1.5 million. (More)

➤ Presidio: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 22.4 kilograms of fentanyl hidden in the spare tire of a pickup at the Presidio Port of Entry on July 15. The driver, who crossed from Ojinaga, Mexico, was arrested on federal drug charges. (See Details)

➤ Nacogdoches: Stephen F. Austin State University will phase out its Early Childhood Laboratory over five years, citing rising costs. Karen Bethel, who taught at the Nacogdoches lab for 36 years, launched a petition against the closure that has garnered more than 2,500 signatures. (Read Story)

➤ Kerrville: The Kerr County Courthouse will stay closed for the foreseeable future after 6 feet of floodwater filled its lower level. The county attorney's, human resources, and treasurer's offices may not return for up to a year. The 1926 building has anchored Kerrville's square for nearly a century. (See Details)

➤ Laredo: A July 5 pipe burst that flooded Webb County's Billy Hall administration building in Laredo is still displacing county offices, pushing the La Presa housing assistance deadline to July 24. Repairs are expected to take at least a month. (More)

➤ Austin: A jury acquitted Georgetown homebuilder Norman Ashby on July 17 after a week-long trial. Ashby was indicted in 2024 on charges that he defrauded customers of more than $10 million collected for home construction projects in Williamson County. (See Details)

➤ El Paso: The city council approved the city's first data center policy framework Monday, requiring future hyperscale projects to obtain a special permit and meet environmental standards on water use, energy demand, and noise. The rules won't affect Meta's data center under construction in Northeast El Paso. (See Details)

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➤ Tony Romo will tee it up in the 56th Group Texas State Open at Tyler's Cascades Country Club, July 28-31. The former Cowboys quarterback shot 69-76 there last year and missed the cut. (More)

➤ Brooke Mayo, who started refereeing youth games in Garland at age 13, served on the first all-female U.S. refereeing trio to work a match at the men's FIFA World Cup. "I call it like a fever dream, honestly," she said. (Read Story)

➤ Flora Appleton, Mason's 6-foot-2 senior guard, picked up her fourth Division I offer, from Cal State Bakersfield, after posting 17 points and 11 rebounds in Friday's Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Game in Arlington. (See Details)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA

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➤ Texas gas prices climbed to an average of $3.57 a gallon Monday, up 15 cents in a week, as the national average returned to $4 amid the escalating conflict with Iran. Prices run highest in West Texas and El Paso, and lowest around Houston and Austin. (See Details)

➤ Hut 8, a former crypto miner turned AI data center operator, signed a second 15-year lease worth $9.8 billion, fully leasing its 1-gigawatt Beacon Point campus in Texas. The deal doubles the unnamed tenant's footprint there to 704 megawatts. (More)

➤ Texarkana leaders convened the region's first State of Lithium Symposium, weighing the economic and environmental stakes of tapping the Smackover Formation. Companies including EnergyX, ExxonMobil, and Chevron are exploring the East Texas deposits as the U.S. tries to close a lithium gap with China and Chile. (Read Story)

➤ San Angelo posted a 3.9% unemployment rate in June, second-lowest among Texas metros behind Midland's 3.6%, as the state added 43,400 jobs. Texas has gained 177,900 jobs over the year, a 1.2% rate outpacing the national 0.9%. (See Report)

➤ Brenham Saddle Shop, the 66-year-old store that closed in April 2025 amid speculation that rapper Drake had bought it, announced it will reopen this fall. A new trademark was filed in November 2025 by an Austin lawyer who has previously handled Drake's trademarks. (See Details)

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➤ National Day of the Cowboy returns to College Station on Saturday with Cowboy Fellowship of Aggieland's fourth annual celebration. Expect blacksmithing, farrier demos, horse rides, and cowboy biscuit-making lessons. (See Details)

➤ Texas Tech researchers Peter Keyel and Kai Zhang won roughly $600,000 over three years to study Leishmania, a sandfly-borne parasite that sickens millions worldwide. Their work on how the parasite's cells repair themselves could point toward new drugs. (More)

➤ Driscoll Health hosts its sixth annual back-to-school expo on Tuesday at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, handing out more than 4,000 loaded backpacks alongside free haircuts, sports physicals, vaccinations, and health screenings. (See Details)

➤ Mannheim Steamroller brings Chip Davis' holiday concert to Lubbock's Buddy Holly Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Tickets go on sale Friday. (See Details)

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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:

➤ New research found the low-calorie sweeteners hiding in everyday drinks may be quietly eroding your memory. (Hear Details)

➤ Health officials are working to trace the source of a deadly Legionnaires' outbreak on New York's Upper East Side. (Hear Episode)

➤ One of the most notorious figures in Mexico's drug trade was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit billions. (Listen Now)