Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1947, Eagles co-founder and drummer Don Henley was born in Gilmer. He was raised in nearby Linden, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

Yesterday, we asked for your go-to recommendations for cowboy boots and other Western gear. Readers revealed a deep loyalty to their long-time suppliers, including Tecovas, Lucchese, Cavender’s, Double D Ranchwear in Yoakum, and Mingo Boot Company in El Paso for boots, along with O'Farrell Hat Company in Santa Fe and Resistol for hats.

A reader named Randy shared his approach to Texas hat fashion: "I went country in 1970 when rock and roll went stupid. I have an everyday hat and a dress hat that I keep clean and shaped for marrying and burying occasions. Never change your felt hat to straw before Memorial Day or your straw to felt until after Labor Day."

Forecasters now put the odds at 81% that El Niño reaches "very strong" status by winter, potentially one of the largest on record. And Texas is sitting squarely in its path. When a pattern this powerful takes over, it doesn't just tweak the forecast; it rewrites the whole season. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla breaks down the five ways forecasters say this El Niño will shape the months ahead. So what does a record-setting El Niño mean for the Texas winter? Tune in here!

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Bertha Takes Aim at Louisiana, Texas

Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to come ashore in southeast Louisiana tonight before drifting toward Texas as a weakening system.

The second named storm of the season peaked with 60 mph winds Tuesday, and forecasters expect gradual weakening as Bertha crawls west along the northern Gulf Coast.

The storm isn't expected to be a high-impact event for Houston. Tropical moisture arrives in Southeast Texas this evening, with scattered downpours and breezier conditions possible into Friday.

In the Brazos Valley, heavier rain bands remain possible if the track shifts south, though confidence is growing in a northerly track that would weaken the storm more quickly.

Texas Leads Nation in June Jobs

Texas added 43,400 nonfarm jobs in June, the largest gain of any state, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

Total nonfarm employment reached a record 14,469,600, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, and the 177,900 jobs Texas added over the past year also led the nation.

Construction did much of the lifting: Texas added 24,800 construction jobs over the year, the most in the country, including 5,200 from May to June. Still, the state's unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in June, up from 4.1% a year earlier and above the national rate of 4.2%.

Gov. Greg Abbott credited the state's "highly skilled workforce, welcoming business climate, and exceptional quality of life."

Travis County Jurors Get $26,700 Each

Fourteen Travis County jurors will each be paid $26,700 for a criminal trial that heard just three days of evidence.

Judge Karen Sage ordered the payments after the evidence-tampering case against former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and assistant county district attorney Jason Nassour stalled for nearly two years during an appeal.

The jury was seated in August 2024 and remained on call until prosecutors dismissed the charges this month. Sage awarded the state's $58 daily rate for 460 days, excluding weekends and holidays, for a total of $373,800.

District Attorney Jose Garza called the order "absurd," arguing jurors should be paid only for the days they heard evidence. Sage wrote that "citizens of this county who perform their public service should be compensated."

The payout will consume more than half of Travis County's $698,605 trial-jury budget for the year.

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➤ Hill Country: Gov. Greg Abbott said flood sirens and early warning systems installed after the July 2025 floods helped save lives in this month's Hill Country flooding, and signaled lawmakers will take up expanding those systems next legislative session. (More)

➤ Maryland: Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old Texas School for the Deaf senior who starred as Jia in the movie Godzilla vs. Kong, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Frederick County, Maryland. Investigators believe excessive speed contributed to the crash. (See Details)

➤ El Paso: The Fire Department's Water Rescue Team joined statewide search and rescue efforts near Sonora, with Chief Rick Pando and planner Mario Ontiveros coordinating damage assessments and logistics from Fredericksburg after this month's Hill Country flooding. (See Details)

➤ Arlington police and the FBI arrested real estate agent Mayra Velasquez on July 16, charging her with capital murder in the 2012 cold-case killing of Irasema Chavez, who was stabbed 100 times in her apartment. The FBI's genetic genealogy program broke the case. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio ISD trustees voted 5-2 Monday to hire Adrian Bustillos as superintendent. Bustillos, most recently Aldine ISD's chief transformation officer, takes over a district facing a $23.2 million deficit, declining enrollment, and 18 campuses that have received three straight failing state ratings. (See Details)

➤ Austin removed the rainbow crosswalks at Fourth and Colorado streets early Monday under state and federal directives that officials say make roads safer. (See Photos)

➤ San Angelo ISD trustees voted 5-0 Monday to give all employees a one-time $1,000 insurance stipend for 2026-27, opting to keep the district's monthly health insurance contribution at $479 rather than raising it during a projected deficit budget year. (More)

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➤ Texas Tech led all college football programs with 27 players named to the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000, topping the nation for the second straight year. (More)

➤ Texas State extended the contract of baseball coach Steven Trout through 2030 after a season that included an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and a school-record 116 home runs. (More)

➤ Bailey Voss, a Water Valley High School junior, is representing a U.S. team at an international volleyball tournament in the Dominican Republic through July 27. The setter led the Lady Wildcats to last year's Class 1A state final. Water Valley opens this season ranked No. 2. (More)

➤ Tommy Horal, a 13-year-old from Killeen, earned a spot on the USA Gymnastics Junior National Team and will make his international debut for Team USA in China in November. His coach says most gymnasts don't make the junior team until 15 or 16. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA

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➤ El Paso's City Council approved an additional $1 million to subsidize renovation of the century-old Popular Dry Goods building downtown, on top of a $6.72 million incentive package. Developers plan to build apartments in the National Register of Historic Places landmark by 2028. (See Details)

➤ Legends Global, backed by Jerry Jones and the New York Yankees, was named owner's representative and lead sales agency for the new Dallas Mavericks arena planned at the old Valley View mall site in North Dallas. The firm handles concessions and ticket sales at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. (More)

➤ Tornado Terry's Family Amusement Center in Keller will close Aug. 9 after 35 years, citing declining traffic amid Keller Hicks Road construction that began in February 2024 and isn't expected to finish until spring 2027. The arcade will auction its game cabinets on Aug. 2 and sell commemorative tokens. (More)

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➤ Waco resident Kenlea Conner won a year's supply of Dr Pepper, 365 cans delivered in 31 12-packs, in the Dr Pepper Museum's annual giveaway. Museum staff and the Dr Pepper mascot brought the prize to her home on Monday. She chose Creamy Coconut as her flavor. (Read Story)

➤ Kerr County's flood memorial cross at Flat Rock Park, dedicated just weeks ago to victims of last year's Fourth of July flood, was knocked down by last week's floodwaters. Commissioner Rich Paces says it's "bent, not broken," and crews will reinstall it with a reinforced steel sleeve. (More)

➤ Domestic violence survivor Dianna Powell will host a live butterfly release and guest speakers Aug. 29 at Odessa's Sherwood Park, honoring victims and survivors. The event, organized through the nonprofit Stand Together, is open to anyone. (See Details)

➤ The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is collecting canned proteins, ready-to-eat meals, peanut butter, and bottled water for flood-impacted Texas families at its Pharr loading dock, with deliveries headed to the South Texas Food Bank on Thursday. Donations are due by this evening. Volunteers are also welcome. (See Details)

➤ KPOPWORLD Festival, the first in Texas, hits San Antonio's Alamodome Oct. 28-31 with Jay Park, The Rose, SB19, and a 32-team international dance championship. Tickets go on sale Thursday through the Alamodome website. (See Lineup)

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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:

➤ Forecasters warn a record-strength El Niño could decide whether your state floods or dries out. (Hear Details)

➤ Mass shootings swept through eight states last weekend, leaving dozens of victims as investigators continue to search for suspects. (Hear Episode)

➤ The Secret Service officer who took a bullet stopping a gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is being honored. (Listen Now)