Thursday, October 1, 2026

Texas AD Apologizes, Mattress Mack Bets Big, and Midland's Job Growth

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1910, Bonnie Parker was born in Rowena, Texas. Before she met Clyde Barrow in 1930, she was a poetry-writing honor student who stood 4 feet 10 inches tall.

Where would you retire if the numbers made the decision instead of your gut? A new ranking scored 182 American cities on everything from taxes to golf to healthcare, and Texas missed one list entirely but showed up big on another. Ayla counts down the 10 best places to retire in America on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Which city took the national crown for the third straight year? And which two Texas towns cracked one of the ranking's top five? Tune in here!

Introducing Flyover Finance! Launching on Monday, Oct. 12.

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Vance Breaks Ground on Brownsville Shipyard

Vice President JD Vance grabbed a shovel Wednesday in Brownsville, breaking ground on Saronic Technologies' $3.2 billion Port Alpha shipyard alongside Gov. Greg Abbott and company CEO Dino Mavrookas.

The Austin company's 800-acre yard at the Port of Brownsville is projected to create up to 10,000 jobs and $264.5 billion in economic impact. "The seas of the world will be ruled by warships built in the great State of Texas," Abbott said.

Vance then rallied in Harlingen for Republican House candidate Eric Flores, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in the 34th District. He called Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who is running for Senate, "profoundly unserious."

President Trump is scheduled to visit Peterbilt Motors' truck plant in Denton on Thursday, where the White House said he'll tout an agenda it credits with more than 1 million private-sector jobs.

Texas AD Apologizes for Vulgar Celebrations

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte apologized Tuesday for the vulgar on-field celebrations by two Longhorns during Saturday's 20-17 win at Tennessee, calling them "embarrassing" to the top-ranked program and the university.

Defensive end Colin Simmons drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for mimicking urinating after one of his school-record 5 1/2 sacks. Running back Raleek Brown put a hand to his crotch, brought it to his face, and pretended to pass out after a touchdown.

Coach Steve Sarkisian pulled Simmons for a few plays, then sent him back in. He called the behavior unacceptable on Monday. "The moment you start to demean the opponent, the flags come out," Sarkisian said.

Simmons apologized after the game, saying he got caught up in the moment. Del Conte wrote that both players owned their mistakes and will grow from them. Texas has an off week before facing Oklahoma on Oct. 10.

Tornado Hits Panhandle as Rain Spreads

A tornado touched down near Amarillo Tuesday night, and sirens blared across the Texas Panhandle as storms rolled through.

The storms knocked out power to more than 1,000 customers in Potter and Randall counties and closed roads across the region. Amarillo firefighters fielded five water-emergency calls overnight, and crews spent Wednesday surveying possible damage near Claude.

The next round hits Thursday, when the remnants of Hurricane Polo are expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain across San Antonio and South Central Texas, with higher totals where storms stall. A flood watch runs through 7 p.m. Friday.

Bexar County crews have already set barricades at low-water crossings, and officials emphasize that drivers should never go around them.

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➤ Statewide: A software update at the Department of Public Safety kept more than 178,000 voter registrations from reaching county election offices. The Secretary of State's office says it'll process them before the Nov. 3 election. The registration deadline is Oct. 5. (More)

➤ Dallas: Police Chief Daniel Comeaux met with Flock Safety's CEO to discuss guidelines for the city's license plate readers. About half of Dallas' 600-plus cameras went dark after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to pause funding Sept. 1. (More)

➤ Lufkin: A former police officer got five years after pleading guilty to 100 counts of misusing official information through Flock camera searches. Texas Rangers found Zachary Klein, 33, had abused multiple police databases, and the state agreed not to pursue stalking charges. (More)

➤ Big Bend: Customs and Border Protection will decide the first week of October whether to shrink its border project through the national park. The agency dropped a 30-foot bollard wall but still plans a road, lights, and vehicle barriers. (More)

➤ Rains County: A justice of the peace was indicted for aggravated perjury, accused of lying under oath at a hearing on his child support payments. Robert Jenkins Franklin is already on probation for shouldering a rifle near a courthouse window. (More)

➤ Allen: All Metals Fabricating says aluminum prices are up 84% since March of last year under U.S. tariffs on Canadian metal. The company is stockpiling material and passing costs to customers. (More)

➤ Richardson: A student journalist is suing University of Texas at Dallas officials over discipline he received due to a disclaimer he attached to a guest column about antisemitism and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The school removed him as editor and put him on deferred suspension. (More)

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➤ The Houston Astros' season ended yesterday with a 7-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox, who completed the Wild Card sweep. After trailing 4-0 in the first, Houston pulled within one before Chicago’s three-run homer in the sixth put the game away. (More)

➤ Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale bet $516,000 on the Astros to win the World Series through the prediction market Kalshi, for what would've been a $13 million payout. His Gallery Furniture promotion would've refunded customers who spent $4,000 or more if Houston won it all. (More)

➤ Arike Ogunbowale scored a WNBA playoff-record 45 points Wednesday as the Dallas Wings beat the Golden State Valkyries 108-100 in overtime, forcing a deciding Game 3 Friday in San Francisco. Her contested 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation tied it. (More)

➤ Baylor will reportedly wear helmet stripes for the rest of the season, a change coach Dave Aranda pushed for. The Bears scrapped stripes in a 2019 rebrand. (See Helmet)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys agreed to terms with safety Juanyeh Thomas and cornerback Alex Austin as injuries pile up in the secondary. (See Details)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

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➤ Firefly Aerospace will fly an AI computing payload for startup Starcloud on its third moon mission in 2028, testing technology that could power a data center in lunar orbit. The Cedar Park company's Elytra orbiter will stay in orbit for up to five years. (More)

➤ Midland's job market grew 3.3% over the year ending in August, second-fastest among U.S. metros behind Mankato, Minnesota. Payrolls climbed to 129,800 from 125,700. That growth rate is more than triple the statewide 1.0% and nearly double Odessa's 1.7%. (More)

➤ Origin Mexico, an Austin-area company known for hand-painted hats from Oaxaca, works with more than 300 artisans across Mexico, up from two when founder Yazmin Castañeda left her corporate job six years ago. (More)

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➤ Richardson ISD students get 10 to 30 minutes of passive screen time per class under new district guidelines, one year after Texas banned cell phones in public schools. Coppell, Dallas, and Lockhart ISDs are trimming screen time, too. (More)

➤ An Asian marketplace spanning 30,000 square feet is planned for Leander's Northline development, with construction starting in 2027 and businesses opening in 2028. Developers cite regional growth tied to employers such as Samsung, which is building a chip plant in nearby Taylor. Fifteen percent of Leander's population is Asian. (See Plans)

➤ Six Fiesta nights headline the Spurs' 2026-27 theme night calendar at Frost Bank Center, which also includes Halloween, Hello Kitty, Barbie, and Elf Ugly Sweater nights. Opening night is Oct. 20 against Oklahoma City. (See Schedule)

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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.

➤ Two retirement destination rankings crown completely different winners, and one snubs Florida entirely. (See Top 10)

➤ Surgeons at an Ohio hospital are accused of amputating the wrong appendage of a 74-year-old Army veteran. (Hear Details)

➤ Tennessee's first execution of a woman in more than 200 years was halted about an hour before it began. (Listen Now)

Do you spend more or less time on your phone now than you did two years ago?

Yesterday's Results:

Have you had any flooding near where you live this year?

No: 65%
Yes: 22%
Not yet: 13%

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Gas Tax, Google AI, and Hockey Season

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1967, Wright State University officially became an independent state university after operating for three years as a joint branch campus of The Ohio State University and Miami University.

Where would you retire if the numbers made the decision instead of your gut? A new ranking scored 182 American cities on everything from taxes to golf to healthcare, and the winners aren't all where you'd expect. Ayla counts down the 10 best places to retire in America on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Where do Florida's famous retirement havens actually land? Do any cities in California make the list? And which two surprise Texas towns made the cut? Tune in here!

Introducing Flyover Finance! Launching on Monday, Oct. 12.

Ohio Lawmakers Pause State Gas Tax

Ohio drivers could see relief at the pump as soon as today after lawmakers passed a 90-day gas tax holiday that Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to sign.

The bill suspends the state's 38.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax and 47-cent diesel tax, and a bipartisan margin secured an emergency clause that allows the tax break to kick in once DeWine signs it.

Lawmakers estimate drivers will save $3 to $7 per fill-up, with gas averaging $4.23 a gallon statewide Wednesday.

About $725 million in general state funds will replace lost road maintenance money, a change that won DeWine's support.

Butler County Farm Keeps Fighting

Butler County is taking its fight against Garver Family Farm Market to the 12th District Court of Appeals, despite supporters urging commissioners Tuesday to drop the case.

The Garvers, who have farmed in Lemon Township since 1926, won a zoning board ruling in March letting their market keep its agricultural status. A judge then tossed the county’s challenge in August on procedural grounds.

The family’s market on Hamilton Lebanon Road includes a deli, bakery, and winery using grapes grown on site.

County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser argues the business has outgrown Ohio’s farm protections: “They didn’t build an addition to a roadside stand. They built a supermarket.”

Blue Jackets Open Season Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets open the 2026-27 season tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena with a 21-man opening roster reshaped by a major trade this week.

The headliner is winger Matthew Knies, who was acquired Monday from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-player trade that sent Kirill Marchenko, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and Miles Wood the other way. Knies is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons.

Columbus will also play without a captain, with coach Rick Bowness saying he wants everyone in the room to have a voice. Zach Werenski will wear an “A” full-time, while four teammates rotate the other letters.

Puck drop is 7 p.m. on the NHL-produced Blue Jackets Hockey Network, which took over after FanDuel Sports Network folded and is available on Spectrum, Fubo, and Prime Video.

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➤ Statewide: Ohio’s fall burn ban takes effect today, prohibiting outdoor burning in unincorporated areas from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through November. Officials warn never to burn food waste or anything containing rubber or petroleum. (See Details)

➤ Toledo: RailNation Toledo, a national passenger rail conference, opens Friday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza Amtrak Station. Federal officials, state leaders, and advocates will discuss rail’s economic benefits and a proposed Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit corridor. (More)

➤ Central Ohio: A final study from ODOT recommends an 18.2-mile U.S. 23/I-71 connector running from north of Waldo to south of state Route 521. (More)

➤ St. Bernard: Village Council approved a 12-month pause on new data centers, but a proposed 150,000-square-foot facility at the former Procter & Gamble Ivorydale site can proceed because it applied before the moratorium passed. (More)

➤ Sharonville: Bus drivers serving more than 5,200 Princeton City Schools students were set to strike this morning after talks with contractor First Student stalled over pay and health care. (More)

➤ Wood County: Lake Local Schools could cut 132 positions, including 20 teachers, if voters reject a 1% earned income tax levy Nov. 3. (More)

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➤ The Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:15 p.m. tonight, riding a nine-game winning streak in Thursday night home games. (More)

➤ Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz was named National League Player of the Month for September after hitting .348 with nine home runs. (More)

➤ Ohio State is expected to wear its all-white “Sub Zero” uniforms Saturday at Iowa for the first time since 2024, and for the first time ever with Buckeye Stripes. (See Details)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA | Soccer

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➤ The Ohio State University is partnering with Google to open an artificial intelligence space in its Innovation District, giving students and researchers access to more than 200 AI models. (More)

➤ Downtown Cincinnati lost a fixture yesterday as Batsakes Hat Shop, open since 1907, closed for good. Owner Gus Miller, 93, spent 75 years shaping hats for customers ranging from regulars to U.S. presidents. (More)

➤ Cooper’s Hawk will open its third Greater Cleveland winery and restaurant Oct. 12 on Rockside Road in Seven Hills. (More)

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➤ NASA has selected PRIMA, a space telescope mission that University of Toledo astronomer J.D. Smith helped propose. Launching in 2033, it will study young star systems to learn how planets like Earth got their water. (More)

➤ Toledo is recruiting volunteer “Snow Angels” to shovel sidewalks and driveways this winter for neighbors 60 or older or with disabilities. (See Details)

➤ About 250 students from a dozen Cuyahoga County schools practiced casting ballots at the 10th annual Your Voice Matters Youth Voting Summit. (More)

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