Oct 1, 2026
National Republican groups are making massive late investments in Senate races in traditionally safe states like Texas and Kansas as new polling shows Democrats competitive. GOP operatives express concern about defending seats once considered secure.
A Texas appeals court rejected a lower court's finding that Melissa Lucio, who has spent 18 years on death row for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, is innocent. The case has attracted bipartisan calls for her release based on new evidence suggesting the child's death was accidental.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a 28-year-old Venezuelan man identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas. The man was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, and the incident prompted immediate protests at the scene.
Multiple polls show Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa leading or tied with Gov. Greg Abbott, while Senate candidate James Talarico runs competitively against Ken Paxton. The results suggest potential Democratic gains in a state that has been reliably Republican for decades.
Tesla began paid customer rides in its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, Texas on September 3, 2026. The two-seater vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and operates through Tesla's Robotaxi app. Federal safety regulators opened an investigation the following day.
Elon Musk's America PAC disclosed its first spending on behalf of Republican candidates, providing roughly $800,000 to help congressional contenders across several states including Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The super PAC unleashed $260 million in 2024.
Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to stop spending money on Flock automated license plate readers after a Texas Tribune investigation revealed at least $30 million was devoted to building the state's surveillance network.
A federal judge declined to intervene in the extradition fight over ICE agent Christian Castro, who is detained in Texas but faces state charges in Minnesota for allegedly shooting a witness during an immigration enforcement operation.
The Trump administration temporarily halted controversial border security construction in Texas' Big Bend National Park following bipartisan criticism over potential environmental damage to the protected area.
Amazon's planned data center in Pecos County, Texas received a permit to build an on-site power plant that could release up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually, potentially making it the largest source of climate pollution in the United States.
The Trump administration is awarding a $150 million contract to provide legal representation to immigrant children to a small Texas law firm with ties to the president, where only two of the attorneys are licensed to practice immigration law.
Former House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, who served nearly three decades in Congress and was the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the House, died Sunday. Speaker Mike Johnson announced her death.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman gave $10 million to support Democratic candidate James Talarico's Texas Senate campaign, representing nearly 80% of the super PAC's second-quarter fundraising in what could become one of the most expensive Senate races.
The Supreme Court declined to block a Texas law requiring app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent for minors to download apps, allowing enforcement while legal challenges continue in lower courts.
Texas-based biotech Ollin Biosciences secured $330 million in funding to advance late-stage clinical studies of its experimental eye disease treatment, representing one of the largest recent funding rounds in ophthalmology.
A US Marine who shot and wounded a police officer outside a Texas immigration detention center was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison, while seven other protesters received sentences of at least 50 years on terrorism charges. The case represents the Trump administration's first major prosecution of alleged anti-fascist activists.
An investigation found that India's Ambani family secured major policy concessions from the Trump administration while secretly funneling at least $100 million to a Texas firm connected to Donald Trump Jr.
Samples from an unconfirmed screwworm infestation on a cattle ranch in La Pryor, Texas have been sent to a federal lab in Iowa for testing, according to Texas Representative. This follows earlier reports of the flesh-eating parasite being found within 31 miles of the U.S. border in Mexico.
Texas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences has announced a de-extinction project to bring back the bluebuck, an African antelope species that went extinct approximately 226 years ago. The company plans to use genetic technology to resurrect the elegant species that was last seen alive around 1800.
A Texas man received a 23-year prison sentence for orchestrating the Meta-1 Coin fraud scheme that defrauded investors of over $20 million between 2018 and 2023. The project falsely claimed backing by $44 billion in gold and $1 billion in artwork.