Texas

Tesla unveiled a redesigned second-generation Roadster at a SpaceX site in Texas, demonstrating a car equipped with cold-gas thrusters and underbody fans that drove up an inverted ramp, flipped mid-air and landed. CEO Elon Musk claimed "flying cars are real" and cited acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in under a second, with one source reporting 0.81 seconds. Musk said production is targeted for 2028, with three variants planned and deposits required for reservations.

6 reports · 5 sources · Updated Oct 16, 12:32 PM UTC

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico returned to the campaign trail after a nine-day absence due to the flu, which had rattled the race and sparked conservative speculation, including false rumors amplified by Elon Musk that he was in Ohio or a mental facility. Talarico dismissed the theories as "silly season," said "I just had the flu," and challenged Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to a debate. Former President Donald Trump called for a Paxton-Talarico debate and warned he would "never forgive" Texas if Talarico wins. Polls show Talarico ahead but his lead narrowing.

13 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 15, 04:43 AM UTC

Five leaked audio recordings from a September 24 private fundraiser show Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton criticizing President Trump as a drag on his campaign, blaming Trump's war on Iran and high gas and food prices for his poll numbers, saying Washington controls his campaign, and telling federal benefits recipients to "suck it up" and prepare for cuts. Paxton dismissed the controversy on Fox News as a "little game" by opponent James Talarico, insisting his 12-year record shows Trump support. Talarico is virtually tied with Paxton ahead of the November midterm elections.

8 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 12, 03:12 PM UTC

Christa Pike, a 50-year-old Tennessee death row inmate, survived two lethal injections of pentobarbital on 30 September after the execution was botched, leaving her in critical condition. She regained consciousness, began speaking, and was later discharged from a Nashville hospital and returned to prison, her lawyers said. The failed execution prompted the resignation of Tennessee's prisons chief, a judge's order to preserve evidence, and renewed scrutiny of the state's lethal injection protocols and prior warnings from Arizona's botched executions.

37 reports · 4 sources · Updated Oct 10, 10:18 PM UTC

Former President Donald Trump held a rally in San Antonio, Texas, to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The event was repeatedly interrupted by protesters both inside and outside the Freeman Coliseum, with several demonstrators ejected. Trump claimed the protesters were "paid by enemies of our nation." Multiple news outlets described the pairing of Trump and Paxton as awkward, noting Paxton's legal troubles and the tightening Senate race.

11 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 8, 02:48 PM UTC

On October 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued an injunction halting the Trump administration's $1.7 billion border security project in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The project, led by the Department of Homeland Security, planned vehicle barriers, patrol roads, and surveillance systems. Environmental groups and local stakeholders sued, challenging the use of waivers to bypass environmental laws. Construction had begun in August but paused due to local opposition. The Center for Biological Diversity called the ruling a "historic victory."

5 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 3, 12:47 AM UTC

TSMC is evaluating a potential multi-billion-dollar investment in Texas to build multiple advanced wafer fabrication plants, possibly in Dallas, contingent on the US Congress extending the advanced manufacturing tax credit expiring this year. The plan, still in early stages with no official confirmation, would add to TSMC's $265 billion Arizona facility and aims to boost AI chip production capacity amid strong demand from Nvidia, Apple, and AMD.

5 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 1, 10:36 AM UTC

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a Venezuelan man in Austin, Texas, on September 21, 2026. The man, a DoorDash driver, was seriously wounded and is hospitalized with a bullet lodged near his spine, requiring surgery. The officer was not wearing a body camera. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Rep. Greg Casar have demanded an independent investigation. A federal judge blocked the man's deportation. The shooting sparked protests and student walkouts.

17 reports · 2 sources · Updated Sep 23, 09:11 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung welcomed "significant progress" on a long-stalled $350 billion investment agreement. The first project selected is a $22.3 billion gas-fired power plant in Encinal, Texas, with commercial operations targeted for 2029. Participants include Related Companies Inc., NextEra Energy, and Lewis Energy Group. Two additional projects under review are up to eight nuclear reactors and an Alaska LNG pipeline. South Korea has set a $20 billion annual cap on capital outflows and designated $150 billion for shipbuilding.

22 reports · 9 sources · Updated Sep 23, 06:26 AM UTC

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered a statewide halt on new data center permits and regulatory approvals until audits of electricity demand and water usage are completed. The pause, directed at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, expands an earlier August order that froze new grid connections. ERCOT faces over 474 gigawatts of new interconnection requests, about 90% from data centers, exceeding Texas's peak demand fivefold. Projects must now undergo grid impact assessments and provide water usage details. No timeline for resuming approvals has been set.

11 reports · 10 sources · Updated Sep 22, 08:09 PM UTC

Elon Musk announced on September 20 via X that The Boring Company is advancing plans for an 80-mile intercity tunnel connecting Austin and San Antonio, Texas, described as a “simplified precursor” to a Hyperloop system. Musk stated the tunnel would reduce travel time from up to 2.5 hours to under 30 minutes at speeds exceeding 200 mph (322 km/h). No route, cost, financing, or timeline has been disclosed. The company recently completed a $3 billion funding round led by UAE investors, valuing it at $23 billion. Its only operational system remains the Vegas Loop.

24 reports · 17 sources · Updated Sep 22, 02:34 AM UTC

The family of Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old Black woman from San Antonio, Texas, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and several doctors. Walker died in 2024 at 20 weeks pregnant from preeclampsia and hypertension after being denied an abortion twice despite high-risk health conditions. The lawsuit alleges Paxton’s aggressive enforcement of Texas’s near-total abortion ban created a chilling effect that prevented lifesaving care. Paxton’s office has not publicly responded.

7 reports · 2 sources · Updated Sep 17, 02:35 PM UTC

At the first-ever Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on September 10, 2026, former President Donald Trump promised every adult US citizen a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” if Republicans retain Congress in the November elections. He led the crowd in a pledge to “cheat like hell” to vote. The event featured endorsements for scandal-ridden candidate Ken Paxton and warnings of national decline under Democrats. Polls suggest Republicans may lose their House majority amid the Iran war and rising costs.

24 reports · 6 sources · Updated Sep 12, 01:30 PM UTC

The U.S. Space Force selected Lake Kickapoo, Texas, as the third and final site for its Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), a trilateral program with the UK and Australia. Construction is set for 2027, with operations targeted for 2030. The first site in Australia was completed in 2024 and cleared for early use in 2025; the second site in Wales is expected to begin construction in April 2026. Northrop Grumman is building the radars.

5 reports · 2 sources · Updated Sep 11, 01:10 PM UTC