Here's a summary of what happened in
Top Stories
Weather & Safety
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Severe Storm Threat: A multi-day severe weather pattern began moving into Texas, bringing threats of large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes from South Texas to the Panhandle. Severe thunderstorm watches were issued for multiple counties including Kimble, Mason, Menard, and Sutton.
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Fatal Trench Collapse: A worker was killed and another injured in a trench collapse in Conroe.
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Deadly Traffic Stop: A traffic stop turned deadly in north Houston, according to HPD.
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Harris County Homicide: A suspect killed a woman in front of her two children in northwest Harris County.
Legal & Justice
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Death Row Exoneration Development: While not yesterday specifically, major coverage continued around Texas death row cases, with ongoing appeals expected in 2026. (Note: The major exoneration news from earlier this year was Tommy Lee Walker, exonerated 70 years after his 1956 execution).
Politics & Policy
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Smokeable Hemp Ban Lifted: A Texas judge temporarily lifted the state's smokeable hemp ban, providing immediate relief to retailers who had pulled inventory.
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Tax Investigation: Attorney General Ken Paxton's investigation into 1,000 Texas cities (including Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio) over potential unlawful tax increases continued to dominate headlines.
Tech Updates
Space & Aerospace
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Texas A&M Space Institute Progress: The $200 million Texas A&M Space Institute near Houston's Johnson Space Center topped out its structural frame. California-basedAstrolab committed to growing its Houston team to 200+ people by year-end to develop its NASA-selected FLEX lunar rover.
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Artemis II Return: Coverage continued of Artemis II astronauts returning home after their record-breaking trip, with Texas playing a key role in the mission.
Corporate & Employment
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Employment Forecast: The Dallas Federal Reserve's report predicting 278,000+ new Texas jobs in 2026 (1.9% growth) remained a key business story.
Finance News
Markets & Trading
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Texas Stock Exchange Countdown: With the TXSE set to begin trading in July 2026, anticipation built around the Dallas-based exchange backed by BlackRock and Citadel challenging NYSE and Nasdaq dominance.
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Nasdaq Texas Operations: Nasdaq's Texas exchange marked its full operational launch in March, with companies like APA Corporation and J.B. Hunt pursuing dual listings.
Energy Sector
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Record Energy Impact: News continued about energy's record-breaking impact on the Texas economy in 2025, driven by Permian Basin oil production stabilizing U.S. supply amid Middle East tensions.
Data & Transparency
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School Data Leak: Spring ISD employees mistakenly leaked sensitive data, raising cybersecurity concerns in the education sector.
Sports
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Texas Tech Softball: The No. 1 ranked Texas Tech softball team fell to Utah 4-0 in a weather-delayed game in Salt Lake City.
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Texas Tech Baseball: Texas Tech baseball defeated West Virginia 4-1 at Rip Griffin Park.
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Rangers-Dodgers: The Texas Rangers played the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB action.
The severe weather threat is expected to continue through Tuesday, with millions across the Southern Plains in the storm corridor.