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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1930, the Daisy Bradford No. 3 oil well in Rusk County came in, ushering in the East Texas oil boom. Wildcatter Columbus Marion “Dad” Joiner is credited with the discovery on the property of the woman for whom the well was named.

The Taylor Swift guitar we told you about in yesterday's edition is up for sale again, and it looks like the banged-up version might fetch more than it did before it was beaten with a hammer in a viral video.

Why are Texans switching to this bold red wine? Find out with our sponsors today, Bonner Private Wines.

Judge Blocks Texas Ban on Vote Harvesting

A federal judge ruled that Texas’ prohibition on vote harvesting violates the U.S. Constitution because it lacks specificity and restricts free speech.

The law was passed in 2021 by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature after a months-long standoff with Democrats. After the law’s passage, a number of left-leaning advocacy groups sued to block its implementation.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez halts the state's widely publicized investigation into recent activities of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to appeal the decision, saying it “risks undermining public trust in our political process.”

Cruz v. Allred Race Gets Tighter

The Cook Political Report has shifted the U.S. Senate race in Texas from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican,” reflecting recent polling showing Republican incumbent Ted Cruz could be vulnerable to an upset from Democratic challenger Rep. Collin Allred.

Allred’s strong fundraising appeal and ad spending also factored into the rating change. So far, Allred has outspent Cruz $49.4 million to $22.3 million, and last week, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced a multimillion-dollar ad buy on his behalf.

Although Cruz has been forced to defend an ill-timed vacation to Cancun during the winter storm of 2021, Texas has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988, and Cruz maintains a slim lead in recent polls.

Cruz won his 2018 reelection by 2.6 points against Beto O’Rourke.

List: Best Small Cities in Texas

Five Texas cities scored in the 90th percentile or higher in a WalletHub ranking of the Best Small Cities in America.

Rockwall (97%), Leander (97%), Allen (96%), Cedar Park (95%), and Flower Mound (93%) were among the highest-ranked cities, with Flower Mound receiving high marks for its affordability and Allen being recognized for its safety.

The study ranked 1,318 U.S. cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000 on 45 different metrics, including affordability, economic opportunity, health, and quality of life.

The Flyover is just like The Texas Flyover, except it covers news from all fifty states. Sign up with one click!

It’s no secret — Texans know quality when they taste it.

And more and more are switching from bland, mass-produced wines to something bold, rare, and packed with flavor: the Extreme Altitude Wine Club.

These wines come from vineyards that sit up to 8,950 feet above sea level in the rugged Andes Mountains. The altitude? Extreme. The flavor? Even more so.

These aren’t your average reds — they’re handcrafted, exclusive wines that Texans just can’t get enough of.

Why are Texans making the switch?

Bold Flavors You Can’t Find Anywhere Else: Deep notes of dark berries, herbs, and a hint of spice from grapes grown in the world’s highest vineyards.
Healthier, Cleaner Wine: With 93% less sugar and 10x more resveratrol than mass-market reds, this wine lets you sip without the guilt.
Small Batch, Big Impact: Each bottle is made by small, family-owned vineyards—crafted with love, not chemicals.

➤ Levelland: Authorities made multiple arrests and confiscated gambling paraphernalia at an illegal horse racetrack on Sunday after a months-long investigation. (See Details)

➤ Marble Falls: TxTag is warning customers to watch out for “smishing” scams in which fraudsters send toll road users text messages asking them to pay an outstanding balance on their account. (More)

➤ Dallas: The U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Russian citizen Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov, 31, for a series of alleged ransomware attacks against businesses in Texas and across the country since at least 2017. (See Details)

➤ Giddings: People lined up at the Lee County Annex Building Monday morning to collect their share of a $10,000 bounty on feral hogs and coyotes. The county is offering $5 for each pair of hog ears and $10 for coyote ears until the fund runs out. (Watch Video)

➤ Odessa: The Public Utility Commission of Texas unanimously approved a power transmission plan for the Permian Basin last Thursday, promising new and upgraded infrastructure. (More)

➤ Temple: An explosion at Delta Centrifugal, a steel castings manufacturing plant, sent five employees to the hospital with severe but non-life-threatening injuries. Twenty-seven firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the incident. (Watch Video)

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➤ The Houston Astros were eliminated from the playoffs Wednesday afternoon as they fell to the Detroit Tigers and former manager A.J. Hinch 5-2. (More)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys have placed their star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games. (More)

➤ San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is listed at 235 pounds at the start of training camp—a 25-pound increase from his weight at the start of last season. (More)

➤ Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was included in Time Magazine’s TIME100 Next list of people who are “changing their respective fields' futures and emerging as leaders for the next generation.” (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: MLB | NHL

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➤ Houston is one of only five U.S. cities with at least 1 million residents where owning a home is considered affordable, according to property data firm Attom. In Harris County, mortgage, insurance, and property taxes are roughly 25% of the average income. (More)

➤ A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday for a massive $5 billion pediatric health complex that will be part of the Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center networks. The two organizations aim to occupy the 4.7 million-square-foot facility in 2031. (See Details)

➤ Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger, 64, announced he will retire at the end of the year and be replaced by Schwab President Rick Wurster. Bettinger has helmed the Westlake-based brokerage since 2008, expanding its product offerings, overseeing a merger, and navigating a banking crisis. (More)

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It’s time to level up your wine game.

Join the Extreme Altitude Wine Club today and experience the bold wines everyone’s talking about.

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➤ A signed Taylor Swift guitar destroyed by an Ellis County man at an auction is up for sale on eBay just days after a video of the destruction went viral. The man donated it back to raise money for agriculture education programs. (Watch Video)

➤ Waco schoolteacher Brenda Harris won the world championship for inline skating in her age group during a global competition in Italy. (See Video)

➤ Whataburger unveiled a new limited-time “Bacon Blaze Jalapeño Double” featuring jalapeño strips and “creamy jalapeño ranch dressing.” The ad for the burger, available until Oct. 31, was filmed in New Braunfels. (More)

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