WalletHub places Texas at No. 8 in 2026, powered by exports and payroll gains even as innovation scores and unemployment lag. The result is scale with uneven local benefits.

Rep. Greg Casar wants an AI token-and-compute tax to fund a WPA-style jobs program for workers displaced by automation.

A near-eight-hour Austin hearing erupted after a TCOLE official floated encouraging consolidation of local police agencies — drawing swift pushback from unions and local chiefs.

Texas DPS will now give CDL written exams only in English to align with federal rules; drivers and training programs are already adjusting.

Gov. Abbott joined Davie Defense to break ground on a $1B Gulf Copper overhaul that officials say will build U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers and bring thousands of jobs to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Saudi Arabia has set up in Austin and watch parties are planned. City officials are coordinating health, safety and airspace restrictions.

University Health has broken ground on South Texas’s first milk bank at its San Antonio campus, a donor‑milk hub aimed at supplying pasteurized breast milk to NICU infants. Philanthropic donors and new equipment are already backing the project.

Hot and humid Tuesday in Austin with highs near 94 and heat index up to 102. Isolated storms possible this afternoon; heavier downpours possible later in the week.

TPWD adopted new rules that require a 600‑hour apprenticeship and cap satellite facilities; volunteer rescuers warn small centers could be squeezed. The changes take effect Sept. 1, 2027.

A weekend spate of vehicle break-ins in Georgetown left seven guns missing; police are canvassing neighborhoods and asking residents for video and tips.

A Dallas Fed survey finds two-thirds of Texas companies use AI; a small share say it lowered their need for workers.

A mid‑May shooting spree and a brief shelter‑in‑place alert exposed gaps in who actually receives official emergency messages in Austin. Officials say device settings and opt‑outs are part of the problem.

Texas has made major changes to trafficking penalties, sending stronger prison terms into law while local advocates push for enforcement and survivor services.