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- MRT 3/2-6/26 (free): DA Garza Won’t Bring Charges Against Heroic APD Officers // Trump to Endorse in TX-SEN? // Gonzales Drops Re-Election Bid // TEA to Replace FWISF Leader
MRT 3/2-6/26 (free): DA Garza Won’t Bring Charges Against Heroic APD Officers // Trump to Endorse in TX-SEN? // Gonzales Drops Re-Election Bid // TEA to Replace FWISF Leader
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
Matt Mackowiak
March 06, 2026
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MONDAY 3/2/2026 - FRIDAY 3/6/2026
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TOP NEWS
“DA José Garza closes review of officers who stopped Austin shooter” Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetski – A memorial to the victims of a mass shooting at Buford’s bar on West 6th Street on Monday March 2, 2026, a day after a mass shooting.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza on Wednesday clarified that he plans to take no action against the three Austin police officers who opened fire early Sunday on a mass shooter who killed three people and injured 13 others on a bar-lined stretch of West Sixth Street. Ndiaga Diagne, the suspected gunman, was mid-rampage when the officers fatally shot him.
In a one-page letter to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, Garza said his office’s Civil Rights Unit conducted a “thorough review of the evidence,” including video, a walk-through of the scene and coordination with the Austin Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit.
“After the review, it is clear and indisputable that at the time the officers were responding to an active shooting in a mass casualty situation, and that the subject of the shooting was in the act of using unlawful deadly force,” Garza wrote.
(AAS)
“Camp Mystic ordered not to alter flood-damaged areas amid suit” The Texas Tribune’s Emily Foxhall – Camp Mystic cannot alter its property by the Guadalupe River where 27 girls and the camp’s executive director died last summer, so that evidence can be preserved while a lawsuit proceeds, a judge in Austin ruled Wednesday.
The camp cannot demolish, repair or reconstruct a number of cabins where campers slept when a massive flood struck on July 4, Travis County District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said.
The camp also cannot modify its grounds or its office building, recreation hall or commissary — all points of interest in the wrongful death case filed by the parents of camper Cile Steward, whose body still has not been found.
But the court order, which will be finalized in the coming days, doesn’t block Camp Mystic from reopening its neighboring (camp).
(TX TRIB)
“Texas Business Court Attracts More Cases Under Lower Entry Bar” via Bloomberg Law News – Akerman LLC’s Michael Napoli had a choice to make.
After a client secured an arbitration award in a property development dispute, the Texas-based partner needed a judge to enforce it. For the first time, he considered the state’s nascent business court as an alternative to the traditional district court system.
“Let’s go see if we have jurisdiction,” Napoli said he thought before filing in November.
The addition of arbitration agreement enforcement is one of several expansions to the Texas Business Court’s jurisdiction that went into effect Sept. 1, sparking an uptick in activity from corporate litigators. The court drew 141 new filings from September through February, a 76% year-over-year increase from the 80 cases filed in court’s first six months of operations. On average, the number of weekly filings has increased to five in year two from three in year one.
(Bloomberg Law News)
2026
“Trump calls for Texas GOP Senate primary to end, vows endorsement soon of Cornyn or Paxton” via Dallas Morning News – President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded an end to the Republican Senate race in Texas, promising to soon endorse either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or his challenger Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The candidate who does not receive his backing should immediately quit the race, the president said.
Meanwhile, Democrats quickly rallied behind their nominee, state Rep. James Talarico of Austin.
The GOP race, however, is far from settled.
After being locked in a bitter primary for many months, Cornyn and Paxton now face a May 26 runoff that promises to become an even more expensive and caustic campaign - which Trump said should not happen.
The faceoff must end for the good of the party and the country, Trump posted on Truth Social.
“I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!” Trump said. “Is that fair? We must win in November!!!”
(DMN)
“Cornyn goes on offense against Paxton as Republicans await Trump’s endorsement” AP’s Tom Beaumont – As Texas waits on President Donald Trump’s promised endorsement, Sen. John Cornyn isn’t holding back on his runoff opponent in the Republican primary.
His campaign is releasing a new video Thursday with a litany of ethical and personal accusations against state Attorney General Ken Paxton. It’s an initial salvo in a second round of campaigning that could be even more bitter and expensive than the first.
The video revisits issues like Paxton’s impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in an acquittal but exposed an extramarital affair, and a state fraud indictment for securities fraud, which Paxton resolved with a plea deal without admitting guilt.
Cornyn’s team said it’s spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep the video in front of voters’ eyes. It’s pocket change in a race where spending surpassed $110 million before Tuesday, but a possible foreshadowing of a future deluge if the six-minute clip is edited into television spots.
Trump did not endorse a candidate in the primary, frustrating Republicans who fear that they’re wasting time and resources in Texas that could be devoted to more competitive battleground states. The president said Wednesday that he would weigh in on the May 26 runoff and expect the candidate without his endorsement to drop out, but he hasn’t announced a decision.
Cornyn narrowly finished first in the primary that ended on Tuesday, but he did not cross the 50%-plus threshold necessary to avoid a runoff. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished third and was disqualified.
Party leaders are pushing for Cornyn, a stalwart incumbent seeking his fifth term, and warn that Paxton has too much baggage to be successful in a November general election against James Talarico, the Democratic nominee.
But Paxton has proven resilient to attacks over the years, and he’s fashioned himself as a political warrior for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. He told conservative influencer Benny Johnson that he wouldn’t drop out, no matter what happens with the endorsement.
“I’m going to give people in Texas a choice,” Paxton said. “The people in Washington can have their own opinion. The president can have his own opinion.”
Paxton made a different offer on social media. There, he said he would consider dropping out if Senate Republican leaders lifted the filibuster to pass legislation supported by Trump to create strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting. The proposal has stalled in the Senate.
Trump appeared frustrated by Paxton’s intransigence.
“That is bad for him,” he told Politico. “So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.”
The president previously wrote on social media that he would endorse a Texas candidate because the divisive contest cannot “be allowed to go on any longer.”
(AP)
“After admitting to affair, Tony Gonzales drops reelection bid” San Antonio Report’s Andrea Drusch – Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio) is dropping his reelection bid, amid an investigation into his relationship with a former staffer who died by suicide.
Gonzales admitted to the affair earlier this week, and faced pressure from top Republican leaders who urged him to withdraw his candidacy while the U.S. House Ethics Committee looks into the matter.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek reelection while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a statement late Thursday evening. “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.”
(SA REPORT)
“Nate Sheets promises to fire everyone linked to Sid Miller at Texas agriculture department after primary win” The Texas Tribune’s Jess Huff, Chris Essig – Nate Sheets promised to clean house at the Texas Department of Agriculture on Wednesday after he ousted Commissioner Sid Miller in the Republican primary.
“We’re going to fire every one of the cancerous people that were pro-Sid and clean house,” Sheets said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “We’re going to get a culture focused on excellence and service, where farmers, ranching and clean food are at the center.”
(TX TRIB)
“Pro-gambling interests fail to gain ground in Texas primaries as legislative roadblocks remain” The Texas Tribune’s Paul Cobler – Despite failing to defeat a slate of anti-gambling candidates this primary cycle and facing powerful opposition in the Texas Capitol, casino interests say they are undeterred in their effort to elect legislators favorable to their industry in hopes of one day legalizing gambling in the state.
Republican state Reps. David Lowe, Terri Leo-Wilson, Mark Dorazio and Andy Hopper, all gambling opponents, defeated primary challenges from candidates backed by billionaire Miriam Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands casino empire on Tuesday. Outspoken anti-gambling activist Cheryl Bean also overcame opposition from Texas Sands PAC and Texas Defense PAC — super PACs funded by the casino company — in the open race for the Republican nomination to represent House District 94 in Tarrant County.
“If the prize is destination resort casinos in Texas, Las Vegas Sands is now further away from it in 2026 than they were in 2023,” said Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University.
(TX TRIB)
Dallas County District Attorney concedes after losing re-election bid in the primary” via WFAA – Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has conceded to challenger Amber Givens in his re-election bid after losing the primary election Tuesday.
John Creuzot, the top prosecutor in Dallas County since 2019, trailed the former judge Givens into the overnight hours before announcing shortly before noon Wednesday that he had conceded the race.
“I want to first express my deepest gratitude to my family, supporters, and every voter who placed their trust in me throughout this campaign,” Creuzot said in a statement. “While the outcome was not what we had hoped for, I am proud of the work my team accomplished and the important conversations we advanced about justice, accountability, and public safety in Dallas County.”
Amber Givens had earned nearly 54% of the vote to Creuzot’s 46.15% in Tuesday’s election. There were no Republicans running in the primary election, paving the way for Givens to take office after the November general election.
(WFAA)
“Nirenberg declares victory over incumbent Sakai in Democratic primary for Bexar County judge” Texas Public Radio | TPR’s None – Ron Nirenberg, former San Antonio Mayor, will be on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee for Bexar County judge after defeating incumbent Peter Sakai in Tuesday’s primary.
As of 8:27 p.m., with early voting totals reported, Nirenberg had 62% of the vote compared with Sakai’s 38%, according to results from the Bexar County Elections Department.
The result unseats a first-term incumbent in one of the most powerful elected positions in local government.
The Bexar County judge is the county’s top elected official and presides over the Commissioners Court, which oversees county government.
Nirenberg, who has never lost an election, will face Republican nominee Patrick Von Dohlen this fall. Von Dohlen ran unopposed for the nomination.
(TPR)
“Fort Bend County Judge KP George losing GOP primary, placing last in five-way race” via KHOU – Fort Bend County Judge KP George was running last in Tuesday’s Republican primary, receiving just 8% of the vote as he sought re-election under a party banner he only recently adopted. With all 194 precincts reporting, Daniel Wong led the field with nearly 56% of the vote, well ahead of the four other candidates.
Wong collected 23,825 votes to claim the Republican nomination outright, avoiding a runoff. Kenneth Omoruyi finished second with about 13%, followed by Daryl Aaron at nearly 12% and Melissa M. Wilson at just over 11%. George, the incumbent, came in last with 3,478 votes out of 42,568 cast.
On the Democratic side, Dexter L. McCoy led with about 42% of the vote but fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. McCoy collected 23,932 votes, with Rachelle Carter finishing second at 18%. J. Christian Becerra came in third at about 17%, followed by Cynthia Lenton-Gary at 15% and Eddie Sajjad at 7%. (KHOU)
“Six San Antonio-area judges fall in Democratic primary upsets” San Antonio Report’s Andrea Drusch – In an election night filled with dramatic upsets and unexpected results, six San Antonio-area incumbent judges fell to Democratic primary challengers.
Judicial races typically don’t get much attention on a crowded ballot with higher-profile races, and many voters who typically don’t vote in primaries were drawn out this year in frustration with President Donald Trump.
Among the judges who were swept out were William “Cruz” Shaw, a popular former City Council member who lost his primary reelection to a juvenile district court in Bexar County, falling to Raymond A. Villareal, a former staffer in the Attorney General’s office who recently wrote a vampire novel and took 52% of the vote in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
“I have no clue what happened. I didn’t see my opponent at all during the campaign trail. He doesn’t practice juvenile law,” Shaw said Wednesday.
“It’s crazy. It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how much money you raise, how good of a job you do. It does not matter. Most people don’t step into a courtroom, they don’t see what we do on a daily basis, so they just vote based off name,” he said.
(SA REPORT)
STATE GOVERNMENT
“TEA will replace the Fort Worth ISD superintendent as part of state takeover” via WFAA – FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Independent School District is getting a new superintendent as part of the recent state takeover. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in a statement Wednesday said the Texas Education Agency “will move forward with the selection of a new superintendent” to replace Karen Molinar, who was named superintendent in March 2025.
However, it was announced in October that the struggling district would be taken over by the Texas Education Agency, an intervention required by state law due to one of the district’s campuses receiving a fifth straight unacceptable academic accountability rating.
The state takeover includes appointing a new board of managers for the school district, and now, apparently, a new superintendent.
(WFAA)
“Texas’ $10M bitcoin investment slips into the red amid crypto price dive” Dallas News’s None – Texas’ $10M bitcoin investment slips into the red amid crypto price dive Boosted by a pro-cryptocurrency Trump administration, digital coins spent most of last year soaring to new heights. Bitcoin, the world’s most popular digital currency, skyrocketed from below $70,000 before the 2024 election to above $126,000 in October, an all-time high.
But this year, amid broader geopolitical turbulence, economic uncertainty and growing pessimism around alternative investments, crypto has been in a nosedive, falling to a recent low below $64,000 — wiping out its entire run up from Trump’s second term. Other popular cryptos, including Ethereum, have also been plunging, and some analysts have been warning much steeper drops could be coming.
“The crypto bubble is imploding,” Mike McGlone, a senior strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, wrote recently on LinkedIn.
Early Monday, Bitcoin posted something of a rebound, pushing back near $70,000, although the digital coin was still off more than 20% year-to-date.
(DMN)
“TEA investigating Judson over possible missed steps in hiring practices” San Antonio Express-News’s Noah Alcala Bach – The Texas Education Agency is investigating Judson Independent School District for allegedly failing to follow appropriate hiring procedures that are meant to keep students safe.
State officials launched a special investigation into the district last October over claims that Judson ISD did not check the state’s Do Not Hire Registry or follow the appropriate fingerprinting protocols when hiring a high school coach who was later arrested for exchanging sexually explicit messages with teenage girls.
The Express-News obtained a copy of the Oct. 15 letter TEA sent to notify Board President Monica Ryan and then Superintendent Milton Fields of the investigation. TEA spokesperson Jake Kobersky confirmed the investigation but said he could not comment on the scope of the inquiry.
The Do Not Hire Registry tracks non-certified educators who have allegedly been in inappropriate relationships with students or minors and others who are not eligible to be hired by Texas public schools because of previous misconduct or criminal history. Texas lawmakers mandated the creation of the list in 2019 under House Bill 3. TEA also requires schools to check job candidates’ fingerprints against a federal crime database.
(SAEN)
“Business owners sue comptroller after their removal from state minority business program” The Texas Tribune’s Paul Cobler – Four business owners and a trade association sued the state of Texas on Monday, seeking to reverse acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock’s emergency rules altering a state program intended to give additional exposure to economically disadvantaged groups in government contracting. During an afternoon news conference in Austin, the business owners said they are suing because they all lost out on government contracts after Hancock stripped their Historically Underutilized Business Program certification in December.
“In this country, the legislature passes the laws, not the comptroller, and Texas is no different,” Alphonso David, president & CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum, and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, wrote in a statement. “The HUB case highlights a fundamental American principle — members of the executive branch cannot rewrite laws passed by the state legislature. They cannot deny citizens of their legal rights without a court order, legislative approval, or due process.”
(TX TRIB)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Dallas City Council backs dual track on City Hall, repairs and possible move” Dallas News’s None – A deeply divided Dallas City Council is hedging its bets on City Hall, exploring relocation while also ordering plans to repair the aging building.
After hours of scrutiny, debate and amendments, the council voted 9-6 to approve a compromise resolution that forces the city to pursue those two tracks and bars consultants that recently assessed the building’s conditions bidding on contracts related to the project.
The action came just after 1 a.m. Thursday, a major step in deciding the fate of the nearly 50-year-old City Hall and the prime downtown site developers covet but preservationists want to keep.
The nine council members who supported it said Dallas needs more concrete information before deciding whether to repair the aging building or abandon it.
The backers were Mayor Eric Johnson and council members Gay Donnell Willis, Chad West, Jesse Moreno, Zarin Gracey, Maxie Johnson, Jaime Resendez, Lorie Blair and Kathy Stewart.
(DMN)
“In hopes of thwarting ICE, San Antonio moves to place moratorium on private detention centers” San Antonio Report’s Diego Medel – San Antonio City Council on Thursday directed city staff to explore zoning and development code changes governing detention facilities while initiating a moratorium on any new private detention centers.
The action followed a City Manager’s report updating council on a February resolution that asked staff to evaluate what actions San Antonio could legally take in response to immigration enforcement activity and a newly purchased ICE detention facility expected to operate on the East Side.
The new resolution directs staff to examine potential changes to the city’s Unified Development Code, the city’s primary land-use planning ordinance, that could establish detention facilities as a defined land use and require City Council approval before such facilities could be developed in the future.
Council also approved an amendment introduced by District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez instructing city staff to begin the process of creating a moratorium — a temporary halt on new development approvals — for private detention facilities.
(SA REPORT)
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
“ICE moving toward closing El Paso detention camp, report says” The Texas Tribune’s Ayden Runnels, Lomi Kriel – Camp East Montana, a hastily constructed immigration detention facility in El Paso currently experiencing a measles outbreak, is in the process of being closed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a report from the Washington Post.
A document was distributed to ICE staff, the Post reports, indicating the agency was drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract at an unspecified date. The facility’s contract with Acquisition Logistics LLC is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2027. A spokesperson with the company did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
News of the potential closure of the facility located on the Fort Bliss U.S. Army base prompted immediate response from U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, who called the camp the “epitome of fraud, waste, [and] abuse.” Escobar has led calls to close the facility.
(TX TRIB)
BUSINESS NEWS
“$100 a barrel? How the war in Iran could affect oil and gas prices in Houston” Houston Chronicle’s Amanda Drane – Oil prices could surge to $100 a barrel if war with Iran continues, delivering a boost for Houston’s oil industry and pain at the pump for American consumers.
The conflict is choking off oil and gas tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for 15% of the world’s oil supply and 20% of natural gas cargoes. Oil prices surged 13% since Thursday, leveling out around $71 in Monday afternoon trading.
Just how much the price of oil could jump and how much impact Houston will feel depends on how long the conflict hampers global oil trade.
“If the reduction in tanker traffic continues for a week or so, it will be historic,” Jim Burkhard, S&P Global’s vice president and global head of crude oil research, said in a statement. “Beyond that it would be epochal for the oil market with prices rising to ration scarce supply and impacts in financial markets.”
Here’s what to know about how Houston could be affected by the conflict that threatens to spark the biggest oil supply disruption in history.
(HOU CHRON)
“Texas court weighs beach access limits due to SpaceX launches” The Texas Tribune’s Berenice Garcia – The Texas Supreme Court pondered how far the state can go in limiting access to a public beach during oral arguments Thursday in a case involving the closure of Boca Chica Beach for SpaceX’s rocket launches.
Rio Grande Valley environmentalist and indigenous groups are suing the Texas General Land Office and Cameron County over a law, passed in 2013, that allows some counties to temporarily close a beach for space flight activities.
The lawsuit is among multiple waged over the years between local advocates and SpaceX as the space exploration company has continued to expand its physical footprint and the frequency of its rocket launches in South Texas. Both, activists argue, have caused harm to the local environment and impeded the public’s ability to access a beach that has to be closed off for safety when SpaceX is conducting its test launches.
(TX TRIB)
“Apple to double Houston footprint, open AI training center for small businesses” Houston Chronicle’s Marissa Luck – In Houston, workers assemble advanced AI servers, including logic boards produced onsite, which are then used in Apple data centers in the U.S.
Apple is doubling its Houston manufacturing footprint and preparing to launch a new training facility in an expansion that could create thousands of jobs.
The tech giant announced Tuesday it will produce Mac minis in the United States for the first time at its Houston campus. The iPhone maker also will expand its existing AI server manufacturing operations here, bringing its total local footprint to 500,000 square feet.
To support its U.S. expansion plans, Apple is building a 20,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing training center in Houston that is expected to open later this year. The center, already under construction at Apple’s north Houston campus, “will provide hands-on training in advanced manufacturing techniques to students, supplier employees and American businesses of all sizes,” the company said in a news release.
The Houston facility will operate under a model similar to Apple’s training center that opened in Detroit in 2025. There, small- and medium-sized businesses can enroll in free classes on integrating artificial intelligence into their operations.
(HOU CHRON)
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Mon
> NBA: Houston 123, Washington 118
> NHL: Dallas 6, Vancouver 1
Tues
> NBA: San Antonio 131, Philadelphia 91
> NBA: Charlotte 117, Dallas 90
> NHL: Dallas 6, Calgary 1
> NCAAM: TCU 73, #10 Texas Tech 65
> NCAAM: Texas A&M 96, Kentucky 85
Wed
> NCAAM: #7 Houston 77, Baylor 64
> NCAAM: #20 Arkansas 105, Texas 85
> NCAAM: #22 Miami 77, SMU 69
Thurs
> NBA: Orlando 115, Dallas 114
> NBA: Golden State 115, Houston 113 (OT)
> NBA: San Antonio 121, Detroit 106
Tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 6pm: NBA: Dallas at Boston (ESPN)
> 7pm: NBA: Portland at Houston
> 7pm: NHL: Colorado at Dallas (ESPN+)