My suggestion, from the top of today's #txlege Blast:

Your daily dose of county drama

Texas Democrats know Republicans will likely get their new congressional map. But they’re hoping the quorum break kicks off a national fight, Kayla Guo reports from Illinois (Crazy detail: James Talarico did 25 interviews in the first 24 hours) texastribune.org/2025/08/08/tex…

Texas identifies the 119 people killed in Hill Country floods texastribune.org/2025/08/08/tex… via Texas Tribune

NEWest: Tarrant County judge grants Attorney General Ken Paxton a temporary injunction, saying Beto O'Rourke and Powered by People cannot raise or use political funds to support quorum-breaking Democrats texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/…

Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state texastribune.org/2025/08/08/bet… via Eleanor Klibanoff

In response filed over the weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott asks Texas Supreme Court to remove Dems, despite a 2021 ruling saying the TX constitution “enables” quorum-breaking Abbott argues a highway “enables” speeding, but you still might lose your license search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.as…

New: An investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found more than 60 instances of nepotism, self-dealing and conflicts of interest among 27 Texas private schools that likely would have violated state laws had the schools been public. propub.li/46VbdLp

NEW: White House officials are viewing the new Trump-backed census as a way to reallocate electoral college votes and House seats from blue states to red states, per two people. JD Vance said this could help Rs gain 10 seats. But experts are skeptical. texastribune.org/2025/08/13/tex…

Midland ISD’s board of trustees voted Tuesday night to rename a school after Robert E. Lee, reversing a former board’s efforts to distance itself from the Confederate general five years ago. bit.ly/3Hyza0F

Thirteen summer camps along the Guadalupe River in Kerr and Kendall counties are at least partially built on land within the 100-year floodplain, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. bit.ly/4fx67qW

Crime lab officials told lawmakers Wednesday they are struggling to keep up with deadlier drugs like fentanyl and a THC ban or new regulations would add to the challenge. texastribune.org/2025/08/13/tex…

New from me this morning: Trump vowed to end “wasteful” federal spending. Beloved Texas school programs got caught in the middle. texastribune.org/2025/08/14/tex…

my latest story is a deep dive into the four-day school week model, which is on the rise in Texas 🎒🏫texastribune.org/2025/08/14/tex… via Texas Tribune

The “local reporter” The Washington Post refers to here is Renzo Downey. We’re covering this redistricting fight and all things Texas politics and power. Support us support.texastribune.org/donate?install… Texas Tribune! washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…

Genuinely will never understand why national outlets can’t bother to cite and link back to local journalists, whose work they rely on every single day. It’s not that hard.

UT System nixes faculty senates, approves restrictions on campus protests texastribune.org/2025/08/21/uni… via Texas Tribune

BREAKING: Jack Moore has been elected as chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents. He replaces Tilman Fertitta, who stepped down to become U.S. Ambassador to Italy. Houston Chronicle

Today in Texas politics: #txlege

UH, HCC restart faculty senates — though some wonder if they'll have a seat at the table houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t… via @houstonchron