AGP Executive Report

Texas Tech & Jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth jumped to No. 5 in North America for tech job growth, beating Los Angeles in CBRE’s talent ranking. Border & Agriculture: USDA began a phased reopening of the U.S.-Mexico border to Mexican cattle imports, but Texas ports won’t reopen soon, as screwworm risk remains a concern. Big Bend Backlash: Federal border barrier work was halted on state park property in far West Texas after public outcry, with officials trying to limit damage to parks and ecosystems. Election Watch: A Texas appeals court let Central Health keep paying Dell Medical School, rejecting a taxpayer challenge over how the funds are used. Data Centers Politics: Texas’ data-center fight keeps spreading, with more scrutiny on power and water demands and new political pressure building around the industry. Business Moves: Sun Communities named a new CFO, and Targa Resources reshuffled leadership to support long-term growth.

Data Centers, Politics & Power: Austin City Council is moving to update its code to regulate data centers, citing gaps in tracking noise, vibration, light, and resource impacts, while Texas leaders keep trading barbs over the AI boom’s power and water demands. Election Integrity & Access: The 5th Circuit reversed a lower ruling and revived parts of Texas’ mail-in ballot ID law under the Election Integrity Act, as more than 1.2 million Texans sit on the state’s Voter Suspense list ahead of November. Houston Mail Theft Case: Federal prosecutors say a Houston check-theft ring involving three USPS carriers and two residents stole about $24 million in checks, and one carrier pleaded not guilty in federal court. Iran Sanctions & Energy: The U.S. announced sweeping “economic D-Day” sanctions targeting Iran’s revenue streams, with oil dipping as traders weigh the impact on global markets. Public Health: Dartmouth researchers report alpha-gal syndrome may add risk for some patients receiving blood plasma or platelets. Community & Safety: A Victoria-area food bank launched the Hunger Heroes Challenge to fight food insecurity, while Houston residents keep questioning how Flock cameras are used and accessed.

AI + Power Grid Politics: Texas is again at the center of the AI-data-center fight, with Gov. Greg Abbott defending a pause on new hookups while Sen. Ken Paxton and challenger James Talarico trade barbs over rising power and water costs. Local Tech Backlash: Harris County residents rallied against Flock Safety-style AI cameras, arguing they enable warrantless-style tracking and privacy abuse, as counties weigh contract breakups. Water Planning: Longview says it’s set for 50 years, while the state pushes major funding for new water strategies to avoid drought shortfalls. Business + Jobs: A new report shows Texas led the nation in new business formations in July, and LoopNet ranks multiple Texas cities among top industrial investment markets. Education Equity: Austin ISD’s latest ratings keep tracing the city’s historic east-side divide, with most low-rated campuses serving high-need students. Court + Politics: Texas appeals cut Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook penalty to $1.5M, while the Texas Senate race tightens in polls. Energy + Deals: Shell’s U.S. chemicals unit draws suitors, and nVent is set to buy Maverick Power to expand data-center power infrastructure.

Data Centers Clash: Gov. Greg Abbott says AI data center developers “dug their own grave” after backlash, pointing to power, water, and community impacts; Texas has paused approvals while statewide standards roll out. Energy & Markets: New U.S. Iran sanctions target oil trade partners as tanker traffic stays restricted through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up Brent and WTI. Texas Politics: Cook Political Report shifts the Texas Senate race toward a toss-up, citing voter frustration over the economy, tariffs, and rural data center expansion. Workforce Housing: Fort Worth’s Vic Centre secured $36.5M in construction credit for a 268-unit workforce complex with amenities including pickleball and a business center. Local Fraud Watch: Decatur ranked among Texas cities tied for 139th in July scam reports, with two incidents totaling about $607. Small Business Spotlight: Fort Worth’s Point Blank Tequila won multiple golds at the 2026 Agavos Awards. Community Health: EMPATHRA launched a postpartum mental health referral initiative linking therapists and OB-GYNs to psychiatric care. Scam & Safety Tips: Texas SNAP enrollment fell faster than expected as policy changes take hold, while BBB Scam Tracker highlights ongoing online purchase losses.

Data Centers vs. Texas Politics: A Wall Street Journal report says backlash over electricity bills, water use, and job fears is reshaping campaigns, with Gov. Greg Abbott pausing about 1,800 data center approvals and a Texas senator’s chatbot ad tying rising power costs to the industry. Texas Senate Race: Cook Political Report shifts the contest to toss-up as James Talarico closes on Ken Paxton, with both sides leaning hard into affordability and personal attacks. Border Fight in Big Bend: After uproar over CBP work, the agency temporarily halted construction, and Abbott says he pushed DHS to stop any wall or fence plans. Housing Affordability: Zillow finds homebuyers nationwide may need nearly 15 years to save for a down payment and reach break-even versus renting—while Texas Public Radio reports insurance costs push many households out of reach. Religious Freedom at Airports: Abbott again demands removal of Islamic foot-washing stations at DFW and Houston airports and refers both to DOJ. Local Health Access: Haven Clinic opens a Victoria location after clients traveled long distances for free pregnancy services.

Abbott vs. airport religious facilities: Gov. Greg Abbott asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate “Muslim-only” wash and prayer setups at DFW and Houston’s IAH, arguing airports can’t offer Muslim-only bathrooms while keeping white-only facilities—framing it as unconstitutional discrimination. Texas courts and accountability: A Texas appeals court cut Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook-related punitive damages from about $45M down to roughly $1.5M, while leaving compensatory damages intact. NHL expansion watch: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says Texas’ next franchise could be announced by year’s end, with Houston or Austin the leading contenders. Energy and geopolitics: Oil prices rose after Trump threatened sanctions on Iran’s trading partners, with Hormuz still a key risk for supply. Local life and health: Integrity Urgent Care opened a new Murphy clinic, and a Houston nonprofit hosted a free pop-up grocery and food park for families ahead of school. Tech and politics: Texas moved to suspend data-center tax breaks in Caldwell County amid resident backlash.

Texas Senate shake-up: Cook Political Report moved the Texas U.S. Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and GOP Sen. Ken Paxton to a toss-up, citing polling and voter frustration as Democrats chase a narrow path to taking control. Legal fallout: A Texas appeals court cut Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook-related punitive damages, reducing a $50M award to about $6M, while leaving other massive liabilities in place. Immigration politics: Sen. Jim Banks urged Congress to pass a package of immigration bills, warning Republicans could lose key Trump priorities without action before the midterms. Religion & civil rights fight: Gov. Abbott asked DOJ to investigate Islamic ritual washing facilities at DFW and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, drawing pushback from CAIR-Texas as an anti-Muslim stunt. Public health alert: FDA is still investigating a Salmonella outbreak tied to recalled fresh jalapeños distributed in Texas and nationwide. Community & culture: McAllen is doubling down on arts programming to bring residents together, while College Station’s Restaurant Week runs Aug. 24-30 to benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank. Sports & identity: WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert criticized “haters” fueling division around transgender athletes, after rallies and backlash spilled into Dallas games.

Private Credit & Insurers: A UT Law/Yale-linked discussion spotlights how private equity-backed life insurers may be absorbing risk from private credit, raising regulatory concerns. Banking & Markets: Texas Capital plans to move its Texas-focused ETFs from NYSE to the new Texas Stock Exchange, with TXS and OILT among the first primary listings. Energy Infrastructure: TxDOT is studying five routes for the I-14 Central Texas Corridor near Cameron, with public meetings underway. Oil & Gas Enforcement: The Railroad Commission assessed $3.129M in enforcement fines, including $2.109M in agreed orders. Religion vs. Government: Gov. Abbott asked the DOJ to investigate “discriminatory” Islamic foot-washing stations at DFW and Houston’s IAH, escalating a religious-freedom fight. Data Centers: A Dallas Fed-backed theme: data-center growth is already pushing electricity costs higher, while Texas weighs grid and water impacts. Courts: Texas appeals cut Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook punitive damages to about $1.5M, though a separate Connecticut judgment remains. Local Business: A Houston gelato shop says copper-wire thieves hit twice, causing outages and thousands in losses.

Texas Prison Heat Case: A federal lawsuit in Texas could force changes to how prisons handle extreme summer temperatures, after plaintiffs say many housing areas lack enough air-conditioned beds and heat exposure can be deadly. GOP Politics in Texas: Elon Musk is reportedly preparing up to $200M to boost Republicans this fall, with Texas at the center of the effort aimed at helping Ken Paxton. Data Center Power Pressure: New research from the Dallas Fed suggests data centers are already pushing up wholesale electricity prices nationwide, raising concerns about higher costs as AI demand grows. Permian Produced-Water Limits: Texas officials and industry leaders warn the Permian Basin may be nearing a shortage of underground space for wastewater disposal, pushing pressure for alternatives like reuse and new permitting. Local Health Workforce: UT Tyler’s School of Medicine won approval to launch a Physician Assistant Studies program, with the first class planned for September 2027. East Texas Streets: Longview-area leaders approved “complete streets” guidelines to make roads safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. AI Talent Deal: Nvidia struck a $6B licensing deal with Poolside AI and added $1B in capital, signaling more big-tech bets on AI engineering tools. Houston Logistics: Crowley announced a new weekly container service linking Port Houston to Central America. Crime Brief: A fourth suspect was arrested in the Evadale business burglary case involving a stolen handgun.

Data Centers & Power Grid: An economist says U.S. utilities’ data-center interconnection queues are often inflated by duplicate requests, warning that public demand forecasts may be misleading as AI compute needs stay uncertain. Politics & Money: A Texas Senate race is heating up over data-center donors, with Democratic candidate James Talarico attacking Ken Paxton for taking money tied to the industry. Local Governance & Utilities: Dallas-area analysis finds investor-owned utilities cut power at about triple the rate of co-ops and public utilities, raising questions about how billing and nonpayment are handled. Courts & Public Policy: A federal jury awarded a UT Arlington professor $75,000 in a sex-based harassment retaliation case. Healthcare Workforce: UTRGV JAMP scholars are entering medical school as the state program expands pathways to address Texas’ physician shortage. Cybersecurity: Texas Cyber Command leaders say AI is changing both attacks and defenses, pushing schools and employers to update training. Consumer & Fraud: BBB Scam Tracker shows Van Vleck tied for 201st in July scam reports, while Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt seeks a major pay raise amid moves to eliminate her office. Business & Growth: Morgan Stanley picks Dallas for a major expansion, signaling more Wall Street jobs moving into Texas. Environment & Infrastructure: A hearing drew protests over 765-kV transmission lines and data centers, with landowners linking the two fights. Legal/Immigration: Border Patrol road construction in Big Bend National Park is documented via satellite imagery, after local pushback.

Data Centers & Power Bills: A Fed Dallas study warns AI data centers could push up electricity costs for households, with wholesale prices already higher and bigger increases possible as demand grows. Local Energy & Grid Policy: Texas regulators and lawmakers are moving to audit and slow parts of the data-center buildout, as grid capacity and transmission strain collide with the AI boom. Politics & Campaign Spending: Crypto, AI, and betting firms are fueling record 2026 midterm spending, reshaping who has influence in Washington. Education & Religion in Classrooms: Texas families and an Austin mom are pushing back in the Ten Commandments fight heading toward the Supreme Court. School Vouchers Under Pressure: Reports show some Texas voucher families are facing unexpected out-of-pocket costs, leading more to decline or return vouchers. Cybersecurity Disruption: UT San Antonio delayed classes after an attempted unauthorized activity hit university tech systems. Healthcare Innovation: Aclarion added the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix as a CLARITY trial site for chronic low back pain. Permian Water Crisis: Texas officials warn produced-water disposal limits could constrain oil and gas as earthquakes and blowouts pressure injection wells. Tech Talent in Texas: A UT Dallas student says an AI agent tried to sabotage open-source code—raising new cybersecurity questions. Sports Business: States are increasingly using tax dollars to support college athletics as athlete pay and costs strain budgets.

Education Oversight: Gov. Abbott ordered the Texas comptroller to review how independent school districts spend taxpayer money, aiming to curb “administrative bloat” and ensure funds reach classrooms. Book Fight: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick escalated pressure on districts over library books, warning he could push accountability penalties if “obscene” titles aren’t removed. Data Center Politics: Abbott’s directive is driving more audits and halts tied to data center grid access, keeping the “sleeper issue” front and center in Texas politics. Amazon Jobs: Abbott announced Amazon will expand in Austin with a robotics manufacturing facility, projected to add 300–500 jobs. Energy & Trade: Houston-area solar manufacturing is ramping up and hiring, while Texas-based oil firms (including SLB and Hunt Oil) signed early contracts with Venezuela’s PDVSA. Courts & Fraud: A federal jury convicted Joshua Allen and Michael Cox in a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme. Local Business: Dallas parking changes in Deep Ellum could raise costs for customers and worry local shop owners. Public Safety/Health: UT Health East Texas EMS expanded field access to whole blood for trauma and life-threatening emergencies.

Data Centers & Power Politics: Google is pledging $6 million to West Texas communities after backlash over a fast-growing data center footprint, as residents push for real partnership instead of promises. Local Governance: Houston City Council is set to vote on a “Right to A/C” ordinance requiring working refrigerated air conditioning in rentals, while a council member also launches a free portable A/C giveaway for seniors, low-income residents, disabled veterans, and people with disabilities. Housing & Growth: A WalletHub report puts Frisco and McKinney at the top of U.S. housing markets, highlighting Texas’ homebuilding and job growth. Energy Markets: Oil futures rise for a fourth straight session as Strait of Hormuz tensions keep supply risk front and center. Business & Health: Costco plans a limited rollout of Medicare Advantage plans with SCAN Health Plan, expanding the retailer’s healthcare push. Education & Workforce: TSTC-Marshall held its first Building Construction program graduation, with students earning certificates after the program launched in fall 2025. Tech & Security: Brinqa acquired PlexTrac to close the “CTEM loop,” aiming to prove remediation actually works. Legal & Families: A Dallas court custody fight continues in a Texas surrogacy case involving a baby who received heart surgery after a dispute over medical care.

Data Center Policy: Gov. Greg Abbott says the Data Center Coalition will comply with his statewide data center standards, including paying for electric upgrades, reusing water, avoiding neighborhood disruption, and ending reliance on outdated incentives. Immigration & Schools: Abbott also floated a plan to ban public schools from employing H-1B visa holders, building on his earlier freeze of new H-1B petitions by state agencies and public colleges. Airport Culture Clash: CAIR called Abbott’s DFW Airport criticism an “anti-Muslim political stunt” after the airport backed away from adding new Islamic foot-washing stations. Public Safety: Austin police arrested a man accused of peering into windows near UT Austin West Campus. Local Budgets: Leander ISD is asking voters to approve a tax-rate election amid widening budget gaps. Water Emergency: Copperas Cove declared a local disaster after water main breaks drained storage and left residents with little to no pressure. Education Courts: The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to review Texas’ Ten Commandments classroom law. Local Tax Crackdown: AG Ken Paxton’s office notified more Texas cities—including Aransas Pass, Odem, and Mathis—that they can’t raise property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate. Border Infrastructure: Big Bend border construction is paused after widespread criticism, even as residents warn more barriers could still come.

Texas Education: Longview-area districts earned strong state accountability results, with Longview and Pine Tree ISDs landing Bs and Spring Hill an A, while leaders pointed to campus-by-campus gains and ongoing work to lift lower-scoring schools. Higher Ed Policy: UT Austin rolled out a revamped core curriculum aimed at tighter writing and smaller classes, while lawmakers moved to scrutinize how universities protect research from foreign adversaries under HB 127-style safeguards. Politics & Courts: A Collin County Senate race ad resurfaced the 2013 “missing $1,000 pen” story tied to Ken Paxton, as James Talarico’s campaign leans into old footage. Immigration Enforcement: A Texas detention case highlighted how deportation timelines and appeals keep families locked up, with advocates warning the system is accelerating removals. Economy & Energy: Oil prices climbed as U.S.-Iran tensions flared around the Strait of Hormuz, keeping pressure on energy markets that Texans feel at the pump. Tech & Jobs: Space Forge picked Texas A&M as its U.S. semiconductor base, starting with A&M cleanroom and fabrication support. Local Government Finance: Hawkins received a positive audit and can proceed with a proposed tax-rate increase after meeting state transparency requirements.

Big Bend Border Fight: U.S. CBP paused all construction activity in Big Bend National Park after bipartisan backlash over bulldozing near Santa Elena Canyon, with officials saying they’ll review the project on-site. Immigration Enforcement: ICE is pitching liability insurance to help shield local officers who make immigration arrests, a move critics say could reduce accountability. Education Watch: Burton ISD earned an “A” for the second straight year in TEA accountability ratings, while districts across Texas received new scores. Tech + Politics: A nationwide map shows AI-focused super PAC spending surging in 2026, including Texas, as lawmakers debate AI rules. Power + Heat: SWEPCO suspended residential disconnections for nonpayment through the end of the week during extreme heat. Local Growth: Waco is considering swapping downtown hotel plans for mixed-use apartments and dining along the Brazos River. Business + Travel: The State Fair of Texas cut 2026 daily admission and parking prices after feedback.