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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1968, the Hemisfair kicked off in San Antonio. More than 30 nations participated in the six-month event, which attracted 6.3 million visitors. The 622-foot Tower of the Americas became a monument to the Southwest's first international exposition.

Welcome to The Texas Flyover's inaugural Sunday edition! We've expanded our news coverage to seven days a week starting this weekend, and we're excited to land in your inbox every day. Enjoy!

Today's sponsor is Kalshi, now offering a legal way to trade on sports, politics, and entertainment. Check them out today!

Houston Stuns No. 1 Duke

The Houston Cougars rallied to beat No. 1 Duke 70-67 on Saturday night, advancing to the NCAA men’s basketball championship game. They will face Florida on Monday.

With 9 minutes left in the game, Houston had just a 2% chance to win in Kalshi's prediction platform, but the Cougars ripped off an 11-1 run to finish the game, hitting clutch shots and forcing turnovers along the way.

The win came in Houston’s second appearance in the Final Four in five years. The Cougars also hold the nation’s longest Sweet 16 streak with six.

Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson called out the team's skeptics in a post-game interview. “I hear what people say. 'Duke this, Duke that.’ Duke’s great. Jon Scheyer is awesome. But don’t sleep on Houston, don’t sleep on Houston. We weren’t 34-4 playing in the toy poodle league. We were 19-1 in the Big 12. Playing in the Big 12 helped us,” he said.

On an 18-game win streak, Houston heads to the national title game for the first time since 1984.

Paxton Whistleblowers Awarded $6.6M

A Travis County judge awarded $6.6 million to four former aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, ruling they were unlawfully fired after reporting him to the FBI in 2020 for allegedly abusing his power to benefit a political donor.

Paxton vowed to appeal the "ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law," saying the judge's action was an extension of an alleged political scheme against him led by former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.

An attorney for the whistleblowers claimed Paxton "admitted to violating the law."

Previously, Paxton disputed the allegations but agreed to settle for $3.3 million. The Texas House refused to authorize the payment and ultimately impeached him in 2023. He was acquitted by the state Senate.

Abbott Explains Election Delay

Gov. Greg Abbott explained his delay in calling a special election for a Houston-area congressional seat, saying he wants to ensure Harris County officials "have adequate time to operate a fair and accurate election, not a crazy election, like what they've conducted in the past."

Democrats accuse the GOP governor of wanting to help Republicans maintain their slim majority in the U.S. House by delaying a vote on a successor to late Democratic congressman Sylvester Turner. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, one of the candidates vying for the seat, threatened to sue if Abbott doesn't call an election by November.

State law doesn't set a deadline by which Abbott must act.

A state audit found elections conducted in Harris County in 2021 and 2022 were marred by errors related to insufficient training, equipment, and supplies.

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Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Milam County: A steer sold for $180,000 at the Milam County Livestock Auction, with the money donated to local teenager Kelsey McCaffety, whose parents and brother died in a car accident last week. (More)

➤ Dallas-Fort Worth: Blue Cross Blue Shield reached an agreement to cover services from healthcare providers in the Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern networks. A contract dispute led to the expiration of the previous agreement on April 1. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: State Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the city of San Antonio for allocating $100,000 to its Reproductive Justice Fund, which could be used to pay travel costs for women seeking abortions out of the state. (More)

➤ Fort Bend County: Judge KP George was arrested and charged with two counts of money laundering that allegedly occurred in 2019. George called the charges "an obvious political witch hunt." (See Details)

➤ Austin: A state appeals court overturned an injunction blocking the Texas Education Agency from releasing its 2022-23 school accountability ratings. Over 100 school districts had alleged the agency's updated A-F ratings were "unlawful." (See Details)

➤ Frisco: Karmelo Anthony, charged in the fatal stabbing of fellow high school student Austin Metcalf at a track meet last week, told police he was "protecting himself." (See Details)

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➤ Texas A&M is finalizing an agreement to hire Samford coach Bucky McMillan as the school's men's basketball coach. McMillan posted a 99-52 record during his five years with the Bulldogs. (More)

➤ The Texas Rangers plan to activate third baseman Josh Jung from the injured list on Tuesday. Jung was an All-Star in 2023 but was limited for much of last season and this season due to various injuries. (More)

➤ The Houston Rockets posted a 125-111 win over the team with the league's best record, Oklahoma City. (More)

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➤ UT Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian and his wife Loreal announced the birth of their first baby on Friday. "He's arrived, and our hearts are so full of love and gratitude!" Loreal said in a social media post. (More)

➤ Gerre Boardman is one of 25 runners to participate in every Statesman Capitol 10K since 1978. This year, she's running with her husband, two daughters, and a granddaughter. (More)

➤ A Texas A&M class ring lost 63 years ago was returned to the family of its owner, 1961 graduate Albert M. Thomas. Metal detectorist Bob Turner found the ring on a plot of land in Bryan last month. (See Details)

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