Austin, TX
What’s Going on With the Gerrymandering Chaos in Texas?
Donald Trump and Republicans are nervous about the 2026 midterms. The president’s polling numbers are very bad (despite what he claims), and it doesn’t seem like Americans are thrilled with his lackeys in Congress who have supported the administration’s assault on Medicaid and other social services, his hardline immigration crackdown, or his chaotic approach to the economy. Democrats only need to flip a few seats to win back control of the House of Representatives, which would allow them to block Trump’s legislative agenda and launch investigations into his administration’s rank corruption.
Trump and Republicans have responded by trying to game the system, including by attempting to worm their way into state election infrastructure, and, most notably, by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s legislative map and take seats away from Democrats. The situation exploded this week, with Democrats fleeing the state to block the GOP from enacting the change. Here’s everything you need to know:
States redistrict their electoral maps every 10 years, after the national census, so that congressional districts can reflect the state’s population. These redistricting efforts are supposed to comply with anti-discrimination laws outlined in the Voting Rights Act of 1968, and the Constitution mandates districts to have approximately equal populations.
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing these maps in order to favor a certain political party.
When a district is gerrymandered, its boundaries are intentionally drawn to include or exclude specific subsets of voters — sometimes down to a street level — in order to tip the scales toward one party. Since voters don’t typically get a say in how their electoral map is drawn, gerrymandering is essentially the practice of a party choosing its own electorate in order to guarantee favorable outcomes for themselves.
What are Republicans trying to do in Texas?
States are not supposed to redistrict for another five years, but Trump is pushing Texas to do it now. The state’s Republican-controlled legislature has responded by proposing a new map that would likely give them five new seats by drawing conservative voters into districts currently held by Democrats, without endangering any Republican districts.
The new map was concocted during a special session Governor Greg Abbott called last month under the guise of bolstering the state’s response to devastating flash floods in early July. The most notable item on the agenda, however, was a speed revision of the state’s already heavily gerrymandered district map.
“This is a five-alarm fire, what’s happening in Texas,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Rolling Stone last month. “Donald Trump has already said that if he does this to Texas, he wants to do this all across the country.”
The state legislature still needs to vote on the map before it’s official. The special session Abbott called last month is slated to end on August 19.
How have Texas Democrats responded?
They outright left the state. Texas law requires at least two thirds of the 150-representative state legislature to be present in order to establish the quorum necessary to conduct business. On Sunday afternoon, over 50 Democratic members of the state legislature fled to Chicago in a last-ditch effort to block their GOP colleagues from approving the redrawn map.
It’s not the first time such a strategy has been used by the state’s Democratic minority. In 2021, Texas Democrats holed up in Washington, D.C., for six weeks to try to block the passage of Texas’ current district map — which remains tied up in legal battles over accusations of gerrymandering. Following the 2021 quorum break, Texas Republicans passed legislation imposing heavy fines and penalties on lawmakers who leave the state to break quorum.
Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) have threatened to arrest and prosecute the truant lawmakers, as well as anyone who assists them in avoiding a return to Texas. The legislature voted on Monday to issue civil arrest warrants for the Democrats who bolted (these are not enforceable in Illinois, where the Democrats are staying), and Abbott instructed the Texas Rangers to “investigate fleeing Texas House Democrats for potential bribery and any other potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum.”
Abbott said on Tuesday that state officers are “on the streets” looking for Democratic lawmakers who did not show up for a quorum but are still in the state. He also claimed that he could move to remove these Democrats from office and hold elections to replace them.
How have Democrats responded around the nation?
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) traveled to Texas to meet with state legislators before they fled the state, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is hosting the Democrats that fled, and governors of other prominent liberal states seem to recognize that the party needs to start fighting fire with fire.
Governor Gavin Newsom is rallying Democrats in California behind a plan to redraw the state’s congressional map and have voters approve it before the midterms. “Legally, we can do it. Politically, we must do it,” said Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra. Katie Porter, another gubernatorial candidate, also supports the plan. “Texas Republicans are leaving us no choice,” she told CNN. “They are tinkering with the rules of our democracy.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, too, has signaled that she supports redistricting in the state should Texas redraw its map, and lawmakers introduced a resolution to amend the state’s constitution and allow them to redraw the map in the middle of the decade. New York used an independent commission to redistrict for the first time after the 2020 census. It was a disaster. The commission failed to agree on a plan, leading to years of back-and-forth between the commission, the legislature, and the courts.
“I’m tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back,” Hochul said this week amid talks of amending the state’s constitution, a move that could lead to a new congressional map by 2027. “With all due respect to the good government groups, politics is a political process.”
Vice President J.D. Vance, meanwhile, is reportedly headed to Indiana this week to meet with Governor Mike Braun about gerrymandering the state’s map as part of the tit-for-tat with Democrats.
What are Trump and Republicans saying?
Trump has been pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the map in order to bolster his chances of retaining control of Congress after the midterms. “There could be some other states, we’re going to get another three, or four, or five in addition. Texas would be the biggest one.” Trump said in July. “Just a simple redrawing, we pick up five seats.”
The president weighed in again on Tuesday, after Democrats fled the state, telling CNBC that he is “entitled” to five additional seats in Texas, citing his performance in the election.
“We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats,” he said. “We have a good governor and we have good people in Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”
“I don’t know,” host Joe Kernan replied. “I have to check on that.”
Aaron Blake of The Washington Post quickly pointed out on X that the 56 percent Trump won in Texas in 2024 is not even close to the highest margin ever, ranking 15th, historically.
Austin, TX
Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death
The parents of Brianna Aguilera have filed a lawsuit against two organizations, alleging that they served alcohol to their underage daughter which contributed to her death in Austin.
Before Aguilera fell to her death from the Rio 21 Apartments in West Campus, the lawsuit states that she attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks Rugby Club’s facility, organized by the UT Latin Economics and Business Association.
Both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin
Even though the lawsuit states Aguilera was “noticeably intoxicated” at the tailgate, her parents argue that the defendants continued to serve her alcohol.
According to court documents, Aguilera allegedly began stumbling at the tailgate and needed help standing at times. At some point, the lawsuit said she fell into the woods and lost her phone.
After leaving the tailgate at approximately 10 p.m., court documents state Aguilera died around two hours later.
The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for serving alcohol to Aguilera despite her age and allegedly overserving her.
In the suit, Aguilera’s parents demanded a trial by jury and sought at least $1 million plus interest, costs and punitive damages.
Aguilera’s parents also seek damages for wrongful death, citing the defendants’ alleged misconduct.
Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the Aguilera family, commented on the lawsuit in a Tuesday news conference.
Watch the full news conference below:
“Brianna was obviously overserved,” Buzbee said. “Even the police have concluded that she was overserved at that tailgate. She was not 21.”
Buzbee also stated that the Austin Police Department has allegedly told multiple witnesses not to talk with him and Aguilera’s parents.
“They told the three, the three individuals that were in that apartment that night when this young girl died. They told them, do not speak to Brianna’s mother or her lawyers,” Buzbee said.
He said that the lawsuit could provide a way for the witnesses to eventually come forward with information.
“By filing this lawsuit, not only will we hold accountable an entity or entities that were involved in overserving Brianna and other minors, but we will also be able to subpoena individuals and documents and video and data so we can continue our investigation,” Buzbee said.
KSAT’s sister station, KPRC, has reached out to both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated once the organizations provide a statement.
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
Austin, TX
Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas
Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal —temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.
The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees.
Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.
“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday. “It is going to be very warm for this time of year, and some daily high temperature records could be broken.”
Those temperatures could rival record highs at both Austin climate observation sites, Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the standing record is 84 degrees, set in 1989.
Behind the dry line Tuesday, drier air will move into Central Texas, leading to a slightly cooler start Wednesday under mostly to partly cloudy skies.
Morning temperatures will dip into the 50s around sunrise before climbing into the upper 70s to mid-80s by the afternoon. Those highs would surpass the record of 80 degrees set in 2008 at Camp Mabry.
Temperatures the rest of the week will remain above normal with mostly cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons.
A cold front is forecast to move across the region later in the week with a slight rain chance Thursday and Friday, but most of the rain will fall north and east of Austin. However, cooler and more seasonable weather is expected this weekend.
This past weekend, Austin experienced the highest cedar pollen counts so far this season with a count of 3,200 grains per cubic meter Saturday and a peak of 4,000 grains per cubic meter on Sunday. However, the count dropped to just over 1,000 grams per cubic meter on Monday. Humidity has been on the rise in the past few days, and winds have been much lighter. Those factors have helped “settle” the cedar pollen for the time being.
Luckily, the winds have turned southerly and are much lighter, so the pollen has settled a bit. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne. However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.
Austin, TX
Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas
Texas reacts to Venezuelan leader being taken into custody
With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region.
AUSTIN, Texas – With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela.
That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region.
Now, a spike at the pump and a production slump in the Texas oil patch may not happen this year, but with oil prices down, a budget crunch for state lawmakers may be waiting when they return to Austin in 2027.
What they’re saying:
The situation in Venezuela is creating a lot of political uncertainty, but a Texas energy expert said he is not expecting that uncertainty to cause an oil patch crash or a gas pump pike in 2026.
Prices at the pump are low and despite some recent big swings, up and down, analysts say 2026 could see the lowest prices since the pandemic. That prediction has people like Dale Owens cautiously optimistic.
“Things change so drastically nowadays. I mean, look what’s happening with the government, so anything can affect the price. But right now I’m really happy that it’s stable,” said Owens.
There are big reasons for that local gas price stabilization, and it predates the leadership change in Venezuela, according to Ed Hirs, an Energy Fellow at the University of Houston.
“The first is that the president has asked MBS (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and OPEC nations to continue pumping a pace. Number one. Number two, this helps hamstring the Russian economy and its war effort. And that’s also one of the goals of not only the European Union, but of the Trump administration. And number three, we’ve got the midterm elections coming up,” said Hirs.
The price of a barrel of oil is expected to increase slightly because of the uncertainty regarding Venezuela. Texas crude oil production, according to an update released Monday, was stable in December, but state data also showed drilling permits for 2025 were at 369 and that’s down from 459 in 2024.
“When President Trump took office, oil was about $80 a barrel, today it’s under $60 a barrel. We are the high-cost producers in the global commodity oil market, and the cost of drilling these wells has gone up by between 5% and 12%, primarily because of Trump’s steel tariffs. Not only does the imported steel now cost a lot more, but domestic producers raise their So the producers in West Texas and across the Permian Basin are getting squeezed by much lower revenues, $20 a barrel less and much higher cost. It’s not a good capital investment for Wall Street,” said Hirs.
Dig deeper:
The oil industry remains a big part of the Texas economy and the state budget. State lawmakers will return to Austin in 2027 to crunch numbers for a new two-year budget.
“I think they need to be looking at the budget. So the state comptroller needs to be running the numbers now based on lower oil revenues, not only for state lands, for example, for the universities, but for the state tax receipts. And that applies to the counties and cities that rely on these revenues to keep their budgets balanced. It’s going to be lower for longer,” said Hirs.
There are also doubts about whether the Texas refineries will get a financial windfall if the Trump Administration is able to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. There are about six refineries in Texas and Louisiana that can process the heavy crude that is located in Venezuela.
“Well, it might help keep them open. But Lyondell just closed down a 100-plus-year-old heavy crude refinery on the Houston Ship Channel because it just doesn’t make any sense to reinvest in it. And it was going to require $750, $800 million of new capital investment just to keep the plant operating at par,” said Hirs.
What’s next:
Stocks for several oil companies did increase on Monday. Chevron, at one point, had a 10% stock price surge, mainly because Chevron is the only U.S. company operating in Venezuela. Other energy-related companies also saw an increase, like Exxon, as well as industry suppliers like Baker-Hughes and Halliburton.
The action on Wall Street came after President Trump said he wants energy producers to pay for the oil production rebuild. Hirs described the administration’s plans as being “naive.”
Past attempts to rebuild another country’s oil infrastructure seem to back up the doubts raised by Hirs. In 1989, after the Soviet Union collapsed, companies like Exxon went in to rebuild — only to get kicked out later by the Russians. Hirs also noted the rebuilding effort in Iraq, started by President George W. Bush, hasn’t returned production there to pre-war levels. And it’s the same story for Libya, which was done under President Obama.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and previous coverage
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