The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - August 12, 2026

Episode Date: August 12, 2026

The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Visit The Texan for complete access to our in-depth articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to follow us and leave a review!

Well, howdy, folks. Today is Wednesday, August 12th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan senior editor Rob Laus, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, bulldozers broke ground in Big Ben National Park last week, as public backlash continues to build against U.S. Customs and Border Protection activity in the park. Last fall, then Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Noam issued an order waving all regulatory restrictions in order to push through the construction of border barriers in the Big Bend sector. In April, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told the Washington Examiner that the CBP would not build a border wall in Big Bend due to the public backlash from Texans. In May,

Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen issued a notice in the Federal Register waiving 35 federal laws to, quote, install additional barriers and roads in the Big Ben's sector, end quote, which he labeled an area of high illegal entry. Former Texas land commissioner Jerry Patterson told the Texan, quote, it's the greatest folly I have been personally knowledgeable about or heard of. Visit the texan. News to read reporters Meredith Dyer and Hannah Brewer's full breakdown of the story. Next, the state of Texas intervened to secure confirmation that a Dallas hospital will provide medically necessary treatment for a baby who surrogate left Alaska for Texas against the intended parents' wishes for an abortion. Alaska nurse McKenna West, who carried the now-born

baby Gabriel, was requested to abort him after he was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome following his 20-week anatomy scan. West left Alaska for Texas in order to secure treatment for Gabriel and a state with pro-life laws, against the intended parents' wishes, who did not consent to such care for him, thus prompting the parentage lawsuit. West was seeking custody of the child. On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared that he had issued a brief in the parentage case filed in Dallas County in support of West, quote, to identify and faithfully present the strongest legally supportable basis for ensuring medically indicated life-saving treatment where the law permits it. Additionally, Paxton wrote to the University of Texas' Southwestern

Medical Center and Children's Medical Center of Dallas, informing them of their legal duty to provide medical care for Gabriel upon his birth under Texas law. In other news, amid the legal complications hanging over Fort Bend County brought on by the criminal conviction of its chief executive, a visiting district court judge has declined to modify orders appointing a Republican candidate to serve as interim county judge for the remainder of 26. Earlier this year, County resident Sarah Roberts filed a civil lawsuit to remove elected Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George from office, after he was prosecuted in a criminal court for felony money laundering and other charges. Visiting Judge Jeff Jones presided over Robert's civil lawsuit, and after George was convicted

in a separate criminal court, Jones suspended George and appointed Daniel Wong, the winner of the March 26 Republican primary election for county judge, to serve as the office holder. Then in June, After a criminal court judge sentenced George, Roberts non-suited her civil removal case, which prompted Fort Bend Democrats, including county attorney Bridget Smith Lawson, to claim it triggered the end of Wong's appointment. In July, Roberts asked Jones to modify his orders to effectively end Wong's appointment, but he denied her request on Monday, and Wong remains the acting county judge for now. Last but not least, an annual survey suggests that foreign home shoppers in Texas,

are nixing more deals due to immigration rules. Over a quarter of international clients who decided not to buy a home in Texas between April 2025 and March 2026 did so because of immigration laws. According to a survey of Texas real estate agents published last week by the Trade Association, Texas Realtors, it is the highest share of such answers on records going back to 2023. Among international clients who backed away from deals during the reporting period, the top three-three reasons they decided not to buy were immigration rules, cost, and inability to find a suitable property, all tied for first place at 27 percent, according to Texas realtors. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News to get full access to all of our

articles, newsletters, and podcasts.