The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 24, 2026

Episode Date: September 24, 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 Thursday, September 24th, and you're listening to The Texans' Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan senior editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, the topic of Islam and Sharia law in Texas continues to gain traction politically as the November election nears and lawmakers prepare for the 90th legislative session beginning in January. elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels are speaking out on the issue. In revising the state's social studies standards this year, the state board of education sparked a contentious debate over how to teach about Islam, drawing hundreds of public testifiers. Conservative lawmakers have been vocal in opposing local incidents related to Islam in recent months, including a Muslim-only water park event, the self-described Islamic Games athletic competition, and ritual foot-washing stations at airports. Perhaps the most

prominent related controversy has been the Meadow, formerly known as Epic City after the East Plano Islamic Center, a proposed 402-acre Islamic residential community in Collin and Hunt counties. The project has been entangled in legal battles after developers sued the Texas Workforce Commission for allegedly failing to approve fair housing policies as agreed. Next, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to wade into a high-profile surrogacy case and parentage dispute involving a baby born in Texas against the intended parents' wishes for an abortion. He is currently receiving intensive medical care for a life-threatening condition. The surrogate mother, McKenna West, was requested by the intent. parents to abort the baby boy after he was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

shortly after he reached 20 weeks. West left Alaska for Texas in order to secure treatment for the baby, and he was born in mid-August. Since then, the intended parents and West have been embroiled in several lawsuits involving parental rights and the child's health care. On September 9th, an emergency appeal to SCOTUS was filed by West asking the court to halt a California judgment that granted rental rights to the intended parents. West believed the judgment would allow them to remove the baby from his ongoing treatment in Texas and instead be put on hospice care in California. In other news, as the public and private sectors increasingly use artificial intelligence in day-to-day operations, state lawmakers are examining ways to prepare Texas students for a changing workforce and to master

the rapidly evolving technology. During a hearing on Tuesday, Texas Senate Economic Development committee chair, Angela Paxton, said lawmakers were developing recommendations to keep the Texas labor market, quote, a national leader in growth and opportunity, end quote, in the context of AI use. Joe Esparsa, a commissioner at the Texas Workforce Commission, said the state created 159,000 jobs over the past year and ranked second in the nation for AI-related job postings. He said, quote, what we've seen is about 116,000 unique opportunities seeking specialized AI expertise, and this is expected to grow. These job ads are expected to grow by 20% over the next two years, end quote. Also, Dallas's Yall Street continues to capitalize on momentum as the Texas

Stock Exchange enters a new era of growth. North Texas has added a stock exchange alongside its iconic stockyards, and companies are beginning to flock to the TXSE's transfer portal. The exchange opened in July and September has seen the first corporate commitments and primary listing transfers. On September 16th, Texas Capital's Texas Equity Index Exchange traded fund and Texas Oil Index ETF became the TXSE's first primary listings. The company's CEO, president and chairman Rob Holmes, rang the bell on Yall Street to celebrate the company's primary listing transfer. Texas Capital was formerly listed on the NASDAQ. Holmes praised the TXSE's investor base as an affirmation of the exchange's technological and

strategic innovation. The exchange saw over $275 million in total investment, with major investors including BlackRock, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Charles Schwab. Last but not least, the University of Austin has had ambitious plans since its inception and its next plan for adding a law school is no exception. Announced in 2021, UATX was founded on a stated commitment to ideological diversity and academic freedom. In partnership with the Federalist Society, the school plans to make its pre-law program even more robust and launch a law school in fall of 2028. With an $11 million commitment from private donors, UATX plans to launch a law school that will,

quote, form new generations of legal minds prepared not merely to discuss the Constitution, but to keep it. Adam Biggs, the university's general counsel, is helping lead the way in founding the law school. 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.