Originally published October 24, 2026 at 2:56 p.m. CDT. Times, election figures, traffic and public safety information reflect the original report, not a live update.
Paxton sues OpenAI • 3.36M early votes • TCEQ portal shut
TEXAS’ DAILY FRONT PAGE — THE STORIES MOVING THE LONE STAR STATE
TODAY’S TOP 5
- Paxton sues OpenAI, Altman
- 3.36M early votes so far
- TCEQ shuts permit portal
- Trooper shot in San Angelo
- RenFest briefly evacuated
PAXTON SUES OPENAI, ALTMAN
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alleging the company deceived and harmed Texans, The Texas Tribune reported.
The lawsuit was filed Friday in Collin County district court against OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman.
Paxton's office is asking for an injunction that would require the company to block access to its product for underage users.
It also wants third-party approval of any new models from a court-appointed evaluator, according to the Tribune.
The suit is the latest in a series of lawsuits Paxton has filed against Big Tech companies. Paxton is also running for U.S. Senate.
3.36 MILLION EARLY VOTES SO FAR
About 3.36 million Texans had voted after a week of early voting, about 17.7% of the state's nearly 19 million registered voters, according to a Transparency USA compilation of Secretary of State data.
That snapshot, updated Saturday morning, includes only 114 of the state's 254 counties, so the full count is higher.
In Harris County, more than half a million people have voted since Monday, about 1 in 5 registered voters, KTRK-TV in Houston reported. No midterm since county records began in 1998 has started faster.
In-person early voting continues through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
TCEQ SHUTS PERMIT PORTAL
Texas' environmental agency has temporarily shut down the online system it uses for automatic authorizations, TSN reported.
A notice on the portal says the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wants staff to review every application to see whether it is related to a data center. It gives no date for the system to return.
On Sept. 21, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TCEQ to halt all permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes its audit.
A TCEQ spokesperson said permits flagged by watchdog groups were notices of intent approved through automated authorizations, and that all notices of intent related to data centers had been suspended.
TROOPER SHOT IN SAN ANGELO
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was shot and seriously injured Friday afternoon in San Angelo, KTXS reported.
San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffith said the trooper is in stable condition and all suspects are in custody. One civilian was also injured, he said.
Griffith did not confirm whether the civilian's injuries were caused by the trooper.
Police said the shooting happened sometime after 4:30 p.m. Texas Rangers, a division of DPS, are taking over the investigation, DPS spokesman Justin Baker said.
RENFEST BRIEFLY EVACUATED
The Texas Renaissance Festival was evacuated Saturday morning because of a leak from an underground propane tank near the festival grounds, the Grimes County Sheriff's Office said, KTRK-TV reported.
Deputies got the report about 8:15 a.m., and College Station hazmat crews did a burn-off of the propane.
Festival officials said the Todd Mission Volunteer Fire Department alerted them to the leak.
Officials said there was no danger to the public and the evacuation was a precaution. It lasted a few minutes, and normal operations have resumed, authorities said.
HOOD COUNTY WEATHER WATCH
Observed 2:15 p.m., Granbury airport (KGDJ): clear, about 81°F, south wind near 14 mph, gusts to 18
Forecast (NWS Fort Worth): mostly sunny this afternoon, high near 84, south-southeast wind around 10 mph, gusts to 25
Tonight: mostly cloudy, low around 60
Sunday: mostly cloudy, high near 81, gusts up to 25 mph
COMMUNITY PULSE
More than 3 million Texans have already voted early. Have you cast your ballot yet, or are you waiting for Election Day?
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