Texas is flexing its global muscles again, with Houston, Dallas, and Austin all landing spots on the World’s Best Cities 2026 list - proof that the Lone Star State isn’t shy about taking up space. Houston leads the pack at No. 58, thanks to its unrivaled diversity, massive medical complex, and airport network that can whisk you almost anywhere (traffic permitting). Dallas slides in at No. 78, boosted by Fortune 500 giants, corporate relocations, and a booming economy that practically prints brisket-flavored ambition. Austin rounds out the trio at No. 87, riding its tech boom, creative culture, and eternally youthful workforce - even if it’s now more “startup capital” than “weird.” Together, the three cities highlight Texas’s rise as one of America’s most economically powerful and globally attractive regions.

As the holidays near, Amarillo’s Toys for Tots is gearing up for another season of making stretched family budgets feel slightly less bleak. The nonprofit, now in its 78th year, served more than 5,000 children last season and expects even higher demand as toy prices soar and wallets do the opposite. With over 500 families already registered, organizers say they’re bracing for numbers that could double. Coordinator Dawnette Lusk notes that when parents are struggling just to cover basics, Christmas gifts can feel out of reach. Donations and volunteers, she adds, are needed more than ever to keep the holiday magic alive.

Fans of the Buddy Holly crosswalk in Lubbock may want to grab a tissue: the city says it has no choice but to remove the iconic, glasses-shaped street art to comply with a federal crackdown on “political messages” painted on roads. The Trump administration’s Transportation Department warned states that non-standard crosswalk designs-basically anything more exciting than beige-could jeopardize federal road funding. Texas officials quickly fell in line, leaving Lubbock to erase a beloved tribute to its most famous rock-and-roll native. City leaders insist they’d love to keep it but don’t have the money-or appetite-to fight Washington. The crosswalk will be removed during routine maintenance next year, marking yet another day when the music dies in Lubbock.

A team of volunteers in Sherman, Texas spent their Saturday morning doing the unglamorous but vital work of cleaning up trash around the Sherman Town Center as part of the statewide Fall Sweep. The event, led by Keep Sherman Beautiful, aimed to spruce up public spaces and remind residents that litter doesn’t magically clean itself-no matter how much we wish it would. One young volunteer summed it up perfectly: “If we don’t pick up trash, Earth will be dirty,” a level of environmental honesty adults could use more of. Organizers say the effort shows how much a community can accomplish when people pitch in. Anyone wanting to join future cleanups should keep an eye on their social media pages-trash, sadly, is always in supply.

Texoma students brought big ideas and buzzing machines to Denison this weekend for a Grayson College-sponsored robotics competition. Eight teams-from middle and high schools across the region-faced off at B. McDaniel Intermediate School, showing off robots they designed, built, and coded themselves. The arena quickly turned into a showcase of creativity, engineering skill, and the kind of teamwork adults usually only dream about seeing at the office. For these students, it wasn’t just a competition-it was proof that the future’s inventors are already hard at work (and having way more fun than most engineers).

Denison’s annual Drivin’ For A Cause pig show proved once again that nothing brings a community together quite like well-groomed swine on a mission. Handlers paraded their pigs around Loy Lake Park not just for practice, but to raise money for Grand Central Station, a local food bank. After collecting entry fees, sponsorships, and donations, organizers handed over a very real-and very impressive-$10,000 check. The charity says the funds will help feed countless residents, proving that sometimes the road to making a difference is paved with pig tracks. Organizers plan to keep the tradition going, because doing good clearly never goes out of style-even when it oinks.

As winter creeps in and daylight clocks out early, East Texans are once again discovering that darkness isn’t great for the mood-shocking, we know. Psychologist Dr. Laura Cooper explains that less sunlight messes with serotonin and melatonin, the brain chemicals that keep us from becoming irritable goblins during the cold months. Seasonal Affective Disorder can show up as fatigue, sadness, or the sudden urge to hibernate, yet many people blame it all on the time change. Cooper suggests simple fixes like getting morning sunlight, moving your body, and keeping a routine-plus seeking help if the gloom doesn’t lift. Because, as she gently reminds everyone, you don’t actually have to spend winter feeling like a Netflix buffer wheel.

Calvert kicked off Thanksgiving early with its fourth annual Fall Feast, where the community gathered for turkey, mashed potatoes, desserts, and a healthy dose of neighborly bonding. The event, hosted by the Conflict Resolution and Tutorial Center, aims to support low-income residents who might otherwise struggle to put a holiday meal on the table - because not everyone has a turkey budget this year. Volunteers, who’ve been planning since last Thanksgiving (yes, really), said the stories they hear from attendees make all the effort worth it. Seniors like Lucy Peterson cherished the chance to reconnect with familiar faces, while volunteers said giving back is its own reward. In the end, everyone left with full plates, full hearts, and a reminder that community tastes even better than the food.

Dallas’s $1.7 billion plan to sink I-345 below street level just cleared its environmental review, but there’s one tiny problem: TxDOT is still missing about a billion dollars, which tends to slow things down. Officials say they’re confident the money will eventually materialize through gas taxes and state propositions - optimism that would make even a startup founder blush. But construction can’t begin until the years-long I-30 “Canyon Project” wraps up, meaning I-345 work won’t actually start until 2029 at the earliest. TxDOT insists traffic won’t be a daytime nightmare thanks to off-peak construction, though Dallas drivers may choose not to hold their breath. Long-term plans even include decking over the new sunken highway, assuming the city can agree on what to build - and can pay for it.

Dillard’s is quietly trimming its footprint again, announcing that its 240,000-square-foot store at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano will shut down right after the holidays - not because the company is sinking, but because the mall itself is headed for demolition. The closure marks the third straight year Dillard’s has axed a location, shrinking from its ’90s peak of 342 stores to 272 today. Willow Bend’s owner is bulldozing much of the aging mall to build apartments, restaurants, and a “modern retail mix,” forcing out more than 60 tenants, including Neiman Marcus. Ironically, Dillard’s is actually doing fine, posting a $1.4 billion quarter thanks to strong sales in women’s shoes, lingerie, and accessories - proof you can be profitable and still get evicted. Meanwhile, the broader mall landscape continues to crumble as familiar names like JCPenney, Saks Off Fifth, Torrid, and Claire’s keep shuttering stores in what feels like a never-ending retail disappearing act.

Lubbock Ballet brought a sprinkle of holiday magic to Covenant Children’s Hospital, giving young patients an exclusive sneak peek of The Nutcracker - because if you can’t go to the theater, the theater might as well come to you. The tradition has been running for over a decade, charming kids who could use a little escape from medical routines. Hospital care manager Christine Neugebauer says the mini-performance helps patients feel “seen and special,” which is basically the pediatric-care version of a standing ovation. The full production hits Buddy Holly Hall from December 111-4, offering the rest of Lubbock a chance to wander through the Land of the Sweets - no hospital wristbands required.

Waymo is ramping up fast, rolling out fully driverless rides in five more cities, including Miami and Dallas. The company already operates autonomously in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin - and now has its sights set on Las Vegas, Detroit, London and even Tokyo. Despite a few headline-making crashes, Waymo insists its cars are still safer than your average driver juggling texts and lattes. At this pace, by 2026 hopping into a robotaxi may feel as normal as complaining about Uber prices.

Parents in Laredo are worried that Salvador Garcia Middle School might get “consolidated” - the gentler, bureaucratic cousin of “closed” - after the campus’ state rating plunged from 77 to 57 in a single year. The district insists the recent meeting was only about reviewing performance and gathering feedback, not shuttering schools… at least for now. Officials say they’re still evaluating enrollment, staffing, and operating costs across the entire district before making any decisions. In other words, nothing is happening yet - but parents aren’t wrong to keep an eye on the fine print.

Austin ISD is gearing up to close 10 schools and shuffle nearly 4,000 students around next fall-a kind of academic musical chairs nobody asked for. District leaders say the closures are needed thanks to shrinking enrollment and budget headaches, all while they crank out two dozen state-mandated turnaround plans. Experts politely note that consolidation and turnaround plans are totally different things, even if they’re being mixed together like a rushed group project. Some students may land in better-performing schools with more experienced teachers, though the transition could be overwhelming-because who doesn’t love reinventing your entire routine overnight? Meanwhile, teachers and families are left hoping the receiving campuses actually get the resources they’ve been promised.

Austin’s beloved Paramount and State Theatres are getting a glow-up, courtesy of a renovation project charmingly titled “Shine On”-because apparently even century-old institutions need a facelift. The upgrades promise modern sound, lighting, bigger restrooms, and more seats, all while trying very hard not to mess with the historic magic everyone swears they’ll preserve. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez chimed in to remind us that these theatres are basically sacred ground where people “live the art,” which is a poetic way of saying the vibes are good. The Paramount will shut its doors in June 2026 for up to nine months, while the State’s makeover will take even longer-because beauty, especially Art Deco beauty, takes time. In short: Austin’s iconic theatres are about to get fancier, shinier, and hopefully still recognizably themselves.

Maison Chinoise has finally landed in Houston, trading its lone Dallas address for a prime spot inside River Oaks’ luxury high-rise-because dim sum apparently deserves a view. The restaurant rolls out brunch, lunch, dinner, and even tea service, offering everything from Peking duck to dan dan noodles to dim sum so fancy it practically introduces itself. Desserts go all-in on drama too, with ube Nutella bao and banana spring rolls that sound like they should come with their own fan club. And of course, the cocktail list is ready to impress, featuring drinks with enough ingredients to qualify as short stories. In short: if you’re hungry, curious, or just like saying “Mandarin fields” out loud, Maison Chinoise has you covered.

Houston’s weekend food scene is basically daring you to show up hungry, starting with Sandoitchi’s final pop-up at Norigami, where lobster rolls and Wagyu sandos sell out faster than your patience in a brunch line. Axelrad’s Radfest promises an all-day mashup of live music, tacos, beer, and good deeds-because nothing says “rock on” like raising money for the Houston Food Bank. Tapas fans can head to EaDo for a $105 “laid-back” tasting event, which proves that relaxation apparently pairs well with premium cocktails. Tikila’s is hosting a Friendsgiving with championship-level barbecue and a community fundraiser, making it the rare party where you can eat ribs and feel morally superior. And Traveler’s Cart has officially gone full-service with a globe-trotting menu, meaning you can now sit down properly before demolishing their Cha Ca and Baja Shrimp Tacos.

Austin-Bergstrom is heading into the holidays with record crowds, construction walls, and enough travel tips to fill a novella. After a brief government-shutdown meltdown, operations are back to “normal,” meaning you should still arrive absurdly early-2.5 hours for domestic flights, three for international, and even more if you enjoy standing in lines. Travelers are warned to navigate parking like a strategic sport, remember that Allegiant and Frontier fly out of the far-flung South Terminal, and prep for security with the usual 3.4-ounce nonsense. Accessibility services, from ADA shuttles to the Sunflower Program, are available for those who need extra support. And inside the terminal, an interactive map will help you find everything from tacos to your gate-assuming you haven’t aged out of your travel plans by the time you get there.

Taz Indian Cuisine marked a major milestone in Bryan, Texas, celebrating 15 years in business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony surrounded by community members and Chamber of Commerce representatives. Owner Tirumala Kudumula and his family thanked longtime supporters, with daughter Divya calling the moment “extremely humbling” after years of challenges and growth. The celebration honored customers who’ve been with them since day one, as the family reflected on their journey and their commitment to serving the community for years to come. Taz Indian Cuisine now operates three locations across College Station, Temple, and Waco.

Thanksgiving dinner may hit your wallet harder this year, with turkey prices soaring 70% above last year as disease outbreaks and reduced production tighten supply. Economists say the true cost of groceries comes from the long journey food takes through the supply chain - from farms to factories to distribution centers to retailers - with every step adding labor, fuel, and handling expenses. Even technologies used to keep food fresh add to the bill, causing prices to rise quickly and fall slowly. Retailers try to keep costs down by ordering full truckloads and offering multiple product varieties, and many lock in turkey prices months in advance to avoid market spikes. Still, by the time your bird reaches the store, those shipping and handling miles show up in the price tag - a reminder that getting food from farm to fork is a lot more complicated than it looks.

If you need cold meds, a last-minute prescription, or just remembered you’re out of allergy pills on Thanksgiving, your options in Texas are… limited. Walgreens is giving its workers the day off, with only a handful of 24-hour locations staying open. CVS, meanwhile, is keeping most stores open with regular hours, though holiday tweaks may apply - because nothing says “festive spirit” like double-checking your pharmacy’s schedule. In short: CVS is your best bet, Walgreens mostly won’t help you, and planning ahead is still the best medicine.