Daily Briefing: Thursday, October 22, 2026

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal foreign-investment review does not override the Texas Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act of 2021, upholding the state law that bars certain contracts with companies tied to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea for critical infrastructure, according to the court’s opinion filed October 16. The case was brought by GH America Energy against officials of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s grid operator, with Attorney General Ken Paxton intervening to defend the law. Judge Jerry E. Smith wrote the opinion for the three-judge panel.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to let it resume a border project of walls, vehicle barriers and surveillance technology in the Big Bend region, The Texas Tribune reported. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of El Paso halted construction on October 2, finding that opponents were likely to show the Homeland Security secretary’s waivers for the area exceeded the secretary’s authority. The application is docketed as No. 26A560.

The Frisco City Council unanimously approved an economic development agreement that passes half of the hotel occupancy tax collected at a planned mixed-use project at Toyota Stadium back to the stadium’s operators, the Hunt family, for 10 years, capped at $5 million, Texas Scorecard reported. The city will also waive half of the construction and development fees and help pursue state grants for a planned 250-room hotel, a convention center, retail space and a parking garage. The council approved $182 million for stadium improvements in 2024.

Leander Independent School District is asking voters on November 3 to approve a three-cent property tax increase, which would raise the district’s total rate to $1.1169 per $100 of taxable value, Texas Scorecard reported. The increase would bring in about $6.7 million after state recapture. Without it, the average tax bill would fall by $110.53 a year.

Former Angelina County Justice of the Peace Donald Puckett is permanently barred from judicial service in Texas under an agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct that resolved a complaint over his use of court staff, Texas Scorecard reported. Puckett was arrested by the Texas Rangers in August on a charge of abuse of official capacity after an affidavit said he had an employee take a required training course in his place, and he pleaded no contest and paid a fine. The commission’s interim chair signed the agreement October 7.

Papua New Guinea’s parliament is debating whether to ratify the result of Bougainville’s 2019 referendum, in which 97.7 percent of voters chose independence, RNZ reported. Every member is being given a chance to speak. The debate will pause after this week and resume in November, before a ratification vote.

Support for a second, binding referendum on Alberta independence ran highest in the province’s rural north, where Central Peace-Notley led all divisions, CBC News reported. “Obviously there is some disillusionment, I think, with the federal government in this area,” said Robert Willing, reeve of the Municipal District of Peace. Elections Alberta is scheduled to announce the official result October 29.