Workforce & Skills: Texas State Technical College students brought home SkillsUSA medals, including a silver in TeamWorks and national wins in telecommunications cabling—another sign the state’s career pipeline is getting sharper. Semiconductor Supply Chain: Gov. Abbott extended a $3.9M Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant to Schunk Xycarb in Georgetown, backing SiC-related components and adding 25 jobs. Water & Local Governance: A McGregor resident is pushing a mayor recall over water management and transparency, while East Texas counties move to form a regional groundwater district to curb high-capacity pumping. Agriculture Biosecurity: New World screwworm keeps spreading, with Texas quarantines expanding and new cases reported as ranchers and pet owners brace for more. Restaurant Compliance: A new state law requires restaurants to disclose automatic tips and mandatory service or operations charges before diners order. Energy & Grid Resilience: SWEPCO is advancing Texas Energy Fund-supported grid reliability work in Marshall as utilities plan for tougher wildfire and storm conditions. Defense Manufacturing: Reuters reports defense startups are borrowing production methods from auto and fracking supply chains to speed missile output.