A Second Case Confirmed in Texas
A second case of the deadly New World screwworm parasite has been confirmed in a Texas calf, heightening fears of a broader outbreak that could impact the U.S. beef business.
A one-month-old calf tested positive in Zavala County, according to the USDA. The infected animal is about 5.6 miles away from a confirmed case earlier this week, which marked the first time the pest had been detected in the U.S. in about a decade.
APHIS and Texas partners continued to collect and test other samples from the surrounding area, which have come back negative.
State Response: Abbott’s Expanded Disaster Declaration
Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a statewide disaster declaration in response to the screwworm’s arrival in Texas. Abbott’s expanded order authorizes the use of “all available resources of state government to respond to this disaster,” he said shortly before signing the declaration during a news conference in Austin.
Abbott also addressed the longer-term threat: “During winter months, it may kill off the flies or reduce their number, but we can’t make it through a second summer,” Abbott said. “So I am pushing for the facility in the state of Texas, under construction right now, to be completed by May of next year, as opposed to November of next year.”
More photos from Austin American-Statesman.
Quarantine & Containment Zones
The state is prioritizing resources for Zavala County and nearby Uvalde County. USDA established a 20-kilometer “infested zone” that prevents the movement of animals from the area without an inspection. A much wider surveillance zone — including Uvalde, Lima Grande, and Crystal City — surrounds the quarantined area in Zavala County.
Federal Response
As part of the established eradication strategy, USDA began releasing sterile flies over the area on June 4. These missions will disperse 2 million sterile screwworms twice a week to disrupt the pest’s lifecycle. In addition to aerial releases, USDA is shipping another 4 million sterile flies per week to Texas.
APHIS said it has an on-site strike team in Texas that includes veterinary medical officers and animal health technicians, and an entomologist is assisting with expedited case confirmations in Kerrville, thanks to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.
The National Veterinary Stockpile has also relocated NWS treatment supplies to Texas to better support affected producers in the infested zone, available through the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).
Why It Matters
A screwworm outbreak would threaten the state’s cattle industry and potentially increase already high beef prices nationwide. NWS is a serious pest that threatens livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people — the larvae burrow into the living tissue of animals, causing severe wounds, animal suffering, and significant economic losses.
With a 20-kilometer quarantine zone in place, millions of sterile flies being deployed weekly, and pressure mounting to accelerate the construction of a containment facility, the race is on to eradicate the pest before it can spread further — and before Texas faces the prospect of enduring a second summer with the parasite established on U.S. soil for the first time in roughly a decade.
What should pet owners in Texas know about New World screwworms? (KUT 90.5)
(Episode from May 17, 2026)
Burnet County firefighters found a body while responding to a house fire Friday morning, according to a press release from the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office. A 911 caller reported a fire at a home in the 9600 block of North US-281 around 6:37 a.m., the agency said.
The deceased’s identity and the cause of the fire are under investigation. (Daily Trib)
A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and killed early Friday in New Braunfels.
Newly released dash camera video from the Manor Police Department shows a high-speed chase tied to a series of shootings across the Austin area in May.
New details have emerged in the case of a man’s body found in a South Austin trash can last weekend.
Austin ISD’s plan to address a $181 million budget deficit includes a proposed $5 million cut to the school district’s police force.
A major investigation by the New York Times and San Antonio Express-News found police at schools across Texas used force thousands of times in recent years. The investigation includes students being pepper-sprayed, tased, taken down and handcuffed.
Three men were arrested and charged with theft, money laundering and organized criminal activity following an investigation into criminal activities at an Elgin game room.
San Marcos city leaders are exploring plans to redevelop City Hall, a project that could cost between $80 and $100 million.
Waterloo Greenway will open the Confluence, a 13-acre stretch of restored parkland and creek corridor connecting downtown neighborhoods along Waller Creek. The opening marks the latest milestone in a project that has spent more than a decade reimagining one of Austin’s oldest and most historically significant waterways.
WEATHER
Many areas of Central Texas has been receiving heavy rainfall since midday Friday.
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LAKE TRAVIS WEATHER TIMELAPSE
Two Gillespie County residents have since died from their injuries after a home explosion near Fredericksburg last week.
Google is establishing a water fund as well as a stewardship plan for its data centers as it looks to add more in Texas. Will this be enough to address concerns by residents?
A 56-year-old Collin County man has been arrested and charged with making threats against the President of the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. (My Texas Daily)
Landowners and border wall opponents in Zapata County say contractors bulldozed property near San Ygnacio this week before landowners signed right-of-entry agreements or went through condemnation proceedings, raising new questions about property rights and the pace of border wall construction in South Texas. (Texas Public Radio)
KARMELO ANTHONY TRIAL: DAY 2 OF TESTIMONY
More than 130 cities, most with fewer than 10,000 residents, were blocked from increasing their property tax revenue because they had broken the law. (Texas Standard)
Bexar County authorities arrested nine men in a prostitution sting on Thursday.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s staff and the city of Denton agreed to dismiss a lawsuit brought by his office against the city concerning an upcoming pool rental by two LGBTQ+ nonprofits, according to a news release from the city on Friday.
The ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, is again at the center of a national fight over the detention of migrant families and children. But for Tania Warner, the controversy is not abstract. It is something she says she lived through with her 7-year-old daughter.
(Episode from June 5, 2026)
The fellas wax poetic about the Great Screwworm Invasion of 2026, a not-so-super-secret GOP summit planning for November, and the abrupt resignation by Texas’ Secretary of State.
Texas House Republicans and Democrats alike are getting really frustrated over the fact that they voted for billions in additional funding for public schools but the ISDs aren’t getting what they were promised. Well, there was a shady process for passing that school funding bill last year and it deserves an explanation.
Also: “Rural Texas is on fire” politically. That’s the way one GOP legislator described backlash to data centers, failing farms, screwworm concerns, and more.
And President Trump’s Freedom 250 celebration may come down to just one musical act from Texas: Vanilla Ice.
(Episode from June 5, 2026)
SPORTS
NBA FINALS: The New York Knicks now hold a stranglehold on the NBA Finals.
In a gut-wrenching one-point finish Friday night in San Antonio, the Knicks edged the Spurs 105–104 to take a 2–0 series lead.
Victor Wembanyama delivered a heroic 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks for San Antonio, but it wasn’t enough — the Spurs squandered a 9-point first-quarter lead as New York outscored them 59–41 over the middle two quarters to seize control.
The Spurs now face an uphill climb as the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4, beginning Monday night.
GAME 3 IN NEW YORK
COLLEGE BASEBALL: The road to Omaha runs through the Forty Acres tonight.
Following a dominant, high-flying sweep through the regional round where they outscored opponents 41-7, the No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns open the NCAA Super Regionals tonight at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Standing between Texas and its record-extending 39th trip to the Men’s College World Series are the No. 11 seed Oregon Ducks, setting up a highly anticipated, first-ever diamond matchup between the two programs.
First pitch for Game 1 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Longhorns will hand the ball to ace left-hander Dylan Volantis (9-1, 1.94 ERA) to face Oregon’s righty Cal Scolari (5-0, 2.70 ERA) in front of what promises to be a packed, raucous home crowd. (Texas Longhorns)
MLB: The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros both got their weekend series off to winning starts.
Corey Seager hit a go-ahead homer to end a career-worst 0-for-29 slump in his first game for Texas in more than three weeks and Kyle Higashioka also went deep as the Rangers beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 on Friday night. (Associated Press)
Isaac Paredes homered for the third straight game, driving in four runs to propel the Houston Astros to a 5-1 victory over the Athletics on Friday night. (Associated Press)
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
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