Texas can continue using its GOP-favoring congressional map, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday.

Why it matters: Texas was the first state to begin what turned into a nationwide redistricting battle.

• Redistricting dramatically shifted the 32nd Congressional District, which used to cover about two-thirds of Dallas and stretch into the northern suburbs and now favors Republicans.

Reality check: The ruling won't change anything for elections in Texas. The state held its midterm primaries in March and will use the map again for the GOP Senate runoff in May.

Catch up quick: A lower court ruling had temporarily blocked Texas from using its new congressional map, though an initial Supreme Court ruling allowed it to be used in the recent primaries.

• Barring separate legal challenges, yesterday's ruling allows the map to be used until lawmakers change it again after the next U.S. census.

Context: States typically redraw congressional maps once a decade after the U.S. census to account for changes in population. Doing so mid-decade at the request of a sitting president was unprecedented.

• Several lawsuits, including one filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens, had challenged the new Texas map and alleged that it was racially discriminatory.
• Redistricting based on politics is legal, but racial gerrymandering is not.

The intrigue: Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in yesterday's ruling.

What they're saying: "This was an intentional effort to limit the power of people of color," Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement.

• State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston), who led Texas Democrats in leaving the state last year to delay a vote on the map, said in a statement that the lawmakers were successful in bringing attention to Texas' redistricting.

The other side: Abbott has previously said that Texas lawmakers redrew the state's map to reflect conservative voting preferences — and nothing else.

• "Cry harder," the governor wrote on X yesterday in response to Wu's statement.

What's next: The attention has shifted to Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a new congressional map yesterday.

The Dallas Mavericks have one more win to cap off their abysmal season — the NBA named Cooper Flagg rookie of the year yesterday.

Why it matters: Flagg led all rookies in scoring this season, averaging 21 points per game. He was the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals, per the league.

State of play: Kyrie Irving didn't play all season and other teammates struggled with their own injuries, allowing Flagg to take on more minutes.

• He scored over 30 points in 10 games this season, giving the Mavs more reasons to "pledge allegiance to the Flagg." Earlier this month, he became the youngest NBA player to score over 50 points in a game.

How it works: Members of the media vote every year on the season's best rookie. Flagg's former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who plays for Charlotte, came in second this year.

Fun fact: Jason Kidd and Luka Dončić were the only other Mavericks to win the award.

What they're saying: "This season, it was a lot different going into it than what I was expecting ... Kind of getting thrown in the fire right away like that helped me long term and getting more comfortable," Flagg said in an interview yesterday.

A new online tool shows Texans where to find roadside wildflower blooms across the state.

Why it matters: Planning your annual bluebonnet photos just got way easier.

How it works: Head to the Statewide Planning Map website and select "Blooms Across Texas" under Basemaps. And voilà.

• The map shows the locations of four types of blooms: Prairie verbena, Texas paintbrush, Indian blanket and bluebonnets.
• It also includes locations of annual wildflower festivals and other floral attractions across the state.

Zoom in: Mapping experts with the Texas Department of Transportation used a decade's worth of verified crowdsourced data from iNaturalist to find the blooms and make the user-friendly map.

Pro tip: Adding a previously released map layer pinpointing Texas Monthly's top-50 barbecue spots could help you plan the ultimate Texas weekend for photos and fare.

• To do that, select "Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints" under the Additional Overlays section after setting the base map.

What's next: Blooms Across Texas is the first of several themed maps TxDOT plans to release in 2026 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Statewide Planning Map.

🤝 Fort Worth residents are rallying to help a City Council member whose home was damaged by a lightening strike over the weekend. (Star-Telegram)

🔋 UPS and the city of Dallas plan to add EV trucks to their fleets. (DMN)

🚨 A Fort Worth man faces a murder charge in the killing of an employee of a Costco in Ohio. Authorities say the employee was trying to keep the man from entering the store with a firearm. (WFAA)

📚 Condé Nast Traveler says Dallas' Deep Vellum is one of the 20 best independent bookstores in the country. (CultureMap)

Dallas Trinity FC has teamed up with coffee chain Pax & Beneficia to expand its fan base.

• Pax & Beneficia customers can get two free tickets to any Dallas Trinity FC home game if they order from the shop's limited-time Pegasus menu.

The intrigue: The soccer team's mascot is a Pegasus.

What to order: The Pegasus Latte, a regular or matcha latte topped with honey vanilla cold foam and garnished with a candied cherry.

Cost: $8.

• You can also buy an 8-ounce bottle of Pegasus syrup — cherry, vanilla and honey — for $14.

Six-word review: Fruity kick to milky espresso drink.

What's next: Dallas Trinity FC is fourth in the league.

• Their next home game, at the Cotton Bowl on May 16, will be a fan appreciation night with fireworks and a free bobblehead.