A Dallas congressional district would become one of the most solidly GOP districts among five expected to flip from Democratic to Republican if Texas' new map goes into effect.

Why it matters: The map — awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature — is already being challenged in two lawsuits.

• One of the lawsuits, filed yesterday by the NAACP, claims the new map violates voting rights protections and discriminates against Black voters.
• Texas Republicans argue the map is about increasing political power, not racial discrimination.

Zoom in: The 32nd Congressional District is currently geographically compact, covering about two-thirds of Dallas and stretching into the northern suburbs.

• Under the new map, the district would include a small part of the city and stretch through Rockwall County into predominantly white, rural East Texas counties more than 100 miles from Dallas.
• Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat currently representing the district, would be drawn out of it.

State of play: The rare mid-decade map aims to boost GOP chances of keeping control of the U.S. House for the second half of President Trump's term.

• The map cleared the Texas Senate over the weekend after winning House approval once Democrats returned from their walkout.
• Under the new map, Texas would likely send 30 Republicans, up from 25, and eight Democrats to Washington.

Driving the news: There is already speculation about who would run for the updated North Texas district.

• Ryan Binkley, a Richardson resident, announced this month that he plans to run for the seat. He ran a long-shot campaign for president last year before throwing his support behind Trump.

Flashback: The 32nd District was a Republican stronghold until former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred won 52% of the vote in 2018 over the incumbent, Republican Pete Sessions.

• The district was redrawn in 2021, making it more Democratic.

By the numbers: Johnson won 60.5% of the vote in 2024 and her Republican opponent won 37%.

• In the redrawn district, the results could be reversed.

What they're saying: "When lawmakers manipulate district lines to choose their voters, instead of voters choosing their leaders, our democracy comes under direct attack," Johnson said earlier this month.

Go deeper: How the new map would change Texas' districts

Keurig Dr Pepper will split its beverage empire after acquiring Peet's Coffee this week.

Why it matters: The megamerger will reshape the nonalcoholic beverage market and spin off two independent, publicly traded companies: one focused on coffee and one focused on soft drinks, including Dr Pepper, 7Up and Canada Dry.

Context: The acquisition and planned split undoes Dr Pepper and Keurig's 2018 merger.

• The standalone businesses will be better able to grow in their own markets, KDP CEO Timothy Cofer says.

Zoom in: The beverages business will remain headquartered in Frisco, and the coffee company will be in Burlington, Mass.

• Beverage Co. has over $11 billion in annual net sales, a fraction of the competitive $300 billion North American beverage market. Cofer will remain CEO of the beverage arm.

The intrigue: Keurig Dr Pepper owns more brands than many may realize, including A&W and IBC root beers, Mott's apple juice, Snapple, and cocktail mixers Schweppes, Clamato and Margaritaville Margarita Mix.

• The company also owns hydration drink brands Core and Bai, which makes Sydney Sweeney's Favorite.

Zoom out: The addition of Peet's Coffee, whose parent company is based in Amsterdam, is expected to generate $16 billion in annual net sales.

• The combination of Keurig and Peet's will compete with coffee juggernaut Nestle, which distributes Starbucks At Home, Nespresso and Nescafé.

The bottom line: In a sea of megabrands, Dr Pepper remains Texas-based.

The Texas Rangers will start next season on the road.

Why it matters: The Rangers are solidly in the middle of the AL West standings and unlikely to be in the playoff hunt this year.

• So, might as well plan for next year.

Driving the news: The MLB released the 2026 regular-season schedule yesterday, and the Rangers start the season March 26 in Philadelphia. It's the third time in a decade the team will start the season on the road.

• The home opener is April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds.

The intrigue: The Rangers will have off days in the middle of two series in Arlington next year because of the FIFA World Cup.

• The team will have a day off June 17 after the first two of three games against Minnesota and will be off July 3 after the first of three games against Detroit.
• There are soccer matches then at neighboring AT&T Stadium.

Friction point: The MLB is hosting another regional "Rivalry Weekend" from May 15-17. The Rangers will play their nemesis in Houston.

• The Yankees will be in Queens and the Cubs will travel to the South Side.

Go deeper: 2026 MLB regular-season schedule

🏗️ Mesquite officials are planning to overhaul the city's historic downtown by adding a mixed-use zone to attract more visitors. (NBC5)

🛒 H-E-B is planning a $20 million warehouse in Fort Worth to support its North Texas stores. (Fort Worth Report)

✈️ Frontier Airlines announced new routes from DFW Airport to Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans. (DMN)

It's still too hot for flannels and fuzzy socks, but pumpkin spice can help you mentally fast forward to fall.

Driving the news: IHOP started serving pumpkin pancakes earlier this month, Dutch Bros launched its fall drinks last week, and Starbucks debuted its fall menu yesterday.

Yes, but: It's all a tease. Fall is still 26 days away.

State of play: 1 in 3 shoppers are willing to pay more for pumpkin-spice flavored goods, a survey of 2,200 Americans found.

What's next: Dairy Queen's Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat returns on Friday.

• Trader Joe's typically launches its pumpkin spice products by mid-September.

The bottom line: Tempting Texans with fall flavors when the season is so far away should be considered a sacrilegious act.