Axios Dallas

January 26, 2026
Happy Monday! Find happiness in the insanity of existence.
☀️ Today's weather: High near 27 and mostly sunny.
🎵 Sounds like: "Debate Exposes Doubt"
🎉 Happy birthday to our Axios Dallas members Linda Rector and Kristi Kay Spikes!
💡 Situational awareness: Thousands of North Texans are still without power because of the winter storm. Oncor says its crews are working "around the clock" to restore electricity.
- More on the storm's impacts below.
Today's newsletter is 1,064 frozen words — a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: Crockett, Talarico go head to head
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico consistently agree on one thing in their bid for U.S. Senate: a Democrat needs to flip the seat in Texas.
Why it matters: A Democrat hasn't won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, and Texans haven't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988.
Catch up quick: Crockett and Talarico are vying for the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002.
- Cornyn, known to be a formidable GOP fundraiser, faces a significant primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The latest: The Dallas congresswoman and Austin state representative shared their platforms during a debate Saturday in Georgetown hosted by labor union Texas AFL-CIO.
- The Democrats differ slightly in their approach to fighting the Republican establishment in Washington, D.C., with Crockett likening herself to a "street fighter" and Talarico saying "we need a teacher in the Senate."
The intrigue: Both candidates have countered the moderate approach of many Texas Democrats, leaning instead into progressive ideals — and they've amassed a large social media following as a result.
What they're saying: Crockett said she's better equipped for the U.S. Senate because she has earned a name for herself in the House. "He's actually been elected longer than I have been elected. Yet he's not as known right now, because I have engaged in these fights."
- Meanwhile, Talarico said he and the congresswoman mostly agree on the issues, but he is best equipped to fight the billionaires "who right now are running this country, running this economy."
- "We need someone who has stood up to those billionaires in our nation's capital," Talarico said, referencing his opposition to Texas school vouchers.
Key differences: Talarico repeatedly brought up Paxton, saying the goal this election should be "stopping Ken Paxton."
- Crockett focused more on Trump and his executive powers, saying the president "thinks he's a king."
The other side: The focus on Paxton hinted that Democrats think he'll win the Republican nomination, to which Cornyn posted on X, "They wish."
- Both Cornyn and Paxton criticized the Democratic candidates for their positions, particularly on immigration.
2. 🥶 Hang in there
North Texas became a backdrop for skiing, ice skating, sledding and dancing over the weekend.
- Officials say the region's deep freeze — and the safety concerns that come with it — will likely linger until tomorrow.
The big picture: Temperatures in the Dallas area have remained below freezing since late Friday, per the National Weather Service.
- The arctic air created steamnadoes — rotations of steam spinning up into the clouds — over some of the lakes in North and Central Texas.
The latest: An extreme cold warning is in effect until 9am tomorrow, with lows forecast to be in the teens or single digits, per the National Weather Service's Fort Worth office.
- Several school districts, including Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco, will be closed today and tomorrow.
Threat level: Roads across the region were still icy as of this morning. Officials are urging North Texans to be careful while driving and playing outside.
- A 16-year-old girl died in Frisco yesterday, after a sled she was riding in collided with a tree. Another girl was critically injured.
- A Colleyville man was hospitalized after being found unresponsive in a pond near his house.
- "Avoid unnecessary travel to help keep roadways clear for restoration personnel and first responders," Oncor said on its website.
What's next: Warmer weather is coming. Highs tomorrow are expected to be in the upper 30s.
3. 📷 Pic du jour: Luka's homecoming
The freezing rain and icy roads couldn't keep thousands of Luka Dončić fans from welcoming him home on Saturday.
Driving the news: The Dallas Mavericks blew a 15-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the final quarter, losing 116-110.
State of play: The Mavericks have lost all four of their games against the Lakers since trading Dončić to the team last year.
- Meanwhile, Mavericks fans are still holding out hope that Dončić will play for Dallas again. On Saturday, one group held up signs that spelled "Come home."
The intrigue: Dončić accidentally started walking toward the Mavericks' tunnel during halftime, out of habit from his Dallas days.
- He later described Dallas as a "special, special place for me."
- "When I went from Slovenia to Madrid — left my house — every time I came back, I was happy," he said in an interview.
4. 🗞 Burnt ends: Bite-sized news bits
🏀 The Dallas Mavericks' away game against the Milwaukee Bucks last night was postponed after the Dallas team couldn't leave town because of the winter storm. (WFAA)
⛳️ Dallas' Scottie Scheffler won another PGA tour title yesterday, joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players with 20 PGA Tour titles and four majors before turning 30. (ESPN)
🚨 A 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father were being held at a South Texas detention facility after immigration officials detained them last week outside their home in Minnesota. (Texas Tribune)
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5. 🤠 One map to go: Our fitness

About 1 in 4 Texans say they don't do any physical activity outside of work, per a new report.
Why it matters: Even moderate exercise can have tremendous benefits for your physical and mental well-being.
Yes, but: About 1 in 5 Americans report doing no physical activity or exercise outside their job, per the United Health Foundation's America Health Rankings report.
- Texas is among the least active states, tied with Florida, Delaware, Indiana and Missouri, per the United Health Foundation's America Health Rankings report.
Between the lines: While states with the least active adults tend to rank poorly in other health metrics, other factors could be at play.
- People who work physically demanding jobs, for example, may be less likely to exercise for fun than desk jockeys.
This newsletter was edited by Astrid Galván.
Our picks:
🐈 Tasha is learning how to help pets and stray cats in this weather.
🛷 Naheed went sledding for the first time yesterday and wants to try it again today.
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