Good evening, Texas. We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.
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A freeze warning will go into effect for parts of North and Central Texas overnight as temperatures fall back into the 20s and 30s. Tuesday begins a warming trend that will likely bring record-setting heat to Texas as early as Thursday afternoon.
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Today’s Big Stories
1. Afghan migrant dead after less than 24 hours in ICE custody
Just three months into 2026, an Afghan migrant became the 12th person to die while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died on March 14 at Parkland Hospital in Dallas after being detained for less than a day.
2. James Talarico stops by SXSW to discuss his U.S. Senate campaign
State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, stopped by the South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW) this weekend to discuss his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Talarico appeared at a Saturday recording of the “Raging Moderates” podcast hosted by Jessica Tarlov, Fox News co-host of “The Five,” and New York University professor Scott Galloway.
3. Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil discusses free speech at SXSW panel
Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil spoke on a South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW) panel about free speech in the United States and the conditions for immigrants inside federal detention centers, almost exactly one year after he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and held in detention for 104 days.
In the Sunday panel titled “The Guardian in Conversation with Mahmoud Khalil on the Cost of Dissent”, Khalil was joined by his lawyer Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, for a conversation moderated by Betsy Reed, U.S. editor at the Guardian.
Notes for Tomorrow
Tuesday, March 17
President Trump hosts Irish Taoiseach as part of St. Patrick’s visit
Federal Open Market Committee meeting
Intelligence chiefs testify to House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Court hearing for suspect charged in Gilgo Beach serial killings case
Salman Rushdie stabber in federal court on terrorism charges
St. Patrick’s Day
NCAA March Madness First Four games
Illinois primary election
In Case You Missed It
Texas center Kyla Oldacre (00) looks to shoot past Texas A&M center Emerald Parker (24) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
UConn joined by UCLA, Texas and South Carolina as No. 1 seeds for women’s NCAA Tournament
UConn edged UCLA as the No. 1 overall seed in women’s NCAA Tournament when the bracket was announced Sunday night.
UConn was joined by UCLA, Texas and South Carolina as No. 1 seeds.