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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The threat for storms will end after sundown tonight for DFW. Otherwise, very warm temperatures continue through late week for Texas. Highs will be in the 80s to near 90 for most. Fire danger will be critical on Friday with extremely gusty winds. It will be slightly cooler, in the 70s, by this weekend. 

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Today's Big Stories

1. U.S. Department of Education to lay off entire Dallas office

Following the announcement that the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) was laying off 50% of its workforce, Spectrum News has confirmed the regional Dallas office was closed and all employees in that office were effectively laid off.

This is due to the reduction in force plan introduced by President Donald Trump's administration in late February. On Tuesday, officials announced plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its more than 4,000 DOE employees.

2. Trump's 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect

President Donald Trump officially increased tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% on Wednesday, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when his seesawing tariff threats are jolting the stock market and raising fears of an economic slowdown.

Trump removed all exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves, based off a February directive, are part of a broader effort to disrupt and transform global commerce. 

President Donald Trump walks from the Oval Office to depart on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

3. The late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner is honored by mourners as he lies in state

Mourners in Houston paid tribute to the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas as he lay in state at City Hall Tuesday, part of a week of public events to honor the Democratic lawmaker and former mayor.

Turner, 70, died on March 5, just weeks into his first term in the House and only hours after attending President Donald Trump's address to Congress in Washington. His family said he died at his home following health complications.

4. U.S. agency that monitors weather will cut another 1,000 jobs, AP sources say

The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation's weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday began plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, people inside and outside the agency said, with some of them requesting anonymity due to fear of retribution. 

Notes for Tomorrow 

Thursday, March 13

  • Nominations hearing considers Jayanta Bhattacharya to be director of the National Institutes of Health, and Martin Makary to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, following their nominations by President Donald Trump.
  • Nominations hearing considers David Weldon to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump * Weldon is a physician and former congressman. During his time in the House, he introduced a bill to move oversight of vaccine safety research from the CDC to a separate agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, and supported the false claim that thimerosal, a preservative used in some vaccines, was linked to autism
  • PGA Tour golf continues with the 51st The PLAYERS Championship, known as the 'fifth Major', day one * Scottie Scheffler won last year's tournament for the second successive year.
  • Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report - Initial Claims
  • ESA releases images and results following Hera mission Mars flyby
  • Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in court on sex trafficking charges 9:30am
  • SXSW Festival Conference 2025 continues with a conversation event with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and her brother, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Executive Director and 'Ways to Win' podcast host Craig Robinson

In Case You Missed It 
Attendees crowd the Austin Convention Center during the South by Southwest Film and Interactive Festivals in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

‘Texas can be a powerhouse for film and TV production’: Media for Texas pushes for better film incentives in Texas at SXSW

This legislative session, $498 million—more than double the last budget—has been proposed by the Texas Senate to overhaul its film incentive program, rivaling most other states’ funding.

The new funding provides $48 million in grants for small films and TV commercials, plus up to $450 million in tax credits.

Grant Wood, a co-founder of Media for Texas, stated that numerous productions, potentially filmed in Texas, relocated to other states due to insufficient financial incentives. Some notable examples Wood provided include, “Hit Man,” “Hell or High Water” and “Iron Claw.”