It's intriguing how this aspect never gets mentioned, but @ShadowofEzra pointed out in this tweet a couple of days ago. By the Texas Constitution, while the Governor is out of state, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is in charge.
According to this press release, Abbott left the 19th and is returning on the 28th,
Not to start a discussion of either thesis, but it looks more and more like Abbott is a Deep State snake and Patrick is MAGA (to put it roughly). Did Patrick take steps as acting Governor that the Deep State took sharp exception to?
If you take a look at this timeline, it all began before Abbott left town. On the flip side, none of the mainstream coverage mentions either that Abbott is gone or quotes anything Patrick has to say. That is a red flag.
Final note: TIL that Abbott is in a wheelchair, and has been since he was 26. Am I the only person who didn't know this? I feel like I've been FDR-ed.
My immediate thought in this category is always “something on the back end economically.” But nothing important is happening right now. Not even monthly meetings.