Country music superstar Miranda Lambert will headline the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving halftime show, celebrating 30 years of music, football, and charitable giving.

FRISCO, Texas — October 26, 2026 — Three-time Grammy Award-winning country music star Miranda Lambert will take center stage at AT&T Stadium this Thanksgiving as the Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles, helping kick off The Salvation Army’s 136th annual Red Kettle Campaign.

The nationally televised halftime performance will mark the 30th anniversary of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving partnership with The Salvation Army, a tradition that combines football and entertainment to raise awareness and support for families facing financial hardship.

The Thanksgiving Day game is scheduled for November 26, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Central Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern)and will air on FOX.

Three Decades of Music and Giving

Since its introduction in 1997, the Red Kettle Kickoff has become a Thanksgiving tradition, featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.

Country music legend Reba McEntire performed at the inaugural event. Over the years, performers have included Destiny’s Child, Carrie Underwood, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, and Post Malone.

According to The Salvation Army, the annual campaign has raised more than $3.4 billion over the past three decades, supporting essential community services nationwide.

Lambert, a Texas native, expressed excitement about participating in the event.

“There’s something special about how music brings people together, especially when it’s to spread joy and hope to families who need it most,” Lambert said in the announcement.

Supporting Communities Beyond the Holidays

Although the familiar red kettles are most visible during the holiday shopping season, donations help support The Salvation Army’s year-round programs.

These services include emergency food assistance, temporary housing, eviction prevention, addiction rehabilitation, disaster relief, and youth development programs.

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The organization reports providing more than 28 million service touchpoints in 2025, operating through nearly 7,600 centers across the United States.

One important aspect of the Red Kettle Campaign is its local impact. According to The Salvation Army, donations collected in a community remain in that community to support residents facing difficult circumstances.

A Thanksgiving Tradition With a Purpose

The Cowboys’ partnership with The Salvation Army began through the efforts of Charlotte Jones, the team’s chief brand officer and co-owner.

Jones helped transform the team’s nationally televised Thanksgiving halftime show into an opportunity to encourage charitable giving.

Thirty years later, the tradition continues to connect millions of football viewers with opportunities to support their neighbors.

Commissioner Merle Heatwole, national commander of The Salvation Army, emphasized the campaign’s community mission.

“The Red Kettle Campaign gives people a simple way to spread joy and support their neighbors in need,” Heatwole said.

How to Help

As the holiday season approaches, The Salvation Army encourages individuals and families to participate by donating, volunteering, or supporting local assistance programs.

Those interested in contributing or seeking assistance can visit the organization’s official website.

Learn more: The Salvation Army

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The 2026 Red Kettle Kickoff serves as a reminder that Thanksgiving is not only about football, family gatherings, and entertainment. It is also an opportunity to support people in our communities who need a helping hand.

Editorial note: The $3.4 billion fundraising figure and the 2025 service statistics are attributed to The Salvation Army. The 28 million figure represents service touchpoints, not necessarily 28 million unique individuals.

Source and related links

Original announcement: The Salvation Army’s October 25 press release

Official charity website: The Salvation Army USA

Multimedia release: Miranda Lambert Red Kettle Kickoff announcement

About STM Daily News — Community

At STM Daily News, we believe that strong communities are built through compassion, service, and people making a positive difference.

Our Community section highlights nonprofit organizations, charitable initiatives, volunteers, and everyday individuals working to improve lives.

Stay connected with stories that inform, inspire, and strengthen our communities at STM Daily News.

Source: The Salvation Army, October 25, 2026, official news release.

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After years of utility relocation and planning, LA Metro is moving into major construction on a new rail line along Van Nuys Boulevard. The milestone also comes with a revised early-2032 completion target.

LA Metro has officially marked the beginning of major construction on the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, moving one of the region’s most important rail projects from preparatory work into full-scale construction.

Metro held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 19, 2026, for the 6.7-mile line, which will run along Van Nuys Boulevard from the G Line busway north to San Fernando Road in Pacoima. The project will add 11 light-rail stations serving Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima.

This was not the project’s first groundbreaking. Metro held an earlier ceremony in December 2022 when crews began relocating utility infrastructure. The new milestone is more consequential for riders: the major-construction phase covers the guideway, stations, traction-power substations, rail systems and a maintenance and storage facility.

From utility work to a new rail corridor

The project has spent several years in utility relocation, property acquisition, design and other early work. Metro’s current construction timeline shows major work continuing from 2026 through 2032, with phased traffic changes and K-rail installations expected along Van Nuys Boulevard.

When completed, trains are expected to operate every seven to 10 minutes during peak periods. The line will connect directly with the G Line and provide access to the Van Nuys Metrolink and Amtrak station. It is also expected to become an important transfer point for the future Sepulveda Transit Corridor and a planned Metrolink station in Pacoima.

The corridor already has a substantial transit market. Metro reported that bus Lines 233 and 761, which serve Van Nuys Boulevard, recorded nearly 20,000 boardings in September 2026. The agency also says approximately 19 percent of households in the project area lack access to a car, compared with about 8 percent countywide.

Those figures help explain why this project matters beyond its construction footprint. It is intended to give residents in some of the Valley’s most transit-dependent communities more reliable access to jobs, schools, healthcare and the wider regional transit network.

The opening target has moved to 2032

Metro’s current project page lists an estimated completion date of early 2032. That is later than the 2031 opening forecast the agency publicized when it celebrated an $893-million federal grant in September 2024. Earlier plans were more optimistic still: when utility work began in 2022, Metro said the first segment could open between 2028 and 2030.

The project’s financial scale has also grown clearer. In May 2026, the Metro Board established a life-of-project budget of approximately $3.999 billion and authorized the next phase of its progressive design-build contract with San Fernando Transit Constructors, a joint venture of Skanska and Stacy and Witbeck.

That authorization increased the construction contract’s value to roughly $2.431 billion. Funding for the larger project combines federal, state and local sources, including revenue from Los Angeles County’s Measure M transportation sales tax.

Rail returns to Van Nuys Boulevard

The East San Fernando Valley line will restore passenger rail to Van Nuys Boulevard for the first time since Pacific Electric ended streetcar service there in 1952. It will also become the first major new Metro rail project in the San Fernando Valley since the subway reached North Hollywood in 2000.

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The historical parallel is significant. Van Nuys Boulevard once developed around electric railway service before the region shifted heavily toward automobiles and buses. Metro is now rebuilding rail in the same broad corridor, but as part of a modern network designed to connect local riders with bus rapid transit, regional rail and future high-capacity projects.

The current project ends in Pacoima. Metro continues to study a separate 2.5-mile northern extension that would reach the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station. That extension is not included in the segment now entering major construction.

For riders, the October groundbreaking does not mean trains are imminent. Several years of disruptive and technically complex work remain, and the schedule has already moved beyond earlier forecasts. Still, it represents a tangible transition: the East San Fernando Valley line is no longer primarily a planning exercise or utility-relocation program. Metro has begun building the infrastructure that will carry trains.

That makes this a major step in Los Angeles County’s long effort to restore frequent rail transit to communities that lost it generations ago—and another chapter in The Long Track Back.

Primary sources

• LA Metro: Major construction will soon be underway
• LA Metro project page: East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit
• LA Metro Board meeting, May 28, 2026 — project budget and contract authorization
• LA Metro: $893 million federal grant announcement, September 6, 2024
• LA Metro: Advanced utility-work groundbreaking, December 2, 2022

This article is part of The Long Track Back, STM Daily News’ continuing coverage of how Los Angeles is rebuilding and expanding a passenger-rail network after decades of automobile-centered grow

STM Blog | Commentary | October 14, 2026

The viral allegations involving Texas Roadhouse and the treatment of Black customers raised an understandably disturbing question: Could diners trust that they were being served safely and respectfully?

After reviewing available coverage again on October 14, STM Daily News did not locate new verified evidence establishing that the alleged food tampering occurred. We also did not locate a publicly released final report from the outside firm the company said it hired.

The central distinction remains unchanged: the allegations have not been substantiated in the reporting reviewed, while Texas Roadhouse says its investigation points to a hoax. 

What the available reporting says

In August, social media posts alleged that restaurant workers deliberately tampered with food served to Black customers. The claims circulated widely and prompted calls for a boycott. Texas Roadhouse said it had not identified current or former employees connected to the accusations. 

In reporting updated August 26, KTXS noted that the viral post did not identify a particular restaurant location and that there was no verified evidence connecting the claims to a Texas Roadhouse employee.

The company told the outlet it had found no credible evidence of food tampering. It also said the original Facebook post had been deleted, some users had retracted posts amplifying the claims, and an outside firm had been engaged to investigate the accusations’ source and motives. These details come from August coverage, rather than a new October announcement. 

What remains unresolved publicly

Our latest review did not locate a final outside investigation report that readers could examine. We therefore cannot describe that investigation as complete or independently assess its findings.

The company’s description of the claims as a hoax should continue to be attributed to Texas Roadhouse. Likewise, the allegations should not be repeated as though they describe a confirmed incident.

Not locating a new public report does not establish whether investigative work has continued privately. It means the public information we found does not support a stronger conclusion.

Why careful wording still matters

For Black diners, allegations of racist mistreatment can strike a painful nerve. Everyone deserves to sit down for a meal without worrying that their race could make them a target.

Taking that concern seriously requires credible complaints to be investigated thoroughly. It also requires care before assigning blame to a restaurant, a location, or its workers.

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Social media can spread a warning far beyond its original audience before anyone verifies the underlying claim. Once that happens, a correction or clarification may never reach everyone who saw the accusation.

That makes transparency essential. Restaurants should explain what they have investigated and what they can substantiate. Those sharing accusations should be equally willing to share corrections and acknowledge uncertainty.

For now, the responsible position is to keep the evidence and the allegations separate. If new, verifiable findings become public, they should be assessed on their merits.

Join the conversation: What do you look for before trusting a viral warning about a business? Share your thoughts in the comments, and keep the conversation respectful.

Editor’s note: This is an October 14 status review of previously reported allegations. It does not announce a new investigative finding.

Sources

• KTXS: Viral post alleges Texas Roadhouse mistreated Black customers; company responds — Includes the company’s statement and explains the lack of verified evidence connecting the allegations to an employee or location.
• Houston Chronicle: Texas Roadhouse investigates Facebook hoax alleging racist food tampering — Covers the company’s denial and its decision to hire an outside investigative firm.
• MySA: Texas Roadhouse faces social media backlash over viral allegations — Details how the claims spread and the restaurant chain’s response.

Related reading

• Snopes: Posts claim Texas Roadhouse servers contaminated Black customers’ food — Examines the viral allegations.
• Restaurant Business: Texas Roadhouse says post alleging racist practices was a hoax — Restaurant industry coverage of the controversy.
• Texas Roadhouse official website — Company information and customer contact options.