Good Morning! On this day in 1953, President Eisenhower appointed Oveta Culp Hobby—the wife of former Texas Governor William P. Hobby—as the first secretary of the new Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
The Texas House passed a two-year state budget exceeding $337 billion last night. The Senate passed its version of the budget last month. In the coming weeks, lawmakers in the two chambers will reconcile their differences before passing a final budget.
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San Francisco-based drone delivery startup Zipline expanded its service to Texas this week, providing Walmart customers in Mesquite the option to receive their purchases for free within 30 minutes.
The P2 Zip fixed-wing drones can transport up to eight pounds within a 10-mile radius and can provide “dinner-plate level” accuracy even in rain and wind up to 45 miles per hour.
When the autonomous drones have reached their destination, they hover at an altitude of 300 feet and dispatch a mini-aircraft with a container along a tether to allow package retrieval.
Since its beginning in 2016, the $4.2 billion company has completed around 1.5 million deliveries. Initially focused on healthcare supplies, Zipline has expanded to grocery and fast food delivery through partnerships with Chipotle and Sweetgreen. It operates in Japan and several countries in Africa.
Lawsuit Filed Over Tainted Lottery Drawing
The winner of a $7.5 million Texas Lotto jackpot filed a lawsuit this week against several retailers—including Lottery.com and Lottery Now—that allegedly facilitated a $95 million jackpot win the previous month, claiming he is owed the winnings from that drawing since it was illegally conducted.
Jerry Reed, who purchased his ticket at a grocery store in Mansfield, alleges that four retailers generated 394,574 tickets with some type of winning combination on behalf of an entity called Rook TX, which received $60,264,030 in total prize winnings.
The legislature, the Texas Rangers, and Attorney General Ken Paxton have all investigated the scheme. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has asserted that “the Lottery has been used as the biggest money laundering scheme in the country.”
Reed’s lawsuit is not without precedent. In 2019, the winner of a 2011 lottery drawing in Iowa settled for $1.5 million after claiming that the head of information technology for the Multi-State Lottery Association orchestrated a previous jackpot.
American Rodeo Championship Weekend
The 12th Annual American Rodeo Championship Weekend is happening today and tomorrow at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
The event pits everyday cowboys and cowgirls from across the country against seasoned pros in eight rodeo disciplines—including bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, and team roping—for the chance to win the $1 million grand prize.
Festivities include live music performances by Bailey Zimmerman on Friday and Riley Green and Ella Langley on Saturday.
Around 60,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will inject about $15 million into the local economy. Single-day tickets start at $19, and all performances are included with rodeo admission.
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➤ John Bash, a former U. S. Attorney during President Trump’s first term, is running to replace Ken Paxton as the next attorney general of Texas. Several current and former politicians have been named as potential candidates. (More)
➤ San Antonio: The city spent $20,000 on tickets to the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament this past weekend for city council members. A spokesperson said it’s “perfectly normal for council members to represent the city at an event of this magnitude.” (See Details)
➤ Frisco: Over $300,000 has been raised for 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who is accused of fatally stabbing another student at a track meet last week. Anthony is detained at the Collin County Jail with a bond of $1 million. (More)
➤ Boca Chica: A 9-foot-tall sculpture of Elon Musk near the site of the SpaceX launch site has been defaced. (See Photo)
➤ Humble ISD: Superintendent Roger Brown publicly apologized for saying he wanted to “lynch the mayor” during a discussion with district employees about the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. (More)
➤ Granbury: Eva Royer, a Hood County GOP committee chairman, was arrested Monday for alleged election fraud. A resident of unincorporated Pecan Plantation, the 55-year-old listed a vacation rental with a Granbury address when she ran for city council last year. (See Details)
➤ Fredericksburg: The National Museum of the Pacific War has returned a World War II-era tank to Japan in fulfillment of an agreement signed last March. In exchange, Japan gave the museum a fully operational authentic replica of a Type 95 light tank. (See Photos)
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➤ San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer at the buzzer Wednesday night to give the Spurs a 114-111 victory over his former team, the Golden State Warriors. (Watch Video)
➤ Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was seen with his face in his hands as fans chanted “Fire Nico” during the Mavericks’ 112-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, Luka Doncic’s first game in Dallas since being traded in February. (More)
➤ The Texas Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 Wednesday after losing the first two games of the series. The Rangers lead the American League West with a 9-4 record. (More)
➤ Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer announced that previously injured star forward Tyler Seguin is ready for full contact and is “knocking at the door” of returning to play, just in time for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (More)
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➤ The Fort Worth City Council approved an economic incentives agreement for a subsidiary of Spanish firm ACS Group to build a $2.16 billion, four-building data center on 107 acres. The agreement requires hiring at least 37 employees with a minimum average salary of $150,000. (More)
➤ Texas home insurance premiums have increased 27% since 2021 and now average $4,800 a year, the sixth-highest in the nation. (More)
➤ A Dickens County cryptocurrency mining facility owned by New York-based Galaxy Digital Holdings is being converted into an AI data center with 133 megawatts of capacity, expected to generate $4.5 billion in revenue over the next 15 years. (More)
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➤ A two-story Galveston home built in the 1940s was relocated a few miles by barge on Wednesday. The Galveston Historical Foundation, which recently bought the home from the original owner’s family, will renovate it before putting it on the market. (Watch Video)
➤ NBA legend and TV analyst Charles Barkley was playfully roasted by a group of women at an event modeled after the Netflix dating show Pop the Balloon. He was in San Antonio for the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament. (Watch Video)
➤ Cedar Park’s Dawson Dial won this year’s Drive, Chip, and Putt Championship in the 10-11 Boys category, held at Augusta National Golf Club in conjunction with the Master’s Golf Tournament. “It’s just a dream come true,” said Dial. “I might stay up all night. If my dad lets me.” (More)
➤ U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have filed a bill that would transfer the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. (More)
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Drone Startup Zipline Expands to Texas
