Good Morning! On this day in 1861, Confederate colonel Earl Van Dorn intercepted 500 Union troops at the port of Saluria on Matagorda Island. Fearing an invasion, Saluria residents retreated to the mainland, and Confederate soldiers burned the town.
We’re getting close to the podcast launch for the national edition of The Flyover! The first episode will be featured here on Monday. For now, here’s an introduction from our hosts, Ayla Brown and Amy Hess.
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We’re flying today with Timeplast, offering an investment opportunity in a new environmentally safe plastic technology.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released its A-F campus ratings for the 2022-23 school year yesterday, marking the first time in five years that complete scores for Texas public schools have been published.
Ratings in recent years were blocked or limited due to litigation and the COVID-19 pandemic. An appeals court cleared the way for the 2022-23 ratings to be released earlier this month.
Of the 8,539 public schools evaluated, 19.3% got an A, 33.6% got a B, and 24.7% got a C. The number of schools earning an F increased 233% compared to the previous release.
The ratings are determined by students’ state test scores, college and career readiness, and improvement over time. Fort Worth ISD is at risk of being taken over by a state-appointed board due to multiple years of poor performance.
Texas DOGE Established
Governor Greg Abbott signed the first bill of this year’s legislative session on Wednesday, creating a Texas version of the Elon Musk-led federal DOGE initiative.
Senate Bill 14 establishes the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office as an executive branch advisory council. Its responsibilities include identifying “unnecessary and ineffective rules,” streamlining government operations, and providing increased public access to regulatory information.
The legislation also clarifies that courts are not required to defer to state agencies in the interpretation of a statute and associated regulations, following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the longstanding Chevron doctrine last year.
“There’s low-hanging fruit all over the place,” Abbott said. “When you look at the vast amount of regulations, there’s so much slicing and dicing that needs to be done.”
Eight Texas Cities Among Most Livable
According to Livability, eight Texas cities were ranked among the top 100 best places to live in the country. The study examined cities of 75,000 to 500,000 people, awarding a score on a scale of 1,000 based on education, amenities, economy, and other factors.
With a score of 875, Flower Mound ranked No. 1 in both Texas and the United States. Hailed for its “suburban charm and endless amenities,” the North Texas city is described as “ideal for families and professionals.”
Sugar Land received a score of 854, good for second in Texas and third in the country. Praised for its “blend of Southern charm and big-city convenience,” the Houston suburb “offers the ideal balance of comfort and convenience.”
Round Rock, a “small town that makes a big bang,” is No. 10 in the U.S. New Braunfels is No. 18. Midland, College Station, Tyler, and Abilene also made the list.
Flying together with our sponsor
Japanese Water Soluble Plastic Has American Competition
Japan’s RIKEN institute recently unveiled a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours — a breakthrough in the fight against pollution. But Florida-based Timeplast may have quietly surpassed it.
With seven patents and a proprietary process called “molecular disintegration,” Timeplast’s plastics dissolve not just in seawater, but also in freshwater, rain, humidity, and soil. Unlike traditional solutions, these materials leave no microplastics behind and maintain the strength of conventional plastics. Already used in 3D-printing and flexible composites, Timeplast’s lineup is versatile and scalable.
They’re on a mission to revolutionize multiple industries:
Packaging
3D Printing
Healthcare
Agriculture
Consumer Goods
Marine
Construction
Retail & Events
As you can see, the market potential is enormous ($1.3T in total). That’s just one reason why they’ve already attracted over 6,000 investors.
➤ Austin: The Texas Senate agreed to the House’s version of a bill that will establish parent-directed education savings accounts yesterday, sending the legislation to Gov. Abbott. (More)
➤ Bandera County: The water level at Medina Lake has dropped to 2.1% amid ongoing drought conditions, nearing “dead pool” status—when no water flows into or out of the reservoir. (Watch Video)
➤ Austin: Mortuary owner Adeline Ngan-Binh Bui, 50, has been arrested and charged with allegedly conducting experiments on corpses and falsifying death certificates. Some of the experiments were reportedly performed on behalf of a medical training company. (More)
➤ San Antonio: The Texas Historical Commission approved a plan to construct a temporary enclosure over the Alamo church next year while its roof is being replaced. (Watch Video)
➤ Plano ISD: Attorney General Ken Paxton has requested records of communications between district officials and the East Plano Islamic Center related to the development of EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centric community that is the subject of multiple investigations. (More)
➤ Corpus Christi: Driscoll Children’s Hospital has become a pioneer in the use of fish scales for skin grafts. Three-year-old Eliana DeVos was one of the first patients to receive the treatment after developing an infection in the NICU. (See Details)
➤ Houston: A former Coca-Cola bottling plant decommissioned in 2020 has been purchased by Houston Methodist Hospital. The 1,000,000-square-foot facility was touted as the most advanced bottling plant in the world when it opened in 1950. (See Photo)
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➤ The Dallas Cowboys selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker with the 12th pick in last night’s NFL Draft, while the Houston Texans traded out of the first round. (More)
➤ The Aggies and Longhorns continue jockeying for college softball’s top ranking as the season winds down. Texas A&M fell one spot to No. 2 in the latest poll, while Texas held steady at No. 3. (More)
➤ Four Texas A&M women’s tennis players were named to All-SEC teams on Wednesday, and coach Mark Weaver was honored as the conference’s Co-Coach of the Year. (More)
➤ The Dallas Wings WNBA team introduced No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers at a press conference Wednesday. “We’re ready to invest all of ourselves into Dallas,” she said, wearing a custom white cowboy hat. (More)
➤ Stay safe anytime, anywhere with the SafeSound Personal Alarm. This compact, easy-to-carry device emits a piercing 130dB alarm to deter threats and draw attention fast. Perfect for students, travelers, and anyone on the go—clip it to your bag, keys, or belt for peace of mind at your fingertips. (Shop Now)
➤ Mati Carbon, a Houston startup, won the $50 million grand prize in a contest sponsored by the nonprofit XPrize. The winning entry was a pulverized basalt product, which absorbs carbon dioxide and releases nutrients into the soil when applied to crops. (More)
➤ Eleven single-family homes with Tesla solar roof shingles and Powerwall battery backup systems are available for purchase in Houston, offering “24/7 power outage protection.” One of the Utopia Homes properties is listed for $544,900. (See Photos)
➤ Southwest Airlines reported a first-quarter loss on Wednesday of $149 million on $6.4 billion in revenue. The carrier also announced it would cut its flights by 1.5% during the second half of the year to “accommodate a lower demand environment.” (More)
➤ Meanwhile, American Airlines posted a $473 million loss on $12.6 billion during the first quarter. The company attributed its performance to “economic uncertainty” and the January collision between one of its regional jets and an Army helicopter, which killed 67 people. (More)
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Meet the Genius Who Invented Plastic That Dissolves in Water
The world produces 450 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Microplastics are seeping into our oceans and food. They even show up in our bodies. So you can imagine how revolutionary a new kind of plastic that completely dissolves in water can be.
Thatʼs exactly what Timeplast created. The company patented a water-soluble, time-programmable plastic that vanishes without harming the environment. Major players are already partnering with Timeplast for their patented technology.
This is a paid advertisement for Timeplast’s Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.timeplast.com.
➤ Thieves stole a porta-potty from a construction site last week. “What was the point of that? It makes no sense,” said Johan Buiza, owner of Buiza Waste. (Watch Video)
➤ Christopher Holt, a 52-year-old Lake Highlands musician who is about to release his fourth album, joined iconic rock band the Eagles in January for one of their performances at the Sphere in Las Vegas. (More)
➤ Collecting Fiesta San Antonio medals has become a passion for many festival-goers since they were introduced in 1946. Amado Navarro, who has been collecting the souvenirs since he was 12, estimates he owns between 6,000 to 7,000 Fiesta medals. (See Photos)
Flying together with our sponsor
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2022-23 School Ratings Released
