Tuesday, May 13, 2025

The Roundup

Article Icon 1U.S. Halts Cattle Imports

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins ordered a temporary pause on importing livestock, horses, and bison at southern border ports due to the spread of the parasitic New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico.

Screwworm maggots feed on the flesh of live animals and even humans, and an infestation can be deadly. Over the past two years, they have been detected in increasing numbers in Mexico and Central America, prompting the U.S. to restrict cattle shipments last November.

Imports were resumed in February after comprehensive health inspections were implemented, but the screwworm has continued to spread. It was recently detected at farms in Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles away from the border.

Mexican officials disagree with the move, but the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association supports the closure. Steps to contain the screwworm include field surveillance, restrictions on animal movements, and the release of sterile flies.

Article Icon 1NRG Doubles Generation Capacity in $12B Deal

Houston’s NRG Energy announced yesterday it will acquire New York-based LS Power’s natural gas generation facilities and power plant platform in a $12 billion deal. The company’s stock jumped over 26% to an all-time high of $150.61 after the announcement.

The acquisition doubles NRG’s generation capacity with 18 additional natural gas-fired facilities across nine states. It also includes the CPower virtual power plant platform, which operates in all of the country’s deregulated energy markets.

The transaction includes $6.4 billion in cash, $2.8 billion in stock, and $3.2 billion in net debt. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.

Chief Executive Larry Coben said the deal strengthens NRG’s credit profile and growth prospects. NRG beat analyst expectations with first-quarter profits of $750 million, or $3.61 a share, compared with $511 million, or $2.31 a share, in the same quarter last year.

Article Icon 1Heat Wave Could Set Records

Temperatures are expected to soar over 100 degrees across much of the state this week, potentially setting records for heat and electricity demand during the month of May.

Austin is expected to see temperatures reach 102 degrees today, nearly two months earlier than the Texas capital has historically topped 100 degrees. Wednesday’s high in San Antonio could reach 108 degrees, and South Texas could see temperatures over 110 degrees—hotter than the Sahara Desert right now.

Power grid operator ERCOT is forecasting peak demand of more than 84 gigawatts around 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The record for May is 77 gigawatts, while the all-time record is 85.5 gigawatts, set last August.

ERCOT is expected to have plenty of generation capacity and has not issued a Weather Watch at this time.

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The Flyover

The $1.5T Tech Upgrade Our Cities Have Been Waiting For

Wi-Fi alone can’t handle the technologies connecting businesses, schools, and major institutions.

That’s why brands like Crayola are tapping into IotaComm’s nationwide wireless network. It’s less costly than Wi-Fi but powerful enough to help build “smarter” operations across entire cities and towns.

IotaComm’s cutting-edge IoT platform, Delphi360, can help to improve air quality, energy usage, and traffic—and is planning to integrate AI in its next product release. 

Here’s why it’s such a game-changer:

  •  IotaComm owns a nationwide portfolio of scarce FCC-licensed spectrum

  • It’s a $1.5T Internet of Things market opportunity

  • Potential to reduce energy usage by up to 30%

But there’s even better news…

IotaComm is giving investors a chance to participate in their growth. Learn more about becoming an IotaComm shareholder here.

Around Texas

➤ Houston: ICE officials arrested 422 suspected illegal immigrants during a weeklong operation. Of that number, 262 have criminal convictions, and 229 had final orders of removal. (See Details)

➤ Austin: The Texas House passed bills that limit sex designations on government documents to male or female and require health insurance companies to cover the cost of detransitioning services. (More)

➤ Killeen: Fire Captain Marvin Taylor III was killed in a crash on Sunday, hours after the birth of his fifth child. He was hit from behind by a driver who was reportedly speeding. (More)

➤ Wichita Falls: Sheppard Air Force Base is partnering with the city and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to disperse a flock of cattle egrets near the facility in the upcoming weeks. Residents have been warned that the non-lethal pyrotechnics used for this purpose sound like gunfire. (See Details)

➤ Dallas: The Salvation Army of North Texas will break ground today on a 21-acre campus to provide indigent medical care and housing for people recovering from addiction and victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking. (More)

➤ Amarillo: Police located a suspect who allegedly stole a car within four hours of the reported theft using license plate readers and a drone. (Watch Video)

➤ Marlin ISD: The district resumed classes yesterday after water pressure was restored across the city. Schools had been closed since April 30. (More)


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Texas Sports

The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery last night, which will allow them to draft Duke forward Cooper Flagg. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs jumped up to the second slot. (More

The Dallas Cowboys will kick off the 2025 NFL season in a prime-time matchup against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, September 4th. (More)

➤ Three college softball teams from Texas made the NCAA postseason tournament: No. 1 seed Texas A&M, No. 6 seed Texas, and No. 12 seed Texas Tech. (More)

➤ Paige Bueckers dazzled in her debut with the Dallas Wings on Saturday, scoring 15 points in a preseason win over a Japanese team. Bueckers was selected with the first overall pick in the WNBA draft last month. (More)

The No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns baseball team lost two of three games against Florida over the weekend. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle called it the “most disappointing loss of the season.” (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | Soccer

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The Business Of Texas

Amazon is reportedly planning to build a distribution center on a recently acquired 13-acre parcel of land in Brownsville. (More)

➤ McKesson, based in Irving, announced last week it plans to spin off its surgical supplies division as a separate company to focus on its more profitable drug distribution business. (More)

Japan’s Marubeni Corporation has agreed to purchase 250,000 tons of low-carbon ammonia from ExxonMobil’s hydrogen plant under development in Baytown. (More)

A previous edition of The Texas Flyover reported that Jeffrey’s in Austin is among the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants. However, Dallas is also home to two steakhouses on the coveted list: Knife and Nuri. (More)

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Crayola Advances Manufacturing Excellence with Hidden Tech

One of America’s most iconic brands is using cutting-edge technology to improve manufacturing quality and help reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. 

But they’re just one of several major brands leveraging IotaComm’s cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) platform to improve their business operations.

Wifi alone has proven to be too costly for IoT tech, but IotaComm is quietly building a nationwide wireless network to make strong, secure, and low-cost connectivity possible in powering their commercial applications.  

They’re setting the foundations of a more connected world, which amounts to $1.5T in market potential.

Learn how you can become an IotaComm shareholder. 

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Et Cetera

Scientists are trying to determine why so much seaweed is washing up on Texas beaches, which the General Land Office has described as an “unexplained phenomenon.” (More)

Meanwhile, an unoccupied 35-foot sailboat with Arizona registration tags washed ashore near Corpus Christi last week. Its owners have reportedly arranged for a tow, though it’s unknown why the boat had been abandoned. (See Photos)

The Houston Astros Foundation hosted its fourth annual Champions for Healthy Families fashion show over the weekend, offering the wives and girlfriends of players the opportunity to walk the runway to raise money for more than 70 local charities. (More)

The Ron Ross Memorial Steer Roping competition was held in Williamson County this past weekend. The Liberty Hill Fair and Rodeo is happening this coming weekend. (More)

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The Polling Station

Do you think this summer will be hotter, cooler, or about the same as average?

  1. Hotter
  2. Cooler
  3. About the same
 

Yesterday’s Results:

Who is the best quarterback who ever played high school football in Texas?

  1. Patrick Mahomes: 30%
  2. Drew Brees: 13%
  3. Other: 10%
  4. Johnny Manziel: 10%
  5. Vince Young: 9%
  6. Kyler Murray: 8%
  7. Baker Mayfield: 7%
  8. Robert Griffin III: 7%
  9. Matthew Stafford: 6%
Texas Trivia

Who is the only Texas governor to die in office?

Show me the answer

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