Good Morning! On this day in 1949, professional wrestler Stan “The Lariat” Hansen was born in Knox City. His brash cowboy persona earned him popularity in Japan, where he won seven championships.
Texas is home to some of the nation’s biggest amusement parks and racetracks. Soon, Austin will have one of each. Check out the details in today’s Et Cetera section.
Invest in today’s sponsor Pacaso, a real estate disruptor backed by Venmo and Uber investors and founded by a former Zillow executive.
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‘Bathroom Bill’ Advances
The Texas House passed legislation yesterday that prohibits the use of a bathroom designated for the opposite sex in a government building. The Senate must approve changes to the bill before it goes to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Senate Bill 8 was amended to increase the penalty for a first-time offense from $5,000 to $25,000 and for subsequent offenses from $25,000 to $125,000. Tempers flared during the debate, and Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) ordered the galleries cleared after outbursts from spectators.
The House also approved a bill that bans the manufacture and distribution of abortion-inducing drugs within the state. Anyone who suspects the law has been violated would be able to sue for at least $100,000 in damages.
Meanwhile, the Senate approved bills that require the installation of warning sirens in flood-prone areas and allow Texans to purchase ivermectin without a prescription. The anti-parasitic drug has been touted as an off-label treatment for COVID-19.
Toxic Gas Kills Three Workers
Three men died while working at a wastewater plant in Trinity County on Wednesday after inhaling toxic hydrogen sulfide inside a manhole. Two of the victims worked for H2O Innovation, while another worked for Hydroclear Services.
One of the workers apparently entered the manhole to prevent sewage backup by capping a line, but he lost consciousness due to the gas buildup. His two colleagues attempted rescues by entering the manhole themselves, but they also lost consciousness.
A temporary shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding area as first responders extracted the men, which required lowering the water levels in the lift station. Trinity County Chief Deputy Jeremy Carroll said no leak had occurred, and there was no danger to the public.
“We will be praying for them, and our community is going to back them, and if there is anything they need, we will be happy to help,” Carroll said.
Bubble Planet Coming to DFW
An immersive sensory experience called Bubble Planet is coming to a popular Dallas-Fort Worth mall this year. The attraction offers a dozen “colorful and surreal” environments designed to engage the senses and spark imagination.
Produced by Exhibition Hub, Merlin Entertainments, and Fever, Bubble Planet has opened locations across North America, Europe, and Australia since its debut in Milan in 2023. The company selected Grapevine Mills for its DFW location.
According to a statement from the mall’s owner, the attraction offers “stunning landscapes, cutting-edge technology, fascinating illusions,” and plenty of bubbles. Highlights include the Hanging Balloons Room, the Kaleidoscope Room, and the Bubble Bath Pit.
Flying together with our sponsor
Learn From This Investor’s $100M Mistake
Grammy-winning artist will.i.am passed on investing $200K in Airbnb in 2010. It’d be worth $100M+ today.
Now, the investors behind Venmo and Uber are backing another real estate disruptor. And this time, you can invest.
Meet Pacaso. Created by a former Zillow exec who sold his first venture for $120M, Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3T vacation home industry.
They’ve generated $1B+ worth of luxury home transactions and service fees across 2,000+ owners. That’s good for more than $110M in gross profits to date, including 41% YoY growth last year alone. They’ve even reserved their Nasdaq ticker, PCSO.
➤ Plano: Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Plano ISD over allegations that the district is “permitting and facilitating antisemitic behavior.” (More)
➤ San Antonio: TxDOT opened a third flyover ramp connecting Loop 1604 and I-10 yesterday. The connector is part of a $1.4 billion project to upgrade the interchange and expand 23 miles of Loop 1604. (More)
➤ Austin: Former Texas Rangers star Mark Teixeira, 45, announced he is running as a Republican to succeed U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, who launched his campaign for Texas attorney general this week. (More)
➤ Dallas: The city council voted unanimously Wednesday to dismiss newly hired Inspector General Timothy Menke. The decision was presumably motivated by criticism that Menke is not an attorney, as required by a new charter amendment that established the position. (More)
➤ Johnson County: Sheriff Adam King is on administrative leave after he was charged with sexual harassment and retaliating against a witness. He turned himself in to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and was released from jail on a $25,000 bond. (More)
➤ Nueces County: In an email phishing scam, the county recently lost approximately $2 million. All wire transfers have been suspended, and payments have been restricted, other than payroll, to paper checks while authorities investigate the incident. (More)
➤ Dallas: Bratton Dean Wilkinson, 36, was arrested at a regional ICE facility Monday for allegedly claiming he had a bomb in his backpack as he approached the entrance to the compound. (More)
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➤ Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers yesterday, ending a messy contract standoff between owner Jerry Jones and Parsons’ agent. (More)
➤ Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was convicted of dodging mandatory military service in his native Finland. He’ll now pay a fine that amounts to about $38,700. (More)
➤ Robert Griffin III’s first game as an in-game analyst with FOX Sports will be covering his alma mater, Baylor, which is playing Auburn tonight in Waco. (More)
➤ In a recent interview, the Houston Texans general manager was non-committal about whether running back Joe Mixon would play at all during the 2025 season. (More)
➤ The Dallas Mavericks’ ownership group forced advertisers to move a billboard ad featuring Luka Doncic to a different location because it was too close to the team’s arena. (More)
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➤ Austin-based BorderPlex Digital Assets is building a $165 billion data center in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Company chairman Lanham Napier said the project will supply its own electricity and use recycled water. (More)
➤ Texas A&M AgriLife reports that beekeepers in the state have lost up to 62% of their colonies this year, primarily on account of the parasitic Varroa mite, which has become increasingly resistant to pesticides. (More)
➤ Kimberly-Clark has agreed to pay a $40.4 million penalty to resolve a federal criminal charge alleging the company performed fraudulent testing on a line of its surgical gowns. (More)
➤ ExxonMobil announced it will reconfigure its Baytown refinery to produce more diesel fuel amid shifting energy demands. The change is expected to create around 700 contracted positions. (More)
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Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900%.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes a $1.3T market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
➤ Texas Southern University has purchased a dozen planes for its aviation program. Five of the aircraft are equipped with a new feature called Safe Return, which causes the plane to navigate to the nearest airport and land itself with the push of a button if the pilot becomes incapacitated. (More)
➤ A 69-year-old Hitchcock man shares his home with millions of bees that have built a hive in a cavity 20 feet wide and nine feet high. Jimmy Johnson described the scene as “…honey oozing all down my walls right here. See the stains on the wall? It’s honey.” (More)
➤ The “last bolt” has been secured in place for Austin’s first tilt roller coaster, COTALAND’s Circuit Breaker. The theme park at the Circuit of the Americas race track is expected to open next year. (See Photos)
➤ Wanda Garner fled New Orleans with her twin boys 20 years ago ahead of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Today, Jamal and Jarvis Garner are an attorney and a doctor in Dallas. (See Story)
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