Good morning! On this day in 1993, a gunfight erupted at the Mount Carmel Center outside Waco between members of the Branch Davidian religious cult and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, who suspected the group of illegally stockpiling weapons. Four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians were killed in the conflict, which initiated an FBI-led siege of the compound that finally ended after 51 days.
A Dallas man visited every one of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Texas. Check out the story in today’s Et Cetera section to see how much he spent!
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A majority of Texas House members have indicated support for legislation that would establish a state-funded school choice program, a milestone that Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated in a statement Wednesday.
“For the first time in our great state’s history, the Texas House has the votes to pass a universal school choice program,” he said, characterizing the achievement as “a new era where families have the opportunity to choose the learning environment that meets the unique needs of their children.”
In addition to author Brad Buckley (R-Salado), 75 other Republican members signed on as coauthors of House Bill 3, which would establish education savings accounts funded at 85% of the average amount public schools receive for each student.
The proposal has yet to be scheduled for a committee hearing, while the Senate passed its version of school choice more than three weeks ago. Although both bills allocate $1 billion for education savings accounts, Senate Bill 2 establishes a defined $10,000 annual allotment for students attending private schools. The House version has stricter eligibility criteria.
Lawmakers Push to “Make Texas Healthy Again”
A Texas Senate committee heard testimony this week on two bills that aim to “Make Texas Healthy Again,” a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that aligns with a federal initiative promoted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Senate Bill 25 proposes expanding physical education requirements for middle school students in public schools, mandating nutrition education for doctors, and requiring warning labels on food additives banned in other Western countries. According to bill author Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), it aims to “address the causes of chronic illnesses and increase healthier food options.”
Senate Bill 314 prohibits certain food additives linked to cancer and hyperactivity—like brominated vegetable oil, titanium dioxide, and butylated hydroxyanisole—in free or reduced-price school lunches. “If an ingredient is linked to severe human harm, it is unnecessary, and alternatives are available,” said bill author Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola).
Both chambers have also filed legislation that would ban the purchase of junk food using taxpayer-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Dallas Teens Advocate for Afghan Women
A dozen Dallas teens are in Geneva, Switzerland, to advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The students attend the private Alcuin School, where former Afghan diplomat Farima Nawabi visited in September to discuss her experience living under Taliban rule. Her story compelled the students to action and inspired some of them to pursue careers in international diplomacy.
Today, senior Wonder Cather is scheduled to deliver a 90-second address to the council on behalf of three advocacy groups, urging members to support efforts to expand women’s access to healthcare, education, and sports participation.
“I want to leave people with the thought that we haven’t forgotten the women in Afghanistan,” Cather said. “So you shouldn’t forget them too.”
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➤ El Paso: Daniel Franco Lopez, a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel, has been extradited from Mexico, where he had been detained since 2012. He faces life in prison on numerous drug trafficking, money laundering, and racketeering charges. (More)
➤ Allen: The city council approved an economic incentives agreement Tuesday for the development of a $950 million, 1.2 million-square-foot resort with an indoor water park. A representative for the Allen Economic Development Corporation suggested that the Kalahari Resort could be operational as early as 2030. (More)
➤ Travis County: Mitchell Ryan Melber, a 27-year-old Missouri man, is in custody after making threats to kill Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. He was arrested in Oklahoma on his way to Texas earlier this month. (See Details)
➤ Cherokee County: The county jail was determined to be out of compliance with state jail standards earlier this month. Sheriff Brent Dickson has arrested a jailer accused of failing to perform his assigned duties and tampering with a government document. (More)
➤ Austin: Renderings for the city’s new $1.6 billion convention center were released Tuesday. Demolition of the current convention center will begin later this year. (See Renderings)
➤ Dallas: The National Cheerleaders Association is holding its annual competition at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center this weekend. The event is expected to draw 1,712 teams with 30,410 athletes and 3,700 coaches from 43 states and nine countries. (More)
➤ Houston: The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is hosting the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest this weekend. Tickets for a plate are $26 for adults and $10 for kids. (See Details)
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➤ Houston Rockets star Amen Thompson continued his recent strong play with 25 points and eight rebounds on Wednesday night, leading the Rockets to a 118-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. (More)
➤ Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson set the team’s all-time record for most points in a single game by a freshman on Wednesday night, scoring 39 in an 86-81 overtime loss to Arkansas. (More)
➤ The University of Texas at San Antonio women’s basketball team has clinched a share of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title, amassing a 15-1 record with two games remaining. A win on Saturday or Tuesday would give the Roadrunners sole possession of the title and the No. 1 seed in the American Women’s Basketball Championship. (More)
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➤ A Houston judge has approved the reorganization plan proposed by San Antonio’s Zachry Holdings to emerge from bankruptcy following the construction firm’s withdrawal from the $10 billion Golden Pass export terminal project in Sabine Pass last year. (More)
➤ The parent company of McAllen’s Rio Bank is merging with San Antonio-based Lone Star Capital Bank. The new entity will retain Rio Bank’s name and manage $1.4 billion in assets across 22 locations. (More)
➤ Southwest Airlines has agreed to allow its flights to be listed on Expedia and affiliated travel sites, including Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz, and CheapTickets. (See Details)
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➤ Dallas resident Drew Stephenson has visited all 15 of the state’s one-star Michelin-awarded restaurants, spending $3,000 on food alone to achieve the feat. (See Details)
➤ A moon lander developed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines was launched on a SpaceX rocket Wednesday and is expected to touch down near the moon’s South Pole next week. Engineers plan to use the lander to set up the moon’s first cellular network. (More)
➤ The Crespi Estate, a 27,000-square-foot limestone mansion in Dallas built in 1938 for an Italian cotton baron, is back on the market for $64 million. It’s the most expensive home for sale in Texas. (See Photos)
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Have you ever been to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?
Abbott Celebrates School Choice Milestone
