Friday, January 19th, 2023

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

Howdy! On this date in 1858, the German Free School Association of Austin became the first school in Austin charted by the Texas legislature. Today, it’s a historic cultural center. (Read Its Story)

Thanks for all the feedback you’ve sent! We’ve been listening, and we’ve shortened today’s edition in response. You’ll find that the “Around Texas” section has been reduced to six major stories—we hope this makes it a little easier to read.

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DOJ Releases Uvalde Report

On January 18th, the Department of Justice released its findings on the Uvalde school shooting. The report highlights a series of “cascading failures” in the handling of the incident, in which 19 students and two teachers lost their lives.

Per the DOJ, the most basic mistake was the failure to treat the event with the urgency required of an active shooter situation. Officers are trained to eliminate the threat as quickly as possible—a protocol that was not followed. Bad leadership, communication, and technology were also cited.

The incident report provides recommendations for improved agency coordination, quicker release of public information, and better support to survivors.

Texas Will Not Comply

Texas is refusing to follow a cease-and-desist letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordering the state to stop blocking key border crossings in the city of Eagle Pass.

Gov. Greg Abbott recently assumed control of Shelby Park, building fences to restrict access to citizens and Border Patrol agents.

In a letter written to the DHS General Counsel, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton states “Because the facts and law side with Texas, the State will continue utilizing its constitutional authority to defend her territory.”

Court Strikes Down Texas Law

A federal appeals court blocked a Texas law that would’ve required booksellers to include content ratings with their books when selling to schools. The law, known as the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources Act (READER), was found to be unconstitutional.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted that while the state should have an interest in protecting children from harmful materials, it cannot enforce a regulation that violates federal law.

The decision has sparked debate throughout Texas.

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➤ DFW: The Dallas City Council recently approved plans by AMTRAK and Texas Central to revive the dormant high-speed bullet train initiative. The project would connect DFW to Houston and reduce travel time from 5 hours to under 90 minutes. (More)

➤ Llano: The Country-Cajun singer Jo-El Sonnier has died at the age of 77. The Grammy winner had a heart attack following his performance at the Llano Country Opry. (More)

➤ Killeen: MGC Pure Chemicals America is planning a $100 million expansion to increase production of super-pure hydrogen peroxide. Some residents aren’t thrilled about increased chemical production only 1,000 feet from their apartments. (More)

➤ A Houston resident has been charged with felony theft by deception. After falsely claiming that her Uber driver attacked her with a brick, she raised $40K through GoFundMe to cover the “expenses.” (Video)

➤ The Texas State Troopers have rescued their 600th child through the Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) program. Since 2009, the initiative has trained officers to identify victimized children. (More)

➤ The San Antonio Zoo is organizing their annual Cry Me a Cockroach event. Visitors can make a donation to have a cockroach, rat, or vegetable named after their ex-partners. The namesakes are then fed to animals within the zoo. (More)

➤ AT&T Stadium in Arlington will be the site of the 2026 World Cup Final, according to reports on Thursday. The stadium will be required to install a new field before hosting the event. (More)

➤ Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy’s use of the word “championship” triggered an epic rant by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. (See Video)

➤ The NBA announced it would postpone tonight’s matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks because of the death of Warrior’s assistant coach Dejan Milojević. (More)

➤ Houston guard Jamal Shead scored a career high 29 points as the No. 5 Cougars defeated No. 25 Texas Tech 77-54. (More)

➤ Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility has passed a milestone with the assembly of the 1000th F-35 Lighting II Stealth Fighter. (More)

➤ Tesla CEO Elon Musk used social media to outline his vision of the future of the Austin-based company. He wants voting control and an expansion of Tesla’s AI and robotics initiatives. (See More)

➤ Liquid Natural Gas shipments were disrupted by this week’s freezing temperatures. Short supplies of LNG heating and power-plant fuels are expected to be temporary. (See More)

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➤ A video of a frozen alligator at Gator World in Beaumont went viral last week. During cold spells, alligators enter a lethargic state known as brumation—which slows down their metabolic heart rate significantly. (Video)

➤ A 78-acre property that once belonged to late ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has been taken off the market. The 5,800 sq ft glass mansion features floor-to-ceiling glass and picturesque views of the Texas countryside. (Photos)