Good Morning! On this day in 1930, businessman and politician Ross Perot was born in Texarkana. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he founded Electronic Data Systems and ran for president as an independent in 1992 and on the Reform Party ticket in 1996.
A Leander police officer rescued six ducklings from a storm drain last weekend. Check out the photos here.
Today’s sponsor is Pacaso, offering a unique opportunity to invest in second homes through co-ownership, making luxury real estate more accessible than ever.
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Current, Former Paxton Aides Trade Accusations
Current and former top deputies for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are embroiled in a heated legal dispute that could threaten his campaign for U.S. Senate. Recent polls have shown Paxton with a solid lead over incumbent John Cornyn for the Republican nomination.
Last month, a lawsuit filed by current staffer Jordan Eskew alleged that former Solicitor General Judd Stone and Assistant Attorney General Chris Hilton were forced to resign in 2023 for engaging in sexual harassment. The filing contained an email from current First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster in which he claimed Stone admitted to the behavior.
Now, Stone and Hilton have accused Webster of “obstructing justice, committing official oppression, and tampering with witnesses” during Paxton’s impeachment proceedings in 2023. They claim Webster pressured potential witnesses to flee the state to avoid being subpoenaed.
They also claim Webster falsified the email, calling his allegations a “loathsome lie with no basis in fact.” Both sides have stressed that Paxton did not participate in any wrongdoing.
Lithium Mining Growing in East Texas
Oil field equipment supplier Halliburton has partnered with Austin-based GeoFrame Energy to develop a lithium mining operation on 7,400 acres in and around Mt. Vernon in Franklin County. GeoFrame claims the project has the potential to supply 100% of the nation’s lithium demand.
The mining operation will be powered by geothermal energy captured from heat in the Smackover Formation’s lithium-rich oil field brine deposits. GeoFrame expects to produce 83,500 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually by 2029.
“This major breakthrough in East Texas could be the key to solving the U.S. lithium supply challenge,” GeoFrame Energy said in a press release, hailing the development as “a turning point in ending U.S. dependence on Chinese lithium imports.”
GeoFrame stated that its mining operation could create up to 100 local jobs. Its Canadian-based competitor, Standard Lithium, also has an operation in the area.
Scammers Prey on Fear to Steal Savings
Three Texans in the Houston area and North Texas were recently victims of elaborate scams that cost them thousands of dollars.
School bus driver Roberta Thompson of Katy received a text about fraudulent activity in her Wells Fargo account. Then she got a call from a man claiming to work for the bank who directed her to withdraw all her money and deposit it in a new account. She lost $20,000.
North Texas schoolteacher Russell Leahy, 28, lost his life savings of $32,000 when he got a call about fraudulent activity in his Chase Bank account. “It really felt like the end of the world for me,” said the newlywed.
Kayren Harter received an email from a supposed Wells Fargo representative saying she had to transfer her money to a secure account or she could be prosecuted for tax evasion. She lost $10,000 making a deposit in exchange for Bitcoin at a convenience store.
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Now, the company started by former Zillow execs is expanding its disruptive model even further. With Coldwell Banker reporting that 40% of wealthy Americans intend to buy a vacation home abroad within the next year, that’s a big deal.
They’re officially planning to add homes in three new cities, setting the stage for expansion into Rome, Milan, and Florence. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
➤ The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez to test DNA evidence associated with the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison in Brownsville. Gutierrez maintains he was not the person who fatally stabbed the 85-year-old woman. (More)
➤ Hays County: A district court judge ruled Monday that a $440 million road bond approved by county voters in November 2024 is void because the commissioners court violated transparency rules in calling for the election. (See Details)
➤ State Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) is running to succeed State Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), who announced his retirement on Tuesday. Meanwhile, State Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) announced he is running for the seat vacated by State Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), who is slated to become the Texas comptroller in July.
➤ Harris County: Three inmates at the county jail died within 48 hours this week, bringing the number of inmate deaths this year to 10. (See Details)
➤ Austin: Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to coordinate on developing a plan to combat the spread of the parasitic New World screwworm, which has been detected in southern Mexico. (More)
➤ Plano: The U.S. Department of Justice closed an investigation into the planned Muslim-centric EPIC City development because the project’s sponsors have “affirmed that all will be welcome” and pledged to revise their marketing materials to convey that. (See Details)
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➤ The Dallas Stars have re-signed 35-year-old team captain Jamie Benn to a one-year contract worth $1 million guaranteed and $3 million in performance incentives. (More)
➤ Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom took a no-hitter into the eighth inning during the team’s 7-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. deGrom’s strong performance this season has the makings of an AL Cy Young campaign. (More)
➤ The University of Texas was awarded the Learfield Directors’ Cup for the fourth time on Thursday. The annual award is given to the university that demonstrates the most athletic success across all sports. (More)
➤ Summer heat waves are no joke—stay ahead of dehydration with LMNT. Zero sugar, science-backed electrolytes, and a new Lemonade Salt flavor that’s perfect for sweaty days. Flyover readers get a free sample pack! (More)
➤ A Wall Street Journal report suggests multinational oil giant Shell has reached out to rival BP about the possibility of a merger, though representatives for Shell dismissed the report as “market speculation.” Both companies have U.S. headquarters in Houston. (More)
➤ Austin-based dating app Bumble is laying off 30% of its workforce, approximately 240 employees, for an annual cost savings of $40 million that the company plans to invest in its product and technology development. (More)
➤ The Arlington Economic Development Corporation approved a ground lease at the city’s municipal airport for satellite manufacturer E-Space, which is building a 750,000-square-foot facility for its new headquarters. The project is expected to create 2,000 jobs over the next decade. (More)
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Disrupting the real estate industry once again, Pacaso’s streamlined platform offers co-ownership of premier properties, revamping a $1.3T market.
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.
➤ Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Barbs B Q in Lockhart, and Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor were included in a Food & Wine list of the 10 must-visit barbecue spots in the United States. (See List)
➤ The annual Jim Bowie Days festival wraps up tomorrow in Bowie. The final days include rodeos, a cornhole tournament, terrapin races, and a frog jumping contest. (More / Schedule)
➤ According to new U.S. Census Bureau data, the number of Texans age 65 and older grew 3.8% between 2023 and 2024, faster than the rest of the country. However, the state’s median age of 35.8 is still lower than the national median of 39.1. (See Details)
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