Friday, November 15, 2024

The Roundup

Article Icon 1FBI Houston Arrests ISIS Supporter

FBI Houston announced Thursday they have arrested a man who had allegedly attempted to support the terrorist organization ISIS by creating propaganda, offering to host ISIS members in his Houston apartment, and bragging that he would commit a 9/11-style attack in Houston if given the chance. 

Anas Said, 28, was born in the U.S. His family later returned to Lebanon before moving back to the U.S. in 2015. The FBI interviewed Said in 2018 after receiving a tip about his purchase of pro-ISIS stickers. He is awaiting a detention hearing for his current charges. 

We stopped a potential terrorist attack from happening right here in Houston.said an FBI Houston spokesperson. “Any day we can publicly say that is a good day.

Article Icon 1Abbott Freezes Tuition At Public Colleges

Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas public colleges and universities to freeze tuition for the next two years, citing “significant rising costs due to inflation” and his “commitment to ensuring that higher education remains accessible and affordable for all Texans.”

In a letter, Abbott said his office had met with every public university system Board of Regents, and they agreed to the two-year tuition freeze.

In 2023, lawmakers allocated an additional $700 million to the state budget for public universities in exchange for their agreement to keep tuition flat through 2025.

Tuition and fees for in-state students attending a public university average just over $10,200, while the total average cost of attendance—including room and board, books, and other costs—is $28,724.

Article Icon 1Satire Website Buys Infowars

The Onion, a left-leaning satirical news site, has purchased Alex Jones’s Austin-based Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting victims to whom Jones owes over $1 billion in defamation judgments. 

Infowars, a website with a reputation for advancing conspiracy theories, was shut down within hours of the sale. The CEO of The Onion’s parent company said Infowars would be relaunched in January as a parody site to mock right-wing personalities like Jones and promote the messaging of Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that aims to advance gun control measures.

Jones claims the auction trustee changed the rules at the last minute so that only sealed bids were allowed, preventing a group of affiliated financial backers from offering a counter to The Onion’s bid.

Jones criticized the sale as “a total attack on free speech” and promised to challenge it.

The Flyover

Somalia is facing a devastating combination of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks. East Africa has just endured its worst drought in 40 years, leaving tens of millions without access to clean water, wiping out millions of livestock and destroying crops. With domestic food production crippled, Somalia has relied heavily on imports—90% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine—until those shipments stopped.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and cholera is spreading in some regions. The food crisis, compounded by global humanitarian aid being redirected to Europe and the Middle East, has created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp rise in child malnutrition.

Be Doers

We’re asking the Texas Flyover Community to partner with World Concern to help distribute emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those in greatest need.

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We’re matching the first $750; just give through this link.

Around Texas

➤ U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin) was detained and charged with public intoxication at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4 after taking a sleeping pill and drinking alcohol to cope with being a “nervous flyer.” (More)

➤ Metroplex: An organized crime ring out of Houston allegedly stole 52 vehicles worth more than $5 million from DFW Airport. According to detectives, the cars were stolen using devices that reprogram key fobs and then retitled with altered ID numbers. (More)

➤ Harris County: Today is the last day TxTag customers can access their accounts before they are transferred to the Harris County Toll Road Authority. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the transfer to provide improved customer service. (See Details)

➤ Killeen: An Ambit Energy customer on a fixed income is struggling to pay her bill after it increased more than 400% in one month. A faulty A/C unit in the woman’s apartment complex is apparently to blame for the $731 bill. (Watch Video)

➤ Dallas: A couple is suing the shuttered Twisted Trick bar for serving them a flaming drink that caused severe burns. The lawsuit claims the bartender poured too much Everclear into the cocktail before lighting it with a torch. (More)

➤ Tyler: The Discovery Science Place is holding a grand opening tonight for their new ice skating rink. (More)

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Texas Sports

➤ Houston Texans star Nico Collins is expected to make his return on Monday against the Dallas Cowboys. Collins led the NFL in receiving yards prior to his injury in Week 5. (More)

➤ Victor Wembanyama set a new career high with 50 points on Wednesday night. Additionally, Wembanyama became the tallest player in NBA history to make eight or more three-pointers in a game. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Mike Tyson will fight Jake Paul tonight at 8 PM ET at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium in what could be the most watched combat sports event in history. (More)

➤ Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith has been awarded the American League utility Silver Slugger award. (More)

 Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA | LPGA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Do you have trouble falling asleep? Dodow is a light metronome scientifically designed to block out overactive thought patterns and quickly lull you into a deep, peaceful sleep. Over 500,000 former insomniacs now sleep peacefully with Dodow. Are you next? (See It Here)

The Business Of Texas
Shareholders approved the sale of Dallas-based fiber internet and TV provider Frontier Communications to Verizon for $9.6 billion. Verizon will pay $38.50 a share—a 44% premium over the stock price when the deal was announced in September—and will also absorb approximately $10 billion of the company’s debt. (More)

Advocates for the proposed Rio Bravo Pipeline and Rio Grande LNG terminal in South Texas hope the incoming Trump administration will help gain approval for the projects, which a federal appeals court blocked in August. (More)

PNC Bank is appealing a $218 million judgment against it for failing to obtain a license from San Antonio-based USAA to use its mobile check-depositing technology. USAA was among the first to roll out this technology and holds a patent requiring other institutions to pay for its use. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

 The Only Device Stand You’ll Ever Need. GoDonut is a clever and convenient stand for phones, tablets, and e-readers that makes it easy to enjoy your mobile devices anywhere, hands-free. (See It Here)

Somalia faces a crisis from natural disasters, conflict, poverty, and disease. The worst drought in 40 years devastated crops and livestock, while food imports from Russia and Ukraine halted. Two in five Somali children now suffer from acute malnutrition.

Join us in partnering with World Concern to get emergency nutrition packs & clean water to children. $12 feeds a child for a month. 

Et Cetera

Austin Patterson, a rodeo bull trainer featured in Monday’s edition, got married on Saturday, just a day after he was discharged from the hospital, where he had been treated for a traumatic injury sustained earlier this month. (Watch Video)

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington has closed two roller coasters to make room for “a jaw-dropping, record-breaking dive coaster” scheduled to open in 2026. (See Photos)

Robert Walker, a 1966 Nacogdoches High School graduate, was reunited with his class ring after a Scottish man found it while beachcombing—55 years after it had been lost. (Watch Video)

Flying together with our sponsor

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The Polling Station

Who do you think will win tonight’s fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul?

  1. Mike Tyson
  2. Jake Paul
 

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever visited the Astrodome?

  1. Yes: 59.4%
  2. No: 40.6%
Texas Trivia

Which Texas Ranger received a presidential pardon?

Show me the answer

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