Good morning! On this day in 1946, Paul Alexander was born in Dallas. Despite spending over 70 years in an iron lung after contracting polio at age 6, he became a successful lawyer. He also built a sizable following on TikTok before his death in March of last year.
You know about Punxsutawney Phil, but have you heard of Bee Cave Bob? Check out today’s Et Cetera section to learn more!
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Scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress—more commonly known as the “Nation’s Report Card”—were released yesterday. Texas eighth graders lag behind the national average in reading and math proficiency.
Just 25% of eighth graders scored high enough to be considered proficient in reading, and only 24% in math, compared to the national averages of 29% and 27%, respectively. While the rate of proficiency in reading is the same as that seen in 2019, math scores have declined significantly since then.
Among Texas fourth graders, 28% scored at the proficient level or above in reading, compared to 30% nationally. In math, 43% achieved a proficient score, compared to 39% for the rest of the country.
During a State Board of Education meeting Wednesday, one member called the results “atrocious.” Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath confessed that “we are far from recovered from the declines that we saw during the pandemic.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled his top 25 legislative priorities for the current session on Wednesday. Each priority corresponds to an upcoming bill in the Republican-controlled Senate, which Patrick presides over.
The list includes several education reforms, such as “Providing School Choice” (Senate Bill 2), “Placing the Ten Commandments in School” (Senate Bill 10), “Protecting the Freedom to Pray in School” (Senate Bill 11), “Establishing a Parental Bill of Rights in Public Education” (Senate Bill 12), and “Guarding Against Inappropriate Books in Public Schools” (Senate Bill 13).
Other items are clearly inspired by President Trump’s agenda, including “Requiring Local Law Enforcement to Assist the Federal Government’s Deportation Efforts” (Senate Bill 8), a state DOGE initiative (Senate Bill 14), and “Making Texas Healthy Again” (Senate Bill 25).
Some of the most controversial items are likely to include “Stopping Non-Citizens from Voting” (Senate Bill 16), “Stopping Foreign Adversaries’ Land Grabs” (Senate Bill 17), and “Stopping Drag Time Story Hour” (Senate Bill 18). See the full list here.
Bus Driver Takes Students to Wrong School
A substitute bus driver for Austin ISD took students to the wrong school Tuesday morning, causing some parents to panic and accuse the driver of kidnapping their children.
The driver was supposed to drop the students off at Campbell Elementary School. When he arrived, he couldn’t find the designated drop-off location, so he drove to Winn Montessori, about four miles away.
Some parents noticed on a bus tracking app that their children had been taken to the wrong school and showed up at Winn to get answers about what had happened. When the driver would not immediately let the students out of the bus, some parents kicked the bus door, shattering the glass.
The district indicated the bus driver is not facing charges, and his identity has not been released. In an email to parents, the district said the incident is being investigated and that counselors would “check in with your child today to ensure they receive any support needed.”
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➤ Gov. Greg Abbott called for the firing of an Irving ISD administrator who was secretly recorded advising a reporter, posing as the parent of a transgender student, to change the student’s birth certificate so he could play on the girls’ athletics teams. (Watch Video)
➤ Reeves County: An oilfield worker was killed and two others injured when a pressurized device ruptured Monday night during a fracking operation. (More)
➤ Austin: A dam floodgate got stuck in the open position during routine work on Tuesday, causing the water level in Lady Bird Lake to drop more than two feet in just a few hours. Crews installed a temporary barrier. (See Photo)
➤ The University of Texas at San Antonio established the Center for Space Technology and Operations Research, or CSTOR, to increase collaboration among related disciplines and better equip students for careers in the aerospace industry. (More)
➤ Murphy: A student at Murphy Middle School was arrested after a plastic LEGO gun was found in the student’s backpack. (More)
➤ Austin: A Texas Senate committee advanced a school choice proposal Tuesday that would provide state funding for families to homeschool their children or send them to private school. (See Details)
➤ Rusk County: Game Warden Kirk Clendening was awarded Texas Officer of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for “demonstrating natural leadership, initiative, excellent judgment, and outstanding communication skills.” (More)
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➤ The Houston Texans have met with two candidates to fill their vacant offensive coordinator position. (More)
➤ No. 13 Texas A&M men’s basketball defeated Oklahoma for the second time this season on Tuesday night after out-rebounding the Sooners 47 to 19. (More)
➤ The Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to four games on Tuesday night after holding off a late Atlanta Hawks surge for a 100-96 win. Jalen Green led the team with 25 points. (More)
➤ Simply by holding it in your hand, The Chill Pill quickly relieves anxiety and insomnia. This revolutionary new drug-free method is safe, has zero side effects, and is proven to be effective for people of all ages.(See it here)
➤ Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman has raised more than $26 million from investors in his company, Austin-based Eight Brewing, to expand across the state and into Oklahoma. (More)
➤ The Port of Galveston saw 3.4 million cruise passengers last year, breaking a 25-year record. (More)
➤ Enovis Corp., a multibillion-dollar biotech company, plans to open a $25.5 million facility in Cedar Park, creating 162 jobs. It will be the company’s fifth location in Texas. (More)
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➤ The 3,290-acre Hidden Valley Ranch has hit the market in Kerr County for $65 million, offering “3 miles of pristine live water, multiple houses, abundant wildlife, and more.” Despite the name, the ranch has no affiliation with the popular salad dressing. (See Photos)
➤ The seven San Antonio police officers injured in a shooting last week received video messages from NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. “Know y’all got the toughest job in the world, but hey man, me and Shaq got nothing but love and respect for you,” said Barkley. (Watch Video)
➤ Since 2010, an armadillo named Bee Cave Bob has been leading the “Groundhog Day secessionist movement,” giving Texans his prediction on whether there will be six more weeks of winter every Feb. 2. (See Photo)
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