Thursday, September 26, 2024

The Roundup

Article Icon 1Dallas Firm Agrees To $48 Million Settlement

Dallas-based Invitation Homes, the nation’s largest owner of single-family rental homes, has agreed to pay $48 million to settle claims of deceptive practices.

The Federal Trade Commission accused the company of charging tenants undisclosed fees for services like internet and air-filter delivery, unfairly withholding security deposits, and evicting tenants who had already moved out.

The settlement will fund customer refunds and requires Invitation Homes to improve price transparency and establish procedures for handling tenant security deposits fairly.

Invitation Homes has denied any wrongdoing. As of June 30, the company owned or managed over 109,000 homes across the U.S.

Article Icon 1Alex Jones’ Infowars To Be Auctioned Off

Talk show host Alex Jones will be forced to sell his Austin-based media company Infowars to help pay nearly $1.5 billion owed to the families of those killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

In 2022, Jones was ordered to pay $1.487 billion after being convicted of defamation for claiming the shooting was a conspiracy to advance gun control measures, filing for bankruptcy shortly thereafter.

Infowars’ assets, estimated to be worth $7.2 million, will be auctioned off this fall. Jones has suggested his supporters could buy the company, which would potentially enable him to continue his affiliation with it as an employee.

Jones’ $9 million in personal assets is also subject to the order, but he is being allowed to keep his social media accounts. However, Sandy Hook families have requested the liquidation of those accounts and a portion of Jones’ future earnings.

Article Icon 1Rice, UT, A&M Among Top Texas Schools

U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of the best national universities in the country, and five Texas schools landed in the top 100.

Rice University led the way at No. 18, followed by the University of Texas at Austin (No. 30) and Texas A&M University (No. 51). Baylor University and Southern Methodist University tied at No. 91.

The annual list provides separate rankings for national universities—those offering a full range of undergraduate degrees and master’s and Ph.D. programs—and liberal arts colleges.

Schools are evaluated according to reputation, cost, and career prospects, among other factors.


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Around Texas

➤ Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Angélica Ramsey resigned her post amid criticism from community leaders, teachers, and parents regarding poor student performance and a toxic work environment. (See Details)

➤ Galveston: A rare pygmy sperm whale washed up near Kahala Beach on Sunday. A cause of death has not been determined. (See Photo)

➤ Texas leads the country with 64,000 water-damaged vehicles on the road, according to a report by Carfax. (More)

➤ Houston: Mayor John Whitmire reached a tentative agreement with the city’s municipal employee union for a new three-year contract that includes a 3.5% pay raise and increasing the city’s minimum wage from $15 to $18 per hour. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi International Airport’s air conditioning system went out Tuesday and might not be repaired for two to three weeks. (More)

➤ Frisco: A chemical fire at a pool supply business prompted a shelter-in-place for nearby residents Wednesday morning. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and assured the community there were no lingering safety concerns. (Watch Video)

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Texas Sports

➤ The Houston Astros clinched the AL West on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Astros trailed the Mariners by as many as 10 games in mid-June. (See Celebration)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys are playing the New York Giants tonight on Thursday Night Football. The matchup will begin at 7:15 p.m. CT on Amazon’s Prime Video. (More)

➤ Houston Texans running back Cam Akers visited cancer patients at a Houston hospital on Tuesday. (More)

 Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA

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The Business Of Texas
➤ Texas has surpassed Virginia as the top state for Department of Defense spending, capturing $68.4 billion in 2023, according to a new federal report. (More)

➤ Houston-based oil refiner Vertex Energy has filed for bankruptcy and might look for a buyer as part of its restructuring strategy. (More)

➤ Texas dominated a Wall Street Journal list of cities with at least 100,000 residents predicted to double in size by the year 2100. Leading the way are Denton (No. 2), College Station (No. 3), Sugar Land (No. 4), Frisco (No. 5), and Round Rock (No. 7). (See List)

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Et Cetera

➤ A Harlingen resident captured video of a brilliant meteor over South Texas on Tuesday night. (Watch Video)

Midland native Drake Vliem and his teammate Drew Haas won $1 million for taking first place in Season 2 of the Netflix reality show “Outlast,” which chronicles contestants’ efforts to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. (More)

A San Antonio driver filmed a swarm of “snout nose” butterflies during their annual migration to South Texas. The butterfly is often mistaken for a moth due to its grayish-brown wings. (Watch Video)

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