Good Morning! On this day in 1971, Selena Quintanilla Perez was born in Lake Jackson. Known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” she achieved tremendous success during her brief career before she was murdered by her former manager at the age of 23.
The Texas House is expected to vote today on legislation authorizing $1 billion in state funding for parent-directed education savings accounts. Video of the proceedings can be viewed here.
We’re sponsored today by BOXABL, offering an investment opportunity in a groundbreaking building technology.
The U.S. Department of Transportation canceled a $63.9 million grant for the proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project on Monday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the ambitious proposal “a waste of taxpayer funds.”
The bullet train rail line was initially proposed as a private venture led by Texas Central, but Amtrak became a partner last year. The Biden administration awarded the grant in August from funding authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“If the private sector believes this project is feasible, they should carry the pre-construction work forward rather than relying on Amtrak and the American taxpayer to bail them out,” Duffy said. A statement from the agency pegged the projected cost of the route at $40 billion.
Fort Worth investor John Kleinheinz, who is now Texas Central’s primary financial backer, welcomed the “good news,” explaining that “this project should be led by the private sector, and we will be proud to take it forward.”
Lowe’s Buys Dallas Interior Design Company
Artisan Design Group (ADG), a Dallas-based home interior design company, is being acquired by Lowe’s for $1.33 billion, according to a Monday announcement from the retailer. The cash deal is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.
Founded in 2016, ADG specializes in design services and installing floors, cabinets, and countertops. The company operates 132 stores across 18 states and generated about $1.8 billion in revenue last year.
The acquisition will provide Lowe’s with expanded service capabilities within the $50 billion new home construction market. The company’s statement cites research projecting that 18 million new homes will be needed in the U.S. by 2033.
Grapevine Student Earns Perfect SAT, ACT Scores
Grapevine High School junior Piyush Mallick earned perfect scores on both the SAT and ACT, a feat achieved by only a handful of the millions of students who take the college entrance exams each year.
Mallick is the UIL 5A state champion in math and number sense, and he helped his school’s debate team win the cross-examination competition at their district meet this year.
“One of the harder parts of my job is trying to find ways to challenge and push Piyush,” said Mallick’s math teacher.
Mallick would like to attend MIT, Stanford, or UT Austin. He plans to study computer science and follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a software engineer. But first, he needs to get his driver’s license.
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Here’s How Long Filling America’s Housing Gap Will Take
A recent Realtor.com report says that America is short ~4 million homes. Even worse? At the current construction pace, it would take more than seven years to right the ship. That’s why BOXABL has gained so much interest.
Instead of months, a new home comes off BOXABL assembly lines nearly every four hours. These foldable, factory-built homes come fully equipped with plumbing, electrical, and HVAC—ready to be delivered to their final destination. No wonder 190,000+ potential customers already reserved one*.
Now, BOXABL is prepping for Phase 2, which involves combining modules into larger townhomes, single-family homes, and apartments. With 600+ homes delivered and one of America’s top homebuilders as a partner and investor, momentum is building fast.
➤ Dallas: At least four students were hospitalized after a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School yesterday afternoon. Police have not identified the suspect, who was on the run at the time of writing. Last year, a student was shot in the leg at the same school. (More)
➤ Austin: The Texas House passed a bill that would allow student-athletes to receive compensation directly from the college or university they attend. The legislation aims to update current law to comply with a pending settlement in a $2.6 billion national antitrust case. (More)
➤ Fort Bend ISD: The board of trustees approved a policy on Monday requiring school officials to notify parents if a student asks to be identified by a different name or pronoun than those associated with his or her biological sex. (More)
➤ San Antonio: Taymor McIntyre, a 24-year-old rapper known as Tay-K, was convicted Monday of murder in the 2017 shooting of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar. McIntyre’s hit single “The Race,” recorded while on the run from authorities, has racked up over 250 million views on YouTube. (See Details)
➤ Dallas: The North Central Texas Council of Governments approved $98 million for the expansion of I-30 through downtown. TxDOT has agreed to pay an additional $98 million toward the project, which started in 2019 and has nearly tripled in cost to $890 million. (More)
➤ Beaumont: David Esslinger, a fisherman from Port Arthur, caught an 884-pound bluefin tuna last Thursday, surpassing an 876-pound catch in 2021 for a new state record. (See Photo)
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➤ Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison held a closed-door briefing with a handpicked group of reporters in which he insisted he has “no regrets” about his decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season. (More)
➤ San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul became the first player in NBA history to start all 82 games during his 20th year in the league. (See Details)
➤ In other Spurs news, Victor Wembanyama asked Hakeem Olajuwon for help with his game, but the Houston Rockets legend said he’s already got “everything and more” to be great. (More)
➤ American Airlines will provide free in-flight internet service to members of its loyalty program beginning next year, joining competitors JetBlue, Delta, and United in offering the perk. The service will be provided in partnership with AT&T. (More)
➤ Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines will place an expiration date on flight credits beginning May 28. Flight credits received through a regular fare purchase will expire in one year, while those received after purchasing an economy ticket will expire in six months. (More)
➤ Irving-based construction machinery giant Caterpillar announced that 28-year company veteran Joe Creed, 49, will take over as CEO beginning May 1. Current CEO Jim Umpleby will become the company’s executive chairman. (More)
➤ Fort Worth-based investment firm Eagle Venture Fund has raised $18 million for a fund composed of companies developing technology to fight human trafficking. Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is one of the investors. (More)
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The Father-Son Duo Revolutionizing Homebuilding
Home construction has been slow, costly, and inefficient for centuries. So in 2017, Paolo and Galiano Tiramani founded BOXABL to change that—bringing factory-built efficiency to a nearly $5 trillion industry.
Where traditional homes take more than seven months to build, new homes can roll off BOXABL’s assembly line nearly every four hours.
Equipped with plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, they’re ready to be delivered and lived in. They already have 190,000+ reservations from potential buyers*.
Now, the Tiramanis are preparing for Phase 2, where modules can be configured into larger townhomes, single-family homes, and apartments.
**This is a paid advertisement for Boxabl’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://www.boxabl.com/invest/ * Reservations represents a non-binding indication of interest to purchase as Casita. A reservation does not require purchase of a Casita and there is no assurance of how many will result in actual purchases.
➤ H-E-B truck driver Jesus Flores of Corpus Christi recently surpassed the 4-million-mile mark after 39 years on the road without an accident, becoming just the third driver in company history to accomplish that feat. (More)
➤ The employees of Green Mesquite BBQ in Austin pitched in to pay the restaurant’s rent after the owner was unable to do so, allowing the 37-year-old establishment to reopen after a four-day closure. (See Details)
➤ Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic contributed to a dozen GoFundMe campaigns for Dallas-Fort Worth sports teams ahead of his game against the Dallas Mavericks last week. “I’m grateful to be able to help kids who just want to get out there and play,” said the former Maverick. (More)
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What is your favorite commercial airline headquartered in Texas?
Feds Pull Funding for Dallas-Houston Rail Line
