Lottery Director Resigns

Ryan Mindell resigned as director of the Texas Lottery Commission on Monday. The New York Times published a story on Sunday about the fraudulent April 2023 drawing, in which a consortium spent $25.8 million to purchase nearly every possible combination of numbers to win a $95 million jackpot.

Although Mindell was not the commission’s executive director at the time of that drawing, he has faced intense scrutiny over his role in allowing companies known as couriers to purchase lottery tickets on behalf of customers.

The Texas Rangers and Attorney General Ken Paxton have launched investigations into the lottery. The payout for a recent $83.5 million jackpot—with the winning ticket purchased through a courier—is on hold until those probes wrap up.

The Texas House recently passed a budget that stripped the Texas Lottery of all funding, jeopardizing the commission’s future if lawmakers in the two chambers can’t agree on a compromise.

Former Houston ISD Official Convicted of Bribery

Former HISD Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and former district vendor Anthony Hutchison were found guilty on Friday of 33 federal charges, including bribery, witness tampering, wire fraud, and tax fraud.

Between 2011 and 2020, Busby bypassed district procedures to direct construction and groundskeeping contracts to Hutchison’s company, Southwest Wholesale, in exchange for cash and free home renovations. Southwest Wholesale overbilled the district more than $6 million during this period.

When Busby and Hutchison learned they were being investigated, they pressured colleagues and subordinates to lie and falsified deductions on their tax returns to conceal income. Five former HISD officials who previously pleaded guilty to their involvement in the scheme testified for the prosecution. 

Each charge carries a prison sentence between 3 and 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28.

Bass House Art Being Sold

Over $60 million worth of modern art from the iconic Bass House in Fort Worth will be sold by New York auction house Christie’s next month.

The sale will include nine pieces from seven well-known 20th-century artists, including Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Frank Stella. Among the highlights is Mark Rothko’s No. 4 (Two Dominants), expected to fetch around $35 million. 

The Westover Hills mansion was designed by architect Paul Rudolph in the 1970s for Sid and Anne Bass to showcase their growing postwar art collection. The four-story home is considered one of the most significant works of residential architecture in the country.

Sid Bass, the great-nephew of oilman Sid Richardson, is an 83-year-old investor and philanthropist worth an estimated $3.6 billion. His ex-wife, Anne, passed away in 2020. A 12-piece art collection belonging to her was auctioned for more than $363 million in 2022.

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➤ Houston: Rice University plans to expand its undergraduate enrollment from 4,000 to 5,200 by 2028 while providing over $1.5 billion in financial aid during the next five years. Rice is currently being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged “race-exclusionary practices.” (See Details)

➤ Dallas: A young child, accompanied by an adult, was recorded by a security camera stealing a package from a homeowner’s porch last Friday. “This is absolutely revolting,” said a neighbor on social media. (More)

➤ Mathis High School softball coach Briana Cruz was arrested for an altercation last week in which she appeared to tackle an opposing player during a game. She posted a $3,500 bond. (Watch Video)

➤ Frisco: Karmelo Anthony, the teenager accused of killing another student at a track meet earlier this month, is living at an undisclosed location “to ensure his immediate safety,” according to representatives for his family. (More)

➤ Dallas: Meanwhile, a judge declined to reduce bonds totaling $3.1 million for 17-year-old Tracy Haynes Jr., the suspect in last week’s shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School that injured five people. Attorneys for Haynes argued he acted in self-defense. (More)

➤ Bird flu infections have been detected in foxes, raccoons, skunks, and domestic cats in six panhandle counties, according to state officials. (More)

➤ The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Monday it had acquired 1,100 additional acres in Lampasas and Burnet counties for a new state park about 10 miles upstream from Lake Buchanan. The agency recently purchased a 2,020-acre tract for the planned park. (See Details)

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➤ The Houston Texans reportedly “will not pass” on former Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. if he’s available with the 25th pick in the NFL draft tomorrow night. (More)

➤ The Texas Longhorns men’s tennis team clinched the conference title this past weekend in their inaugural SEC season. (More)

➤ Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown extended his streak of scoreless innings to 24 during Monday’s 7-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. “He’s on a roll,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Open Origin, a British energy company, is considering building an artificial intelligence data center in Marfa, on 80,000 acres owned by billionaire Brad Kelley’s company. Some local officials are concerned about its potential water usage. (More)

➤ Carrollton-based Superscapes, the official landscaper of the Dallas Cowboys, was acquired by two New York private equity firms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (More)

➤ Kurt Gross, an El Paso native whose Powerbull Bat Company was acquired by MLB-approved bat manufacturer Overfly, has received a surge of orders for the innovative “torpedo” bat popularized by New York Yankees sluggers earlier this season. (More)

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➤ An unidentified person was caught on video swinging from a rope tied to a crane on a new high-rise building in Austin on Easter morning. The thrill-seeker managed to evade authorities who responded to the incident. (Watch Video)

➤ San Antonio aims to defend its title in the global City Nature Challenge this weekend. Last year, 1,398 community scientists from 12 surrounding counties worked together to document more than 3,700 species and submit over 65,000 wildlife observations. (More)

➤ Passengers were stuck in a Waymo robotaxi on a busy highway in Austin on Sunday. “Cars kept honking at us, and it would not move. It would not let us out,” said one of the riders in a video posted to social media. (Watch Video)

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What should happen to the Texas Lottery?

1. Nothing, it’s fine
2. Regulate it better
3. Abolish it

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you collect coins or other memorabilia?

1. Yes: 46%
2. No: 54%

When Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845, its original borders included portions of how many other future states?

Show me the answer