Good morning! On this day in 1943, two Marines from Texas—Staff Sgt. William James Bordelon of San Antonio and First Lt. William Dean Hawkins of El Paso—earned the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions in the battle for the Pacific island of Tarawa.
President-elect Donald Trump was on hand yesterday to watch the launch of the sixth Starship test flight. Check out the story in Around Texas.
Later today, we’ll be sending you a special message featuring our sponsor, American Hartford Gold, and their strategies to help safeguard your savings. We hope you’ll find their insights valuable and timely.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Mode Mobile, last year’s fastest-growing software company. Don’t miss their investing opportunity!
Abilene ☀️ 61/38° | Amarillo ☀️ 54/26° | Austin ☀️ 69/45° | Brownsville ☀️ 80/58° | Corpus Christi ☀️ 77/56° | DFW ☀️ 64/45° | El Paso ☀️ 65/37° | Houston ☀️ 68/52° | Lubbock ☀️ 57/30° | San Antonio ☀️ 69/47° | Texarkana ☀️ 63/44°
Utility Report Pushes for Nuclear Energy
The Public Utility Commission of Texas released a report Monday recommending the expansion of nuclear power to meet the growing demand for electricity in the state. According to the report, energy needs could nearly double over the next six years due to population growth and the proliferation of AI data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations.
Acting on a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott, the commission identified 61 potential sites for advanced nuclear reactors, including 21 former coal sites, concentrated in the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston.
In 2022, the state’s two nuclear power plants in Glen Rose and Bay City accounted for 10% of the electricity output on ERCOT’s grid. An analysis by the University of Texas predicts that building small modular reactors could create 148,000 jobs and contribute $50.6 billion in economic output.
“Texas is the energy capital of the world, and we are ready to be No. 1 in advanced nuclear power,” said Gov. Abbott in a statement.
Shaken Baby Syndrome Conviction Overturned
Andrew Wayne Roark, a 48-year-old Dallas County man convicted in 2000 for injuring a child based on shaken baby syndrome, was exonerated after prosecutors determined he was “actually innocent,” acknowledging that current scientific standards would not support a conviction based on the evidence presented during his trial.
Sentenced to 35 years, Roark was released on bail in 2012 after his lawyers presented new evidence, including a prior fall that could explain the child’s injuries. Last month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned his conviction, citing outdated science and circumstantial evidence.
Roark’s exoneration highlights the challenges faced by those involved in the defense and prosecution of Robert Roberson, the 58-year-old East Texas man convicted of his two-year-old daughter’s 2002 death by shaken baby syndrome.
Roberson was scheduled to be executed last month, but he was temporarily spared when legislators subpoenaed him to testify on the state’s “junk science” law. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that Roberson’s execution can proceed, but a new date has not yet been scheduled.
Cowboys Mocked Over Stadium Mishap
Before the Dallas Cowboys’ embarrassing 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, a large piece of sheet metal fell from the roof of AT&T Stadium as it was being opened. Check out a video of the frightening moment here.
Staff closed the roof after the incident. It would have been the Cowboys’ first home game in over two years played under an open roof.
The mishap elicited a flood of mockery for the Cowboys, team owner Jerry Jones, and their home field, which has been criticized in recent weeks for a glare that can make it hard for players to see when looking into the sun.
Former Houston Texans linebacker J.J. Watt relished the moment during an appearance on the national broadcast. “The stadium’s falling apart,” he joked.
Mode’s disruptive $martphone, has already helped consumers earn and save $325M+ through simple, everyday use. That led to 32,481% revenue growth between 2019 and 2022 and presence in 170+ countries. But with a market worth over $1 trillion and partnerships with Walmart and Best Buy, Mode’s not stopping there. In fact, they’re quickly proving that award-winning growth was anything but a flash in the pan.
Mode’s most recent financials showed further revenue growth of 62% and a 91% increase in gross profits compared to last year. This is a company that’s disrupting an industry led by giants, and they’ve just secured the perfect Nasdaq ticker for their growing brand: $MODE.1
➤ Boca Chica: President-elect Donald Trump visited SpaceX’s Starbase to watch the launch of the company’s sixth Starship test flight with CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump recently appointed to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency. (More)
➤ Bryan: A truck transporting a large natural gas compressor hit an overpass on Highway 6 on Monday, shutting down the northbound lanes for several hours. TxDOT said the trucking company had been warned about the low clearance beforehand. (See Details)
➤ San Antonio International Airport debuted a new parking management tool that scans visitors’ license plates to process payments. Operated by tech company Metropolis, it’s the first such parking system in the nation. (More)
➤ Grapevine: Police announced the arrest of seven suspects charged with stealing $10 million worth of tech products from area warehouses between August 2023 and June 2024. The department released drone footage of an operation they busted in August of this year. (Watch Video)
➤ Austin: The city’s public transportation authority is pulling 46 new electric buses off the road because the manufacturer went bankrupt and was acquired by a different company, complicating maintenance and warranty issues. (More)
➤ Dallas: Former police officer Amber Guyger, convicted of killing her neighbor Botham Jean in 2018, is being sued by Jean’s family for millions in “unliquidated damages” that could be acquired through a book deal after the conclusion of Guyger’s 10-year sentence. (See Details)
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➤ Texas and Texas A&M remained at No. 3 and No. 15 in this week’s College Football Playoff Rankings, while SMU got bumped up one spot to No. 13. (See Rankings)
➤ The Houston Rockets will debut new jerseys tonight that honor their NBA Championship teams from 1994 and 1995. (More)
➤ The Texas Rangers have begun rebuilding their bullpen by signing right-handed reliever Luis Curvelo. The 24-year-old accumulated a 2.57 ERA in 66 2/3 innings over 49 appearances in the minor leagues this year. (More)
➤ With natural ingredients, the AquaPure removes contaminants from your produce, greatly reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that you are ingesting. It removes up to 99% of pesticides & bacteria found in produce.(See It Here)
➤ Austin-based Core Scientific is converting its crypto mining facility in Denton into a data processing center for AI companies. It plans to invest $4 billion in the project and expand the site’s footprint by 43 acres. (See Details)
➤ The Japanese parent company of Irving-based 7-Eleven is aiming to raise $52 billion to take the convenience store giant private. Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard offered $47 billion to purchase 7-Eleven after its $38 billion bid was rejected in September. (More)
➤ DFW Airport broke ground Tuesday on the 15-gate Terminal F, which is expected to cost $1.6 billion and take three years to complete. The airport is also renovating two other terminals as part of a $3.2 billion improvement project. (See Details)
Today’s fastest-growing software company might surprise you
🚨Heads up! It’s not the publicly traded tech giant you might expect… Meet $MODE, the disruptor turning phones into potential income generators. Investors are buzzing about the company’s pre-IPO offering.1
Their flagship product, EarnPhone has already helped consumers earn and save 325M+.
Disclaimers 1 Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur. 2 The rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period. 3 A minimum investment of $1,950 is required to receive bonus shares. 100% bonus shares are offered on investments of $9,950+.
➤ Steven Estrada Sr., a 60-year-old butcher from McGregor and the pastor of a local church, opened his own shop, Old Fashion Meat Market, on Friday. Estrada has worked in the meat industry since the age of 21. (See Photos)
➤ The Houston Zoo’s 34-year-old Asian elephant Shanti gave birth Friday to a 314-pound female named Kirby after a 21-month pregnancy and 19-hour labor. Kirby was walking within 30 minutes of being born. (See Photos)
➤ Jase Managan, an 11-year-old from Odessa, launched a pet waste removal business called Doody Dude. (Watch Video)
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Have you ever seen a rocket or shuttle launch in person?
Utility Report Pushes for Nuclear Energy
