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Thursday, December 19, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1832, delegates from San Antonio presented a list of grievances to the legislature of Coahuila and Texas. Known as the Bexar Remonstrance, the petition sought the separation of Texas from Coahuila and the repeal of a law banning immigration from the United States.

If Christmas preparations are stressing you out, maybe you can identify with a police officer's mishap while trying to move a Christmas tree at a North Texas elementary school. Check out the video here, and let us know how you're getting ready for the holidays!

Later today, we'll be sending you a special email featuring our partner, GoldCo, offering free financial advice to help safeguard your retirement savings. We hope you find their offer valuable!

Today's new sponsor, WorldTree, has an exciting ecological investment opportunity you won't want to miss.

Paxton Moves to Block Biden From Selling Wall

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion in federal court Tuesday to block the Biden administration's efforts to sell unused border wall materials, alleging its actions violate a May 2024 court order mandating continued construction with allocated funds.

According to reports, the Department of Defense has sold unused sections of the border wall through government surplus retailer GovPlanet, with auctions starting at $5.00 per panel. Paxton argued that selling the panels is illegal if they were purchased using the $1.4 billion Congress designated for the barrier.

On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump urged the administration to "stop selling the wall." Last Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledged to purchase usable materials and give them to the incoming Trump administration.

"President Trump has an overwhelming mandate from the American people to build the wall, and I will do everything in my power to prevent any acts of sabotage by the outgoing administration," Paxton said.

Ellis County Jailer Killed by Inmate

Ellis County jailer Isaiah Bias, 28, was killed by an inmate on Monday while escorting him back to his cell.

The suspect, 45-year-old Aaron Thompson, attacked Bias while he was returning him to his cell following a one-hour break from solitary confinement. According to an affidavit, Thompson punched Bias in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground, before choking and repeatedly beating the officer.

Bias was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. He had worked for the jail since he was a teenager and was promoted to detention officer after attending community college. Thompson, who had been jailed last month on charges of assaulting a public servant and evading arrest, has now been charged with capital murder.

Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman described the attack as “pure evil” and stated that he would advocate for the death penalty. The Texas Rangers are investigating the case.

Bell Textron Gets Largest Army Contract Ever

Fort Worth-based Bell Textron has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Army to build its next-generation assault helicopter, the V-280 Valor. The contract, the largest in U.S. Army history, is worth up to $70 billion.

Bell announced it will assemble the helicopter at a 44,373-square-foot factory formerly occupied by Stanley Black & Decker. By 2039, Bell will invest $632 million and employ 520 full-time employees with an average annual salary of $85,000.

The Fort Worth City Council approved a $46 million incentive agreement for the new facility, including an 85% abatement on incremental property taxes for up to 10 years. The Northwest ISD Board of Trustees approved a 50% abatement for the same period.

“It’s kind of a big deal when you have an opportunity of that size come around," said Bell CEO Lisa Atherton on Tuesday.

A Fast-Growing Solution to Quadrupling Hardwood Demand

Hardwood consumption is soaring, and demand for lumber is set to quadruple by 2050. The problem? Traditional hardwoods take decades to mature, leaving a supply gap in the $170B American lumber market. But World Tree offers a solution.

Through the 2024 Eco-Tree Program, they plant Empress Splendor trees – a species that grows three times faster than traditional hardwoods – to meet demand with premium lumber in just 10 years. And as an investor in the 2024 Eco-Tree Program, you can share in that advantage.

Investors in the 2024 program earn 30% of the profits from eventual harvest, targeting up to 5X return on investment in 8 to 12 years. With over 6,000 acres planted across 300 vetted farms, World Tree already supplies lumber to booming industries like furniture, marine craft, and eco-design.

With today's lumber already selling at $6 per board foot, we're working to establish the Empress Tree as the premium solution. Invest in the 2024 World Tree Eco-Tree Program to claim your share of this fast-growing opportunity.

➤ Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the state has a budget surplus of about $20 billion for the current two-year cycle. A biennial revenue estimate is expected ahead of the legislative session beginning Jan. 14. (More)

➤ White Settlement: Police received multiple reports of drone sightings Tuesday night and are working with the FBI, NCIS, and Air Force to investigate. White Settlement is located adjacent to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. (See Details)

➤ Austin: The Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence has subpoenaed death row inmate Robert Roberson to testify at a hearing tomorrow about his murder conviction, which some lawmakers contend was obtained using "junk science." (More)

➤ Lubbock: A September cyberattack at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock compromised the records of 650,000 patients. A similar breach at the El Paso campus affected 815,000 patients. (See Details)

➤ College Station: The Texas A&M Forest Service held a grand opening ceremony Tuesday for its newly upgraded Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which was expanded from eight to 24 workstations. (Watch Video)

➤ Austin: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is requesting hundreds of school districts return funds received in 2011 through a state Medicaid reimbursement program after a federal audit revealed it was billed incorrectly. The amounts requested range from $100 to over $800,000. (See Details)

➤ Amarillo: The city has partnered with local EMS providers to launch Nurse Navigation, a 911 service that reroutes non-life-threatening emergencies to licensed nurses who can provide specialized assistance in specific cases. (Watch Video)

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➤ Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that star running back Joe Mixon's ankle injury "will be fine" for Saturday's road game against the Kansas City Chiefs. (More)

➤ The Texas Rangers have announced that their 37th annual Fan Fest will take place on Jan. 18th at Globe Life Field. (More)

➤ NFL insider Dan Graziano has suggested 2021 NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel could replace Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: NCAAF | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ The U.S. Department of Transportation approved direct flights between San Antonio and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. on Tuesday, awarding the route to Fort Worth-based American Airlines. The carrier plans to use 1718 and 1947—the years San Antonio and the U.S. Air Force were founded—as the flight numbers. (More)

➤ The Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX approval for multiple Starship launches with the same mission profile and vehicle configuration. The next launch date has not yet been set. (More)

➤ More than 50 merchants at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth have started making drone deliveries within a 4-mile radius through Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet. (More)

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In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. World Tree has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained here: invest.ecotreeprogram.com

➤ Four Texas restaurants—two in Dallas and two in Houston—landed on Yelp’s list of the top 25 new restaurants in the country. (See List)

➤ Mountain cedar, a tree also known as ashe juniper, is in bloom from now until the end of January, causing misery for those allergic to its pollen. Cedar fever season is expected to peak in late December or early January. (More)

➤ American Airlines is adding an additional flight from DFW to Harrisburg Airport in Pennsylvania ahead of SMU’s matchup with Penn State in the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21. (More)

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