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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1852, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway placed the first railroad locomotive in Texas in service.

Would you be excited to get a hairdryer for Christmas? What about a $600 hairdryer? That's what each of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders got from one of their teammates, and they were over the moon. Check out the story below, and let us know about your favorite gift ever (given or received) by replying to this email.

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Paxton Sues NCAA over Transgender Athletes

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in a state district court on Sunday, alleging it is engaging in deceptive practices by allowing biological males who identify as transgender to compete in women's college sports.

Citing the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Paxton asked the court to bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports in Texas or stop the NCAA from labeling these events as women's sports.

"The NCAA is intentionally and knowingly jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of women by deceptively changing women's competitions into co-ed competitions," said Paxton.

In 2023, Texas legislators passed a law requiring athletes at state-funded schools to compete on teams designated for their biological sex, expanding restrictions earlier applied to public K-12 schools.

Biden Gives 7 Texans on Death Row Life in Prison

Seven federal inmates from Texas are among 37 death row prisoners who had their sentences commuted by President Joe Biden on Monday morning, receiving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Biden, who issued a moratorium on federal executions when he took office, said his actions this week were aimed at sparing prisoners from President-elect Trump's vow to resume such executions.

All of those previously scheduled for execution had been convicted of murder. All but one of the Texas inmates were sentenced for killing a fellow prisoner. See the list here.

The president's announcement comes less than two weeks after he pardoned 39 inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the pandemic.

Cowboys Cheerleader Gifts $600 Blowdryers

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Marissa Phillips surprised her 40 fellow squad members with $600 Dyson Airwrap blowdryers during their Christmas party, documenting the unwrapping on social media.

In a series of Instagram videos, Phillips described her teammates as her "best friends" and said they "deserve the world." She also thanked Dyson for helping her pull off the surprise and gave a shoutout to her fiancé for his help wrapping the gifts.

Her teammates took to the comments section to express their excitement and surprise, describing the moment as "iconic" and calling Phillips "my favorite Santa ever."

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➤ Pecos: The National Transportation Safety Board reported that last week's deadly train derailment was caused by a collision with a tractor-trailer that got stuck at a railroad crossing. According to the report, the truck was carrying the base of a wind turbine. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: A city council runoff election is tied after 130 ballots were invalidated. If District 1 incumbent Everett Roy and former city council member Billy Lerma remain tied after a recount, a coin toss or another random method will be used to determine the winner. (More)

➤ Austin: Planned renovations to the Austin Convention Center have created a dilemma regarding the fate of several public art installations. The city lacks a budget to remove or relocate the displays, but artists have until Dec. 30 to submit plans to do so themselves. (See Details)

➤ Houston: A homeless man believed to be in his 40s was found dead in the back of a police cruiser on Saturday. Authorities said the man had not been arrested and might have been trying to escape the elements. (More)

➤ State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston), the newly elected chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, shed some light on the contest for speaker during a recent interview. (Watch Interview)

➤ Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin), who was recently elected to head the 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, said he aims to help Democrats reclaim their reputation as the party of working people. (More)

➤ Brownsville: The Gladys Porter Zoo announced the arrival of Kumi, a 45-year-old female chimpanzee, and her 34-year-old son Kibale, bringing the zoo's troop of chimps to six. (See Photos)

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➤ Sam Houston kicked off bowl season in Texas with a 31-26 win over Georgia Southern on Thursday, while UTSA destroyed Coastal Carolina 44-15 on Monday in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Texas bowl season will continue when Texas Tech faces Arkansas and Texas A&M faces USC on Friday, Dec. 27. (More)

➤ The Texas Rangers have signed slugger Joc Pederson to a two-year $37 million contract. (More)

➤ Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised head coach Mike McCarthy for helping the team continue to battle through adversity this season but refused to discuss what the coach's future might look like after the season. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM

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➤ The Container Store, a Coppell-based retailer founded in 1978, filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday, facing declining sales and about $230 million in debt. The company doesn't plan to close any stores, however, and CEO Satish Malhotra insisted it "is here to stay." (More)

➤ Galaxy Unmanned Systems, a Fort Worth producer of lighter-than-air unmanned airships, earned a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for certain unmanned airships weighing more than 55 pounds. (More)

➤ The state's civilian labor force surpassed 15.5 million workers last month, with the addition of 39,100 people joining the workforce. At 64.7%, the Texas labor participation rate has reached a 10-year high. (More)

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➤ The Round Rock Public Library will retire its ball python, Rocksssanne, in March. Rocksssanne was adopted in 2000 when she was about three years old. (See Photo)

➤ Jester King Brewery in Austin is one of the top 30 breweries in the country, according to a ranking published by VinePair. (More)

➤ The Temple Police Department deploys drones about 11 times a month for tasks ranging from locating missing persons to accident reconstruction and event security planning. (See Details)

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