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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1939, the Texas Memorial Museum opened on the University of Texas campus in Austin. Established by the Texas Centennial Celebration Bill of 1935, the museum houses more than 5 million specimens today, including the remains of a pterosaur with a 40-foot wingspan.

The Texas House chose a speaker yesterday, ending two months of speculation about who would succeed Dade Phelan in the role. Check out the story in today's Roundup section, and let us know what you think about the news by replying to this email.

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Texas House Elects New Speaker

Texas House members elected Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as their next speaker yesterday, concluding two months of deal-making to determine who would succeed Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) in the role. The election followed a November GOP caucus vote in which Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield) emerged as the winner, while Burrows claimed the backing of a majority of the entire chamber's 150 members.

Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos (D-Richardson) was also a candidate for speaker, but Republicans hold an 88-62 majority in the chamber. She was eliminated from the running after the first round of voting, in which she received 23 votes while Cook got 56 and Burrows 71, short of the majority needed to be elected.

During the second round of voting, Burrows received 85 votes, Cook received 55, and nine Democratic members abstained. Burrows won the support of 49 Democrats and 36 Republicans, while Cook received votes from 52 Republicans and three Democrats.

Burrows called for unity after the vote, promising members that "whether you voted for me or not, my office door will be open to you." The Republican Party of Texas, meanwhile, has vowed to censure members of its party who backed Burrows after he failed to secure the caucus nomination.

Texas A&M Backtracks on Race-based Event after Abbott Threat

Plans to send staff and PhD students to a conference that restricted attendance based on race were scrapped by Texas A&M after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to fire university President Mark Welsh on Monday.

After conservative activist Christopher Rufo shared an email from the university inviting students and staff to apply to attend the conference, Abbott was asked if the activity complied with state law prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at Texas public universities.

"Hell, no. It's against Texas law and violates the US Constitution. It will be fixed immediately, or the president will soon be gone," Abbott responded on social media.

Following Abbott's threat, Welsh announced that the university would not send anyone to the conference. "I don't believe we fully considered the spirit of our state law in making the initial decision to participate," he explained.

Missing Hiker Rescued

Border Patrol agents and a helicopter crew rescued a missing hiker in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on Sunday, battling below-freezing temperatures, snow, and limited visibility.

The hiker had become separated from his group on Saturday after reaching Guadalupe Peak, the highest natural point in Texas, with an elevation of 8,751 feet. The following morning, a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter crew located the hiker. One team member was dropped off nearby to conduct an initial assessment.

Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents then hiked two hours to get to the rescue location, where they treated the hiker for hypothermia symptoms. Once stabilized, the hiker was transported to a lower elevation and evacuated to a hospital by helicopter.

"I am very proud of our AMO crew and the U.S. Border Patrol BORSTAR team for their efforts in this rescue during very challenging winter conditions. Our agents' training, preparation, and conditioning really made a difference during this rescue," said Efren Gonzalez, El Paso AMO air branch director.

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➤ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Allstate and its subsidiary Arity for allegedly collecting more than 45 million consumers' driving data nationwide without their knowledge to "justify raising Texans' insurance rates." (See Details)

➤ The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today on the constitutionality of a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify users are at least 18 years old. More than a dozen other states have adopted similar laws. (More)

➤ Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles acknowledged Monday that his administration neglected to get board approval for contracts worth about $870 million over the past 16 months. (More)

➤ El Paso: County commissioners approved three proposals to limit high-speed pursuits by state troopers in the area, which have increased dramatically since the implementation of Operation Lone Star in 2021. (More)

➤ Buda: The owners of The Salt Lick, a popular barbecue restaurant chain based in Driftwood, are opening a new restaurant at the site of the troubled Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ. That restaurant closed last year amid allegations of labor violations. Roxie's, the new restaurant, will feature recipes from owner Scott Roberts's grandmother, Roxanna. (See Details)

➤ Austin: Meanwhile, Trudy's Tex-Mex, founded in 1977, has closed its last location after struggling to emerge from bankruptcy in 2020. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: Two suspects, accused of using drones to try to smuggle contraband—including methamphetamines and cell phones—into a state prison, were apprehended Tuesday after an overnight search. It's the second attempt in the past week to bring illegal items into the McConnell Unit. (More)

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➤ Former Dallas Cowboys star Deion Sanders has reportedly spoken with owner and general manager Jerry Jones about the team's head coach vacancy, but several other candidates could also be in the running for the coveted job. (See List)

➤ Houston Rockets star Jalen Green tied his career high for points scored in Monday's 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, knocking down 42 on 72% shooting. (See Highlights)

➤ San Antonio Spurs stars Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama gave their jerseys to Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick's sons after their 126-102 win on Monday. (See Video)

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➤ Bill Ackman, the billionaire founder and CEO of hedge fund Pershing Square, has offered to buy The Woodlands-based Howard Hughes Holdings for $85 a share, or about $1 billion, to create "a modern-day Berkshire Hathaway." (More)

➤ Baltimore-based Constellation Energy is acquiring the Houston-based natural gas and geothermal power provider Calpine in a $26.6 billion deal to create the nation's largest retail electric supplier, serving 2.5 million customers. (More)

➤ Dallas-based real estate investment firm CBRE Group has announced plans to acquire co-working firm Industrious in a deal valuing the company at around $800 million. Industrious has over 200 locations in 65 cities around the world. (More)

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➤ Weslyn Standard, a Midland mom whose three children were taught by retired teacher Craig Griffith, donated one of her kidneys to him after learning his were functioning at only 10%. "That is about the highest form of unconditional love that you can give somebody," Griffith said. (Watch Video)

➤ A giant mural of an astronaut was unveiled on a Houston skyscraper as the city hosted an annual conference for convention organizers. (See Mural)

➤ South Padre Island's nonprofit organization Sea Turtle, Inc. rescued nearly 200 "cold-stunned" sea turtles over the weekend as water temperatures dropped below 50 degrees, immobilizing the cold-blooded creatures. (See Photos)

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