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Friday, January 10, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1901, the Spindletop gusher came in at an oilfield south of Beaumont, spewing the black gold over 100 feet in the air until it was capped nine days later. The discovery attracted billions of dollars in search of oil in Texas, catapulting the state to a lasting position of prominence within the petroleum industry.

You wouldn't know it by the weather in much of Texas, but La Niña has officially started, promising (generally) warmer and dryer winters in the southern U.S. Of course, the folks in North Texas might dispute that assessment after getting slammed with several inches of snow and ice yesterday.

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Winter Weather Hits North Texas

Up to five inches of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell in parts of North Texas yesterday, with more expected overnight. The winter storm forced airlines to cancel nearly 2,000 flights and prompted school closures on Thursday and Friday.

Hazardous road conditions caused delays and closures across the region. An 18-wheeler jackknifed in Irving, and a Jeep pulled a semi-truck out of the snow in Anna. The Dallas Mavericks home game against the Portland Trail Blazers was moved up an hour to 6:30 pm, and the team encouraged fans to use the DART rail to get to the American Airlines Center.

Meanwhile, some residents who got the day off of work or school braved the cold for fun in the snow. A McKinney man strapped on a pair of skis, and lots of families made snowmen.

JCPenney Announces Merger

JCPenney is merging with the parent company of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer to form Catalyst Brands. Marc Rosen, JCPenney's CEO since 2021, will lead the new company, which will operate from the department store's headquarters in Plano, with additional offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Aéropostale, Lucky Brand, and Nautica are also part of the merger between parent company Sparc Group and JCPenney. The newly formed Catalyst Brands has over $9 billion in annual revenue, 1,800 store locations, and 60,000 employees.

JCPenney emerged from bankruptcy in late 2020 when it was acquired by mall operators Simon and Brookfield. Following Rosen's hire as CEO, the company invested $1 billion in remodeling stores. However, sales have slipped recently, with year-over-year declines between 8% and 9% during each quarter in 2024.

The partnership aims to leverage strong design capabilities, supplier relationships, and data-driven technologies. "Catalyst Brands brings together the rich heritage of six unique brands with modern energy and a new vision for success," Rosen said.

Mayor Blasts Move to Limit Public Comment

Conroe Mayor Duke Coon lashed out at city council members on Tuesday during a discussion about limiting public comment at city council meetings, declaring that he wouldn't abide by the new rules.

"So help me God, I won't enforce it, and you can fine me $1,500 every time I don't enforce it," he said. "We're going to straighten this mess up and straighten this city up."

In a 3-1 vote, the council approved rules that limit public comment to agenda items and prohibit more than three speakers from addressing the same item. Council members can be fined $1,500 if they respond to comments that don't pertain to an agenda item.

"I refuse to stand by one more day and allow these types of things to continue. I'm calling for full transparency today. In fact, I'm not calling for it, I'm demanding it," Coon said.

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➤ Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to "aggressively combat radical jihadist terrorism" using Texas Anti-Terrorism Task Force resources. The directive follows Houston resident Shamsud-Din Jabbar's ISIS-inspired terror attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. (More)

➤ Lakeway: Luis Manuel Hernandez Bonilla, an MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in El Salvador, was arrested on Tuesday during a traffic stop. (More)

➤ Harris County: Nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the county are now required to have backup generators capable of powering air conditioning and heating systems during emergencies. (More)

➤ Fort Worth: An explosion at an electrical substation sparked a fire Wednesday evening. The substation, operated by power company Oncor, has about 30,000 gallons of oil stored on site. (Watch Video)

➤ Tyler: Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a mobile home on Wednesday, where a 35-year-old woman fired at deputies and set fire to the trailer before she was arrested. (More)

➤ Galveston: A beach house owned by Beyonce's mother was repossessed by the bank after a foreclosure auction. The home had been deemed a public safety hazard after sustaining major damage during Hurricane Ike in 2008. (More)

➤ San Antonio: A fake DoorDash profile was created for a local eatery, causing frustration for customers unable to get a refund for fraudulent orders. A representative for DoorDash said the company is working with the restaurant to resolve the situation. (See Details)

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➤ The Texas Longhorns take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff Semifinal tonight at AT&T Stadium. (More)

➤ The Houston Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers tomorrow afternoon in the first game of the NFL's Wild Card Weekend. (See Preview)

➤ San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama recorded three blocks in Wednesday night's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, including this one on former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. (Watch Video)

➤ No. 10 Texas A&M men's basketball came up with a huge 80-78 win over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday night. Aggies guard Zhuric Phelps sunk this go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute, which was the difference in the game. (Watch Video)

➤ Yesterday's results: NCAAF | PGA | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Juan C. Andrade, who has served on USAA's board of directors for four years, has been named the company's next president and CEO. He will succeed Wayne Peacock in that role beginning April 2. (More)

➤ The Department of Justice has sued RealPage, a Richardson-based property management software company, along with six of the nation's largest landlords, for allegedly colluding to fix rent prices. Camden Property Trust, one of the companies targeted in the lawsuit, is based in Houston. (See Details)

➤ Austin-based ICON, whose equipment is used to build 3D-printed homes, laid off 114 employees on Tuesday to "realign their team" amid a company effort to accelerate the development of its new Phoenix robotic system and expand the use of 3D printing technology among builders. (More)

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➤ Bishop TD Jakes of the Potter's House in Dallas has filed a lawsuit against YouTube seeking to identify the creator of a series of AI-generated videos linking him to rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. Combs is awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. (More)

➤ Following President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America, Gov. Greg Abbott shared a post from a social media user who joked it should be called the Gulf of Texas. "If we are going to rename things, this is the move," he said. (More)

➤ Self-service lottery vending machines across Texas will now require users to scan a government-issued photo ID to verify they are over the age of 18. The Texas Lottery Commission stated the technology would not be used to collect or store personal information. (More)

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