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Monday, January 20, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1881, the San Antonio Light published its first issue. Purchased by William Randolph Hearst in 1924, it grew to become one of his company’s largest newspapers in the 1970s. It discontinued publication in 1992, a few years after Hearst Communications acquired the San Antonio Express-News.

For the third time in U.S. history, Inauguration Day coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In today's edition, read about Trump's recent picks with ties to Texas, and see if you can answer the trivia question about the second university in the nation to install a statue of MLK.

We're flying today with Energous. Be sure to check them out in today's edition.

Southeast Texas Braces for Winter Storm

Houston and Southeast Texas could receive up to six inches of snow and ice beginning tonight. With temperatures hovering at or below freezing until Thursday, the region is likely in for a few days of canceled classes and hazardous travel conditions.

“Travel is going to be very difficult, if not impossible,” said Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner. The Texas Department of Transportation has pretreated area roads with a salt-based solution to prevent accumulation, and snow plows are being relocated from other parts of the state more accustomed to the wintry weather.

CenterPoint Energy has prepped 1,200 crews to respond to outages caused by the storm, and dozens of school districts in the area have already canceled classes for Tuesday.

Unlike those served by utility systems that rely on water towers to maintain pressure, residents who get their water from the city of Houston are advised not to drip their faucets because doing so could lower the pump-fed system’s pressure too much.

More Texans Picked to Serve in Trump Admin

Donald Trump has reportedly picked Texas border czar Mike Banks to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), signaling the state’s importance in securing the border and enforcing federal immigration law. Sen. Cornyn praised the move, saying, “Nobody understands the border better than Texans.”

Banks has overseen the implementation of Operation Lone Star since he was appointed by Gov. Abbott as the state’s first-ever border czar in 2023. At the time, he said he would aim to “make the State of Texas the least desirable place for illegal immigration to cross.”

Trump also picked Penny Schwinn, a former high-ranking official for the Texas Education Agency, to be the next Deputy Secretary of Education. She previously served as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education.

"A former teacher herself, Penny became the founding principal of a charter school, because she believes in the power of School Choice, and is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES," wrote Trump on social media.

Mistakes Doom Texans

The Houston Texans came up short in their divisional round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, falling 23-14 to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in a contest that saw Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud sacked eight times and their kicker Ka’imi Fairburn miss a PAT and two field goals.

Houston became the first team in NFL history to lose a playoff game while outgaining their opponent by at least 100 yards (the Texans had 394 yards of offense compared to Kansas City’s 227) and not committing a turnover.

Things went south from the start. Kansas City had a 63-yard return on the opening kickoff and got even closer to the end zone when Texans special teams player Kris Boyd was penalized for throwing his helmet to the ground after he forced a fumble, and Houston failed to recover the football.

After the penalty, Boyd shoved special teams coordinator Frank Ross, who was yelling at him for the costly mistake. Boyd apologized after the game, saying he “was just too excited.”

Several Texans players and coach DeMeco Ryans indicated they thought some questionable calls favored the Chiefs. “We knew going into this game, man, it was us versus everybody. And when I say everybody, it’s everybody,” Ryans said.

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Say Goodbye to the Power Cord

Nikola Tesla said powering the world without wires was of “all-surpassing importance.” This technology wasn’t possible in Tesla’s time, but one company is helping to make it a reality today—and you can invest for a limited time.

Their patented technology is like Wi-Fi for power. It transmits power to devices through the air, eliminating the need for cables and batteries and providing a constant, reliable energy source for IoT devices that track and deliver data in real time.

It’s such a powerful innovation, that it earned “IoT Innovation of the Year” honors.

Data is the oil that keeps retail, manufacturing, and logistics operations running smoothly. Thanks to these wireless power network transmitters, all of these industries could get a 24/7 flow of data without depending on batteries or cords—it’s potentially a combined $650B market opportunity.

That’s why this company has already landed a contract to supply wireless power network solutions to a Fortune 10 multinational retailer, opening them up to 4,700 retail locations across the U.S.

You now have a unique opportunity to invest in Energous by purchasing investment units that include 1 convertible preferred share (convertible into 2 common shares on Nasdaq: WATT) and 3 warrants to purchase additional common shares at a fixed price.

Sounds like it’s time to cut the cord and become an Energous shareholder as they work to scale nationwide.

➤ The Texas Broadband Development Office has announced plans to spend $30 million to provide satellite-based internet service in hard-to-reach rural areas. (More)

➤ Houston: A U.S. Marshals tactical K-9 named Rocky was released from the hospital after being shot multiple times Wednesday by the suspect accused of killing Brazoria County Sheriff's Deputy Jesus Vargas. (See Photo)

➤ Karnes City: A woman suffered a broken leg after falling 15 feet into an uncovered manhole while walking through an overgrown field Saturday evening. She was returning to her apartment after visiting a local gas station. (More)

➤ San Antonio: A group of rugby players rescued several pets—including a 20-year-old cockatoo—from a burning duplex on Saturday. Firefighters had restrained the woman who lived there from entering the residence to retrieve the animals. (Watch Video)

➤ Dallas: Violent crime fell for the fourth year in a row in 2024, and the city recorded the fewest murders since 2018. (See Details)

➤ Houston: An aggressive driver was shot multiple times in self-defense Friday after threatening another driver and his pregnant passenger. The shooting occurred after the aggressive driver, a man in his mid-40s, brake-checked and blocked the path of the other vehicle. (More)

➤ Addison: E2open, a publicly traded company that provides cloud-based supply chain software, relocated from Austin at the end of last year. Founded in 2000, E2open has a market capitalization of around $800 million. (See Details)

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➤ The Dallas Cowboys have not played in an NFC championship since 1996, which is now the longest such absence in the league after Washington's 45-31 win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday ended their 34-year drought. (More)

➤ Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian agreed to a contract extension over the weekend after declining interviews from at least two NFL teams. (More)

➤ The San Antonio Spurs will play two games against the Indiana Pacers in Paris, France, on Thursday and Saturday. (More)

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➤ Ninety thousand jobs in Texas are supported by exports to China, according to a report published by the US-China Business Council. Texas ranks second to California, where 126,000 jobs are dependent on trade with China. (See Map)

➤ A jury has ordered San Antonio-based Bill Miller Bar-B-Q to pay $2.8 million to a woman who suffered burns after being served dangerously hot barbecue sauce in 2023. (See Details)

➤ Austin-based Torchy’s Tacos is inviting those affected by recent layoffs at Alamo Drafthouse to apply for jobs at the popular chain, offering resume help and networking opportunities. (More)

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Charge Up Your Portfolio with this Tech Investment

What if our technologies could charge IoT devices wirelessly, just like we connect devices to Wi-Fi? One company is helping make this a reality for enterprises as we speak. Their patented wireless power network technology eliminates cables and battery replacements by sending energy through the air.

Between retail, manufacturing, and logistics industries, this company is looking at $650 billion in market potential. But what they’ve created could also revolutionize fields like health care, transportation, and the food industry — anywhere using trackers or sensors to collect data for the Internet of Things.

They’ve already been recognized as the “IoT Innovation of the Year” and landed a contract with a Fortune 10 multinational retailer, opening them up to 4,700 U.S. retail locations. Learn how to become an Energous shareholder today.

This is a paid advertisement for Energous’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energous.com for additional information on the company and the risk factors of the offering.

➤ Three couples got engaged in the front yard of a Tyler home dubbed “The Engagement House” over the holidays, prompting homeowners Ashley Lesniewski and her husband to redecorate with red, pink, and white lights for Valentine’s Day. (Watch Video)

➤ San Antonio 6th grader Camila Ramirez met Spurs rookie Stephon Castle Wednesday after winning the 2024 NBA Math Hoops Global Championships in New York City last year. (More)

➤ A 190-acre Uvalde ranch that has been owned by multiple generations of the same family since the 1800s has hit the market for $1.7 million. The Sutherlands were the subject of a 2006 book about the history of Texas. (See Photos)

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