2-day market loss was record $6.6 trillion; AD and GM hired from TCU sports; Have phone ready to board AA flight.

Travis County District Court judge Catherine Mauzy awarded $6.6 million to four former senior aides to Attorney General Ken Paxton who said they were fired after reporting Paxton to the FBI. She ruled Paxton’s office had violated the Texas Whistleblower Act. Each aide was awarded between $1.1 and $2.1 million for wages lost, and compensation for emotional pain, attorney’s fees and other costs.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas reached 3-year agreements that will keep Texas Health Resources and UT-Southwestern hospitals, facilities and providers at in-network rates. The deal is retroactive to April 1 and claims that were processed out-of-network between April 1-4 will be reprocessed as in-network.

Significant stat: A record $6.6 trillion = How much value the U.S. stock market shed during the past two sessions, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The biggest two-day pullback previously was the 2020 onset of the Covid-19 market, when $4.4 trillion of value evaporated March 11 and 12. The market is down this morning.

Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is investigating Kellogg’s for potentially violating Texas consumer protection laws. Texas is alleging Kellogg's advertises Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies as “healthy,” yet some are filled with petroleum-based artificial food colorings.

The Museum of BBQ opens Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. The gall! However, developers are mindful of the strong, geographic-based preferences that exist when it comes to barbecue, and they also will highlight the history and culture of barbecue from the Carolinas, Texas and Memphis.

With NIL payments ramping up college athletics' business side, many schools are hiring General Managers. North Texas has hired former Houston and TCU staffer Raj Murti. He is 23. 

Ryan Cohen, the chairman and CEO of video retailer GameStop, increased his stake in the Grapevine company by $10.78 million after it had purchased bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. He owns 37,347,842 shares, about 8.4% of GameStop's outstanding shares.

Seven Tarrant County companies made Inc. Magazine’s 2024 list of the fastest-growing companies in the Southwest. Below is each company’s rank, 2-year revenue growth %, industry and city. To see the full Southwest regional list, go here.

• #36, Timely Care, 184%, health services, Fort Worth

• #38, Valor, 177%, financial services, Fort Worth

• #50, Eosera, 129%, health products, Fort Worth

• #54, OP2 Labs, 125%, consumer products, Fort Worth

• #97, Higginbotham, 67%, insurance, Fort Worth

• #111, KP Staffing, 50%, human resources, Fort Worth

• #127, Mender, 34%, environmental services, Euless

In light of pending litigation, federal bank regulatory agencies proposed rescinding the Community Reinvestment Act rule issued in October 2023 and re-instating the previous CRA...for now. The CRA "encourages" insured depository institutes to meet the credit needs of their communities. 

The Zelle app, which transfers money without fees, has disappeared, but not Zelle. Beginning this month, Zelle only can be accessed through your bank or credit union. Fewer than 2% of all Zelle transactions were done through the app. 

American Airlines has stopped hiring flight attendants for summer 2025, possibly anticipating reduced air travel demand. 

Texas’ attempt to kick-start new gas-fired power is stumbling. Developers are exiting a state program because of cost uncertainty and supply-chain delays.

Northwest ISD said its fourth high school will open on North Riverside Drive near Highway 170 and I-35 in August 2027. Renderings show a multi-level school, a football field and tennis courts. 

Fort Worth council members got an early look at a proposed no-new-property-tax, $800-million 2026 bond program. Initial departmental project requests far exceed that number. Residents will have opportunities to speak to their priorities with digital tools and during live community engagement meetings.

The UNT Health Science Center's physician assistant studies program has launched SteadFAST, an annual academic journal dedicated to publishing articles written by students. It is the first in Texas and one of the few in the U.S. The 2025 edition features 10 case studies written by third-year students based on their clinical experiences, providing a platform for emerging physician assistant professionals to contribute to medical literature.

If you thought Deion Sanders' $45-million deal to coach Colorado was a tad low, you will be happy to see he was gifted this 400-horsepower, school-colored fishing boat worth $129k.

Daily digit: 22% of all siblings’ names start with the same letter, per a recent study of ~129,000 parents from BabyCenter.

Announcements:

• Austin-based The Monument Group, a public affairs and strategic communications firm, has opened an office at 5049 Edwards Ranch Road. Founder and Managing Partner Scott Dunaway is a Fort Worth native. JD Estes, Director, and Patrick Brophey, Manager, will lead the D-FW region.

• Merrimack College: Hires TCU senior associate athletic director and assistant vice chancellor Joe Foley as athletic director.

• Double Eagle Energy Holdings IV: Names Austin McLaurin Vice President - Oil & Gas Marketing.

• Merit Street Media: Hires former Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon as CEO.

• Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Promotes Isabel Cable to Vice President, Member Services & Strategic Growth.

• Levos Capital Insights: Adds Chance Smith as Founding Member, Board of Directors.

• National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame: Names Julie Bryant Director of Marketing & Communications. 

• Schwab: Matthew Bungo named VP-Branch Manager for Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery, Ala. 

• Enterprise Bank & Trust: Hires A.J. Amirali Fazal as Director of Commercial Banking.

• PCCA: Hires Kim Speairs as Senior Director of Marketing & Communications. 

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