A $55-million transaction took just 12 months; Pawsitive press; Big Bang Theory, Ryan Seacrest & Mike Tyson

Germany is looking into buying eight additional Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets on top of the 35 jets it ordered in 2022. The 35, including missiles and other weapons, were approximately $10.89 billion.

About 1,400 "Sheldons" were in Tarrant County last week for the American Physical Society Division of Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics. (Way over our heads, too.) This Society had provided props and source material for the popular television show Big Bang Theory. A special guest was one of only 5 female Nobel Prize winners in physics -- 2023 Nobel Laureate Anne L'Huillier. 

The Dallas Mavericks lost 105-98 to the Celtics in Boston and are down, 2-0, in the best-of-7 NBA Finals. Games 3 and 4 are in Dallas Wednesday and Friday.  

Dr. Harrison Keller, commissioner and chief executive officer for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, has been named the sole finalist as President for the University of North Texas. The choice is expected to be finalized the week of July 1 after observing the 21-day waiting period required by state law. Keller replaces Neal Smatresk, who has been President for 10 years.

Fort Worth-based VERTESS Managing Director and Partner Brad Smith has landed on the Axial top 8 deal list for medical devices. His transaction took 12 months and sold for $55 million, a multiple of 11.

Fort Worth-based Legacy Medical Consultants has urged CMS' Medicare Administrative Contractors to re-consider a proposed Local Coverage Determination that could lead to a two-to-five-fold increase in preventable amputations for patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

The UNT Health Science Center has selected Fort Worth-based TimelyCare to provide free telehealth services to students and faculty beginning June 15.

The fight between former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul has been re-scheduled for Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium. The original July 20 date was scratched after a Tyson medical issue. 

Texas tied New York for second place with the most Fortune 500 companies (52 each). California claimed the top spot — a title previously held by Texas — with 57. It’s the first time since 2014 that California has topped the list.

Americans have more investment income than ever. A booming economy and rising household wealth help some consumers keep spending. (WSJ)

Factoid: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the world’s busiest airport in June for departures and second for arrivals. 

The Fed meets this week with a statement from Chairman Jerome Powell Wednesday. The markets are pricing in only one quarter-point cut in 2024, with the odds of it being September falling to 50/50.

Apple kicks off its annual developers conference today and its new “AI-driven” products are projected to be the biggest story since the iPhone 17 years ago. 

Pawsitive press: 

• A Fort Worth-based streaming service called buddi is banking on pet lovers tuning in to watch movies 24/7 about dogs, cats, horses, and anything else that can be a pet. It’s like Netflix for pet owners.

• 66% of households include at least one family critter, up from 56% in 1988. Dogs are more popular than cats, with 44.5% owning dogs and 29% owning cats.

• Fort Worth is doggone better than Dallas, at least according to the U.S. Postal Service's dog bite rankings.

The Pat Sajak era of Wheel of Fortune ended Friday and Ryan Seacrest steps in as his replacement. Sajak hosted for 41 seasons, 8,010 episodes, and about 50,000 puzzles. Alex Trebek hosted more than 8,200 Jeopardy! episodes in nearly 37 seasons.

An economist’s rule for making tough life decisions: People are generally predisposed to favor sticking with current circumstances instead of taking a risk and bushwhacking their way toward a different life. That’s an instinct we should fight against, according to the findings of a new study..

Believe it or not: The legacy of “Saturday Night Fever” is stayin’ alive; the light-up dance floor featured in the classic disco movie could fetch as much as $300,000 at auction next month.

Wild card: Yuntai Mountain Waterfall’s reputation as China’s tallest waterfall could be all wet. A hiker discovered a giant pipe pouring out water at the top. Park officials say they made a “small enhancement” during the dry season to ensure visitors would feel their trip was worthwhile.

Announcements:

• Kwedar & Co.: Appoints D’Arla Tyler as Director of Public Relations & Client Service. 

• North Texas Community Foundation: Adds board members Crystal Flores, Mortgage Banker & Financial Coach, City Bank; Jennifer Grammer, CPA – Tax Senior Manager, Whitley Penn; Stacy Landreth Grau, PhD Associate Dean – John Roach Honors College, TCU; Ryan Heath, Founding Attorney, TrustPoint Legal; and Kelly Hein, CPA.

• Harwin: Selects Mouser Electronics as its 2023 Global Distributor of the Year. 

• Healthcare Workforce Task Force: Gov. Abbott adds Cheryl Petersen, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President for Patient Services at Cook Children’s Medical Center. 

• First Command Financial Services: Appoints Nancy Nee chief strategy and transformation officer.

• Turnkey Project Services: Names Geri Hieronymus Regional Vice President of Sales.

• Roundup for Autism: Appoints Luther Winch, owner of Winch Ranch, to its Board.

• Island Records: Names Austin Jenkins VP-Artists & Repertoire. Jenkins was a co-founder of Fort Worth’s Niles City Sound.