🚁Bell-FW partnership worth $70B? Bum Steer horns Jerry Jones; Clock ticking for TikTok.

“The largest Army contract ever” will be fulfilled in Fort Worth, Bell Textron/Bell Flight officials confirmed Tuesday. It will invest $632 million in a factory that will help build the Army’s next-generation assault helicopter, a contract that could be worth up to $70 billion. The location is a 44,373-square-foot building formerly occupied by Stanley Black & Decker at 15100 N. Beach Street in the Alliance area. The factory will employ at least 520 people with an average salary of $85,000, according to the city of Fort Worth.

Junk fees jettisoned: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has passed a rule requiring ticket sellers, hotels and vacation rental sites to disclose total prices, including fees upfront, prohibiting them from concealing add-on charges until the last minute.

Having a $10.5-billion team valuation isn't enough to avoid Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from being selected Texas Monthly magazine’s highest dishonor ... 'Bum Steer of the Year.’ It is his second time, having shared the award in 2010 with Texas Longhorns football. This time, Jones was "honored" for his unwillingness to be active in free agency, his second-guessing of coaches and his lack of playoff success. 

TikTok asked the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the federal law that would ban the popular platform in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless its China-based parent company agreed to sell it. Jan. 20 is the day Donald Trump becomes President, and he recently has voiced limited support for TikTok.

Highs may be lowered: 2018’s federal Farm Bill allowed the commercial production of hemp products, but the legislation also created a loophole that effectively legalized products with THC. Some states are reversing those loopholes, putting hemp retailers, manufacturing plants and farming operations at risk. 

The 147-room Extended Stay America Dallas – DFW Airport in Irving has been sold to an undisclosed buyer. HREC Investment Advisors represented the seller. The franchise is adjacent to DFW International Airport.

The Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors voted, 6-3, not to renew its membership in the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts. Board members Alan Blaylock, Gloria Pena and Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Wendy Burgess voted against the measure. 

Tuesday was the last meeting for Tarrant County Commissioners Gary Fickes, who has represented northeast Tarrant County for 18 years, and Roy Charles Brooks, who has represented southwest Tarrant County for 20 years. Both are retiring this year. 

Independent Bank Group, with three Independent Financial banks in the Tarrant area, officially will be purchased by SouthState Corp. Jan. 1. The $2-billion deal was announced in May.

According to the Star-Telegram, The Shops at Clearfork owner, Simon Property Group, filed paperwork with the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation indicating additional construction, including a $15-million building, will begin March 1 and take more than a year. The location at 5141 Marathon Ave. is an empty, grassy block.

The largest aerial display of a gingerbread village image by multirotors/drones consists of 4,981 drones and was achieved by Fort Worth’s Sky Elements Drone Shows and UVify in Mansfield in late November.

The UMB Charitable Foundation made total year-end donations of $2 million to non-profits, including gifts to Fort Worth Area Habitat for Humanity Inc., Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, and Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.

Today at 1 p.m., Fed Chair Jerome Powell will update the funds rate. There is a 97% chance of a 25-basis point rate cut, according to CME FedWatch.

Leila Hedary, founder of Hedary's and Byblos Mediterranean restaurants, has passed away at age 81. 

Harvard University is releasing a dataset of nearly 1 million public-domain books that could be used by anyone to train large language models and other AI tools. The dataset was created by Harvard’s Institutional Data Initiative with funding from Microsoft and OpenAI and should open access to “level the playing field” in the AI industry.

Believe it or not: Daisy is a scanner’s worst nightmare. A phone company developed an AI 'granny' to beat scammers at their own game.

The median home price in Dallas-Fort Worth was 4.4 times the region's median income last year, according to a Harvard University analysis. That makes the American dream of owning a home more difficult. U.S. homebuyers are the oldest on record, with the median age of first-timers being 38.

Significant stat: $400,000 = The net worth of a median homeowner in America in 2022, the most recent data available, according to a report from Aspen Institute. The median renter’s net worth is just $10,400. This means the typical homeowner has almost 40 times as much wealth as the typical renter. 

Snippets:

• The Cambria Hotel Southlake became The Southlake Hotel on Feb. 1. It will soon be named The Elmore by Marriott. 

• Los Vaqueros restaurant will make its previously announced move next Thursday (Dec. 26) across North Main St. to 2513 Rodeo Plaza. 

• Stock picker Jim Cramer says he likes the airlines, so Insider Monkey takes a look at American Airlines.

• CEOs are feeling a lot more upbeat about the new year. Donald Trump’s win is boosting optimism among the world’s top executives.

Announcements:

• TCU: Appoints Dr. Floyd L. Wormley Jr., Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

• Southlake: Public Works Director Rob Cohen will retire Dec. 31 after 7+ years.

• Roanoke: Swears in Chief of Police Jeff Williams.