🚩Biden vs. Abbott in flag football; Textron has 'Tsunami' for Navy; What would you do with $24B?

Cardinal Health said construction has begun on a distribution center in the Melody Hills section at the confluence of Interstate 35W and Loop 820 in Fort Worth. The facility will support its at-Home Solutions business, a medical supplies provider to more than five million patients annually. The center will combine its two existing warehouses into a larger facility and add approximately 74,000 square feet of inventory capacity.

Textron Systems announced a new family of autonomous maritime surface vessels, dubbed Tsunami, to provide low cost, multi-mission assets that the Pentagon has been seeking. “We continue discussions with the Navy … and we’ve been hearing an increased expression of interest in a small, rapidly deployable unmanned surface vehicle that can support a variety of missions beyond mine countermeasures," said David Phillips, a company executive.

The Texas House of Representatives elected Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as Speaker of the House after two rounds of voting. Burrows' major contender, David Cook (R-Mansfield), received 55 votes to Burrows' 85.

Giveaway? Texas legislators will have to decide what to do with a multibillion-dollar budget surplus. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar estimated that the state will have nearly $24 billion remaining when the current two-year budget cycle ends in August.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed that American flags on state property be flown at full-staff to mark President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next week, bypassing the national mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter.

Fort Worth-based HTeaO, the nation’s leading iced tea franchise, has launched a custom-built mobile app, an integrated loyalty and gift card program, and a re-designed website to streamline ordering and enhance the loyalty experience.

American Airlines, the nation’s second-largest carrier, is playing catch-up to rivals after its bet to overhaul corporate travel failed. The Wall Street Journal takes a deep dive into the campaign to win back business travelers (WSJ)

Legal listicle:

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Allstate and its subsidiary, Arity, for unlawfully collecting, using, and selling data about the location and movement of Texans’ cell phones through secretly embedded software in mobile apps, such as Life360. The suit alleges Allstate and other insurers then used the covertly obtained data to justify raising Texans’ insurance rates.

• KPMG won preliminary approval to form a legal services arm in Arizona, moving it closer to becoming the first Big Four accounting firm to practice law in the U.S.

• Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about a Texas law requiring porn sites to verify the age of its users. It could have implications for future disputes over free speech, internet privacy, and censorship. The adult film industry says the law infringes on the rights of free expression.

• The U.S. Supreme Court will allow climate change lawsuits to continue after declining to hear a bid by Sunoco and other oil companies to scuttle a lawsuit by Honolulu accusing them of misleading the public for decades.

• Aurora Innovation, which is testing driverless technology in Fort Worth, filed suit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration claiming they “arbitrarily” rejected the industry’s idea for an alternative solution for modern roadside warning devices.

Southlake-based Sabre launched a suite of new content that marks a significant advancement in Saudia's distribution strategy, enabling the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide enriched content and offers to travel buyers.

U.S. power mega-merger gets a huge bump. Constellation Energy jumped 25% after announcing its purchase of Calpine. Locally, Constellation offers electricity and has the natural gas-fueled Handley Electric Generating Station in east Fort Worth.

Concentra, a leader in occupational medicine, has opened a medical center in Northlake at 18303 I-35W. Concentra Northlake Alliance will support the growth of Alliance employers by providing comprehensive workforce health services.

Medical City has launched five robotic surgical systems, including facilities in Alliance and Arlington. The robotic systems can be used in a variety of minimally invasive surgeries, including gynecology, urology, bariatric, thoracic and general surgery. They are designed to help providers with surgical precision, improved visualizations and decreasing invasiveness. 

Westlake-based Charles Schwab is among firms to pay $63 million for SEC texting irregularities. 

Mary Diane Simons, one of three founding directors of Fort Worth’s Hip Pocket Theatre and an honored costume designer, has died following a lengthy illness. She was 80. Simons, her husband, Johnny Simons, and the late Douglas Balentine, established Hip Pocket Theatre in 1976. 

Significant stat: The National Federation of Independent Business' Small Business Optimism Index surged to 105.1 in December, its highest since October 2018. The share of owners expecting economic improvement rose to 52%, the highest since 1983. 

Daily digit: $150 billion = What Americans wagered on sports in 2024, up from ~$120 billion in 2023, per Business Insider.

Announcements:

• Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS®: Installs Paul Epperley, Century 21 Judge Fite Co, as Board President.

• Cantey Hanger: Promotes Kate Hancock, Leda Juengerman and Matthew Loving to Partner.

• PMG: Adds Shayna Fung as Senior Client Operations Lead. 

• Elbit Systems of America: Appoints Richard “Rick” Edwards Chairman of the Board.

• Tarrant To & Through Partnership: Hires Regina R. Williams, LMSW, as Vice President of Program Operations.

• Rainey and Wortmann: Hires attorney Clint Biggs as Partner. 

• Fort Worth Botanic Garden: Announces Board of Directors — John Avila: Operating Board, Committee Chair: Advancement; Amy Allen, Andrew Allsup, Marie “Doc” Holliday, Carole Jordan, Elizabeth McCarthy, Derick Mesch, Debbie Morrison, Aaron Bigbee, Foundation Board.

• Press Ganey: Selects Cook Children’s Health Care System for three Human Experience awards: Guardian of Excellence for Patient Experience, Guardian of Excellence for Employee Experience and Guardian of Excellence for Physician Employee Experience.

• Tarleton State University: Changes name of wellness center to University Health Center. 

• White Settlement: Police Chief Christopher Cook appointed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police Civil Law Enforcement and Military Cooperation Committee. 

• Serenity Mental Health Centers: Announces Gary Robinson as Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

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