🚧Closed by bad Behavior; Original Fred's building is sold: AA on Swift bandwagon

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General Motors reported its fourth-quarter pre-tax profit fell 54% to $1.8 billion. For 2023, pre-tax profits dropped more than 14% to $12.4 billion compared with $14.5 billion in 2022. Revenue for the quarter was flat at $42.9 billion, but for the full year, it was up 10% to $171.8 billion. Continued demand for GM's high-profit, full-size pickups and SUVs drove gains. The six-week strike by the United Auto Workers union in the fourth quarter cost GM $900 million before taxes and $1.1 billion for the year.

The Czech government, having approved the purchase of 24 F-35A Lightning II aircraft from Lockheed Martin last September, has finalized a significant aspect of the contract, worth more than $6 billion. The agreement encompasses 11 projects with Lockheed Martin and three with Pratt & Whitney, covering areas such as component production, research and development, pilot training, maintenance, service and repair.

Fort Behavioral Health, a residential treatment center that shut down its adolescent programs after a Star-Telegram investigation into years of abuse and reports of neglect, is ending its remaining adult programs, according to the newspaper. Fort Behavioral's CEO is Stephen Mallick. The owner is Bobby Patton, billionaire and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chapter 403 has arrived. A year after the sun set on the much-criticized — yet much-utilized — Chapter 313 school property tax abatement program, its replacement is here. With its incentives, companies and local governments aim to bring large-scale projects to Texas. Chapter 403 is the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology & Innovation Act, which went into effect Jan. 16, about six months after the Texas Legislature narrowly passed the bill that created it.

American Airlines in the news:

• Will cut 656 employees in its Fort Worth and Phoenix customer service call centers, according to filings in Texas and Arizona. American said it is changing how it handles post-travel customer support.

• Has been welcomed by the Department of Transportation to begin non-stop service between New York and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. AA says it will start within a few months. The airline has daily non-stop flights to Tokyo from D-FW and Los Angeles.

• Channeled Taylor Swift in unveiling special Flight 1989 (her album) from Kansas City to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. Return Flight 87 is boyfriend Travis Kelce's jersey number.

Roommates in heaven? Two "prominent" Fort Worth-born personalities died last week. Pro golfer Jackie Burke Jr., 100, won the PGA and Masters tournaments in 1956 and is in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Cynthia Ann Howell, 43, was better known as Jesse Jane, a porn star.

Tarleton State University has received a National Science Foundation grant to bring 36 colleges from 16 states to Fort Worth (Feb. 7-8) to develop a “shared, virtual resource center” framework to provide tools, resources, knowledge and mentoring in research administration and research development.

Elbit Systems of America officially named Luke Savoie its President and CEO. He succeeds Raanan Horowitz, who held the role for more than a decade. The two had worked together to ensure a smooth transition.

Food & beverage snippets:

• The original location of Fred’s Texas Cafe in the West 7th district has been sold to Younger Partners, the Dallas real estate firm that owns the nearby Artisan Circle (formerly Crockett Row). Plans for the space have not been finalized.

• HG Sply Co. has secured a lease in Alliance Town Center, with a projected late 2024 opening. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will be two stories with seating for 220 inside and another 108 on a multi-level covered patio. HG Sply Co. also has locations in Dallas and WestBend in Fort Worth.

• Cocktail bar Atlas will open a Fort Worth location on Thursday, Feb. 1. Located at 314 S. Main St., the bar will serve globally inspired cocktails in an intimate setting.

• The Post at River East will close on Thursday, Feb. 29. The Race Street music venue announced on Instagram that its lease is ending and it is looking for new space. The Post will have regular hours through Monday, Feb. 5 and then only open for concerts (without food service).

Quick hits:

• Super Bowl ticket prices are soaring. Online marketplace TickPick says a ticket for the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl Feb. 11 is averaging an all-time high of $9,815. That’s 70% more than last year.

  

• A reporter got Mark Cuban to answer a cold-call email in seven minutes. His secret was including the entire ask in the subject line and only his signature in the body of the email.

• The Fed is expected to cut interest rates this year, raising a question: Why lower borrowing costs when the economy looks strong? (NYT gift article)

People on the move:

• North Texas Community Foundation: Adds Whitnee Boyd as Director of Community Impact

• Bike the Blue: Announces Board - President, Rick Maxey; Secretary, Chris Ferrell; and Treasurer, Don Stackhouse

• Scorpion: Names Randy McBride as Account Manager

• Clayton Youth Enrichment: Announces Brittany Lee as Director of Finance

Believe it or not: "Jumbo Jump" in Karachi, Pakistan just claimed the title of the world's largest inflatable castle. Measuring ~15,300 square feet, it has a maximum capacity of 200 people. The castle took six months to create and features multiple slides, climbing walls, a maze, and an obstacle course. "Remarkably," reports Guinness World Records, "it only took 10 minutes to completely inflate."

Last poll: In 20 years, which state will have a bigger population: Texas (71%), Florida (10%), None of these (10%), California (8%).