❌Court sides with Texas on election integrity; AA prohibits human/animal robots; Interior offers more to hunters/fishermen.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the largest expansion of hunting and sport fishing opportunities in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history. More than 92 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge System lands — just over 95% of the system — are available for hunting.

Beginning today, American Airlines will prohibit human- and animal-shaped robots from all flights. The ban targets shape, not battery risk, despite no previous incidents. Small electronics and compliant devices are permitted, but size thresholds are undefined, leaving enforcement to agents.

D-FW International Airport stopped plans for a proposed project to build wash stations for Muslim travelers in Terminal D after some public debate and Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement about funding. Abbott said he had ordered a review of state grants for the airport and referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a federal district court ruling that had upheld challenges to key provisions of Texas’s Election Integrity Act, Senate Bill (“SB 1”). In 2021, the Texas Legislature enacted SB 1 to strengthen election integrity, protect ballot secrecy, deter fraud, and safeguard the security of Texas elections, particularly in the mail-in voting process. The full opinion is here. 

Official welcome to Fort Worth: Ranchbot, a technology company that builds solutions for managers of livestock, wildlife and natural capital, completed a Series B financing round for more than $15 million. It also executed a corporate “flip-up,” establishing a Delaware-based parent company, Ranchbot Technology Holdings Inc., and naming Fort Worth as its new global headquarters (702 Houston Street).

Barclay Berdan’s 12 years as CEO of Arlington-based Texas Health Resources ends in September. Winjie Tang Miao takes over as CEO of the 30,000-employee company. During his tenure, THR has taken a deliberate approach to growth: identify where north Texas is growing, secure land with good access, add ambulatory services and build hospitals as demand increases. Becker’s Hospital Review caught up with Berdan for a check-up. 

Believe it or not: The original Cat in the Hat suit worn by Mike Myers in the 2003 film is being put up for auction Aug. 26, with bids starting at $6,000. The costume is expected to fetch a five-figure sale price. If you take Halloween seriously, it’s a no-brainer ... guaranteed costume contest winner in our opinion.

Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI, two companies developing self-driving trucks and testing on Texas highways out of Hillwood, received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test their technology on public roads. Kodiak has started.

Leading Pharmacy Benefit Managers reached an agreement that allows patients on their healthcare plans to see details on cash prices listed for drugs available on TrumpRx. CVS Health’s Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, UnitedHealth’s OptumRx, Elevance Health’s CarelonRx, and Humana agreed to the commitment. 

Divine drinks: A cocktail bar with a decidedly church twist is expected to open by early October at 309 W. Daggett in South Main Village (Fort Worth). Mea Culpa will have pew seating, Renaissance art and antique pendant lighting to set the mood for pool, darts and classic drinks.

University of North Texas President Harrison Keller told the Board of Regents that he expects the administration will cut its $45-million budget deficit by more than half. Keller attributed the difference to targeted changes and fundraising. 

U.S. drone stocks rallied after President Trump said the U.S. would impose tariffs of 25%-to-100% on imports of unmanned aircraft systems and their components deemed to pose a national security threat. The biggest winner (up 25%) was Unusual Machines, backed by advisory board member Donald Trump Jr. since 2024, when he owned ​331,580 shares. Major military contractor winners included Northrop Grumman up 1.9%, Lockheed Martin up 1.8%, and RTX up 1.5%.

Lockheed Martin will make a multi-million-dollar investment to develop a Modular Payload Delivery System that could enable different offensive and defensive hypersonic payloads to be carried by a common missile-body architecture. The initiative supports the Department of War efforts to scale hypersonic weapons production amid a rising threat environment that has stressed U.S. missile inventories.

Mansfield Water Utilities received three statewide honors at the TCEQ's 2026 Public Drinking Water Conference and was the only city of 7,100 public water systems to receive the 2026 Outstanding Public Drinking Water System Award. The triple crown award recognizes excellence with infrastructure, water quality and conservation, and state and federal compliance.

Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill filed a formal complaint against Tri-County Electric Cooperative with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, citing months of power outages that have hit homes, schools and local businesses. The complaint was filed on behalf of the mayor's office and the Carroll ISD board president.

Disney is selling tickets to the latest installment of its Avengers franchise -- Avengers: Doomsday -- three months ahead of the film’s release. Avengers: Doomsday re-unites heroes across the Marvel universe, including Thor, Captain America, Winter Soldier, the Invisible Woman, Professor X and Magneto, to save the multiverse from Doctor Doom, played by former Iron Man Robert Downey, Jr.

John Niland, a three-time All-Pro guard and six-time pro bowler (1968-1973) who helped the Dallas Cowboys to their first Super Bowl championship Jan. 16, 1972, has died. He was 82. Niland starred at Iowa and was taken by the Cowboys with the fifth overall selection in the 1966 draft. He made 111 starts in 124 games during nine seasons with Dallas. 

One closure and one warning of indoor farming operations could affect 285 Texas jobs and multiple grocers as the industry comes under financial pressures. 

The Grapevine Professional Firefighters Association issued an 'overwhelming' vote of no confidence against three members of the department’s leadership.

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Bell 222s after an in-flight failure of a tail rotor pitch horn. The component may develop premature fatigue cracks in areas exposed to elevated stress.

Defense awards:

• M1 Support Services in Denton was awarded a $10-billion contract to provide initial entry rotary-wing training for 800-to-1,500 Army pilots annually using a contractor-owned, contractor-operated solution for commercially available services and equipment. Redstone Arsenal in Alabama is the procuring contracting activity and the estimated completion date is Aug. 12, 2052.

• Airbus Helicopters in Grand Prairie was awarded a cumulative face value contract of $140.7 million to procure up to 12 Lakota UH-72B helicopters, jettisonable cockpit doors, air conditioning system installation, engine inlet barrier filters, and program management. For 2024-2025 aircraft procurement, $115,406,740 was obligated immediately. Redstone Arsenal is the contracting activity and Dec. 31, 2030 is the completion date. 

Snippets:

• Fort Worth film and TV kingpin Taylor Sheridan has acquired rights to two feature films.

• The man with the most famous pitching arm in baseball has died. Tommy John was 83. 

• Two planes with the same flight number avoided possible disaster thanks to a quick-thinking controller. 

• New report ranks Texas 7th worst state to have a baby.

• Tarrant County College students return today and the Northwest Campus off Marine Creek is showing the labors of its $366-million re-development. 

Today in history: 2008 = Michael Phelps wins a record eighth gold medal at a single Olympics. Phelps swam the butterfly leg of the victorious U.S. 4x100-meter medley relay in Beijing for the record. The performance broke Mark Spitz' 36-year-old record of seven golds.

Daily digit: 128 = Number of gas pumps at the San Marcos Buc-ee's, which opened last week. The legendary chain started in Lake Jackson, TX in 1982. It has 57 stores in 13 states.

Announcements:

• Dikita Enterprises: Promotes Walter Dansby to Executive Vice President. 

• Schwab DAFgiving360: Hires Sandra Houston to the charitable giving team. 

• Sunflower Bank: Promotes Jeff Bundy to Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Specialty Industries Group.

• Trademark Property Company: Hires Wes Lechtenberger as Financial Analyst, Savannah Greenhill as Property Management Assistant and Shelby Reedy as Accounting Coordinator. 

• AT&T: Names Marcus Hagans Associate Director-Retail Operations across the Southwest.

• Lockheed Martin: Promotes Garrett Linscombe to Senior Program Manager--F-35 Development Program. 

• Western Commerce Group: Names Jim Georgeadis Managing Director. 

• Tarrant Area Food Bank: Hires Thresa Crossland Cox as Regional Director - West. 

• University of North Texas Athletics: Promotes Ava Jestis to Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement. 

• eosera: Hires Eric Dean as Senior Supply Chain Manager. 

• Lockheed Martin: Names Rebecca Steward Executive Administrative Assistant. 

• Association of Fundraising Professionals-Fort Worth: Selects Angie Galloway as 2026 Outstanding Professional Fundraising Executive. She is the Chief Development and Marketing Officer at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth.

• RSM US: Promotes Katie Hale to Senior Associate. 

• Tarrant To & Through: Promotes Alvaro Aguilar to Manager of Student Advising. 

• Helzberg Diamonds: Hires Giamaria Isgett as Assistant Manager. 

• Neighborly: Hires Kimmy Williams as Senior Digital Product Manager.

• Quorum Architects: Promotes Trevor Jackson, architect and associate, to shareholder.

• Amur Equipment Finance: Hires Nic Garcia as Senior Sales Account Manager.

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