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  • đź’°GameStop CEO has no pay guarantees; GM writes off $7.1B on EVs, China; FW Library's most checked-out author is...

đź’°GameStop CEO has no pay guarantees; GM writes off $7.1B on EVs, China; FW Library's most checked-out author is...

Plus, more bite-size news about business in Tarrant County.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen has a new $35-billion(!) compensation package. None of it is guaranteed unless he leads the company to certain financial milestones.

General Motors said it will incur a $7.1-billion charge because of its strategic decision to reduce electric vehicle production and scale back operations in China. This charge -- $6 billion in non-cash impairments and $1.1 billion related to restructuring -- is in addition to the $1.6-billion charge for the quarter ending September 30. GM attributed the slowdown in EV demand to the end of consumer tax incentives and relaxed emissions regulations.

Fort Worth-based TPG and Jackson Financial established a partnership under which TPG will manage at least $12 billion in assets for Jackson, with incentives tied to a target of $20 billion.

TPG Real Estate has acquired a majority interest in homebuilder Lennar's Quarterra, an established developer of multi-family, rental communities in high-growth markets. TPG has made an additional $1 billion strategic commitment in connection with the acquisition and expects to raise additional capital to fund future growth and the development of Quarterra’s pipeline.

James Patterson was the not-even-close favored author of Fort Worth Public Library cardholders. Who else was popular? The authors of the top reads are here

Bell Textron was awarded a $14,071,857 modification contract to provide continued program management, engineering and logistics services toward 2026 sustainment efforts for the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters for the Marine Corps, and the governments of Bahrain and Czech Republic. Eighty percent of the work will be performed in Fort Worth.

Lockheed Martin and M1 have joined Bell Textron as the finalists for the U.S. Army's Flight School Next competition.  

President Trump executive order demands some defense firms halt paying dividends, buying back stock and cap the pay of executives during times of under-performance. 

American Airlines has started the rollout of its free high-speed Wi-Fi across 100 percent of its narrow-body and dual-class regional fleets, and by early spring, it will be available on nearly every American Airlines flight. You have to be a member of AAdvantage, American’s loyalty program, which is free to join.

Bedford announced a change in direction for the city-owned Bedford Commons property. "After careful review, the City and Midway Development Group have mutually agreed to part ways on the original development proposal and partnership at this time."

Sixfab, a company with its warehouse operations at 2601 NE 33rd St. in Fort Worth, said its ALPON X5 AI has been named a Consumer Electronics Show 2026 Best of Innovation Award winner in the Enterprise Tech category.

A message from LEAGUE Commercial:

LEAGUE Commercial announces the addition of Scott Lowe as Managing Director, marking a significant step in the firm’s growth. Lowe brings decades of commercial real estate experience and will lead the expansion of LEAGUE Commercial’s full service platform across North Texas.

Actuate Therapeutics, headquartered at 1751 River Run off University Drive in Fort Worth, announced positive patient outcomes in its Phase 1 trials focused on developing therapies for the treatment of high-impact, difficult-to-treat refractory pediatric cancers.

Salad and Go, which announced a few store closures last year, will close all stores in Texas and Oklahoma, and move its headquarters from Dallas back to Arizona. 

D-FW International Airport has implemented roadway closures and detours to support construction of the bridge that will provide right-hand access into Terminal C, which is scheduled to be completed ahead of summer. Also, a south-bound detour into Terminal A has been implemented through the end of January to complete all remaining construction activity of the new access.

Sanara MedTech said its BIASURGE Advanced Surgical Solution has been awarded an Innovative Technology contract from Vizient, a provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company. The Fort Worth medical technology firm, with a market capitalization of $216 million, has seen its shares rise 6.55% the past week.

A federal judge tossed the lawsuit from Fort Worth Bishop Mark Kirkland, who alleged Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare violated his First Amendment rights during a public meeting. The suit, filed Dec. 15, claimed O'Hare violated Kirkland's freedom of speech and expression rights. 

Texas' Supreme Court finalized its opinion issued in September, and soon-to-be lawyers no longer have to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The court says it has the power to approve which law schools are accredited.

Glenn Partners, a Dallas-based architecture firm specializing in educational design, has opened a Fort Worth office in the First on 7th building downtown. The office will be led by Tim McClure, Aaron Ewert and Patrick Glenn, The company has done extensive work with the Fort Worth and Northwest ISDs. 

NBC announced it has sold out its advertising for the upcoming Winter Olympics, and claims that it has set a new record for winter games sales. The previous record was the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which brought in $963 million.

Andrew Kim, a former superintendent in the El Paso area, was named conservator for Lake Worth ISD to oversee the Texas Education Agency's state-mandated takeover due to failing academic ratings. A board of managers will be named to replace the elected board.

Notable and quotable: “Passion is found in the present, while desire is focused on the future. When you desire a certain outcome, you are constantly judging whether that outcome will materialize or not. When you’re present, your focus is absolute in the moment.”

—Jim Murphy, performance coach and author

Believe it or not: Sports made up 96 of top 100 telecasts in 2025, tying a record. A football fantasy? 92 of them were college or NFL football games.

Nothing to do with business: Regularly volunteering can reduce humans’ rate of cognitive aging by around 15%–20%, according to a study from UT-Austin and UMass researchers.

Daily digit: 31 = Number of new Texas laws from last year’s regular legislative session that took effect Jan. 1, including regulations about artificial intelligence and relationships with ICE. Here’s the list.

Snippets:

  • Arlington GM Team Leader Billy Bell is in his 64th year of employment...and not slacking off a bit. 

  • Nvidia's AI-powered solutions are to be used by heavy-machinery giant Caterpillar to transform machines, job sites, factories and supply chains. 

  • The best cities for jobs in 2026, according to WalletHub.

  • The Metroplex moves to the top of the list of the North American Technology Hubs Index, according to Site Selection.

  • America’s top New Year’s resolutions for 2026.

"They're harmless when they're alone, but get a bunch of them together with a research grant and watch out."

Job announcements:

  • Fidelity Investments: Promotes Scott Orr to Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Public Affairs.

  • LEAGUE Commercial: Hires Scott Lowe as Managing Director to lead a strategic expansion.

  • Girls Inc. of Tarrant County: Hires Sarina Lora Davidson as Director of Fund Development.

  • SteerFW: Selects Alex Houton as 2026 President, the organization’s 15th year.

  • GoVision: Hires Emma Swartz as a Project Manager.

  • Whitley Penn: Promotes Cole Elliott to Partner. 

  • Ariat International: Promotes Kristin Frye to Senior Director, Western Brand Marketing. 

  • Atwell: Selects Jonathan Russell as a Senior Director. 

  • TeraSky: Adds Michaela Petty as an Enterprise Account Executive.

  • University of Houston-Clear Lake: Hires Kay Colley as the Executive Director of the Center for Faculty Development. 

  • R.J. Corman: Hires former BNSF Railway executive Matt Igoe as Chief Operating Officer.

Honors:

  • Louisiana Sports Writers Association: Names former Star-Telegram columnist Gil LeBreton, a native of New Orleans, as one of its two 2026 honorees for Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.

  • Inspiring Workplaces Group: Selects Valor’s CEO Joseph DeWoody and Chief Accounting Officer Adam Powell as 2025 Inspiring Leaders. 

  • National Association of Health Services Executives: Selects Crystal V. Brown, Chief Operating Officer of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, its 2025 DFW Executive of the Year.

  • Business Facilities: Selects Arlington and the Arlington Economic Development Corporation’s West Airport Development & E-Space North American Headquarters project as a 2025 Impact Award winner in the Space Industry category. 

  • McKnight: Honors Cheryl Harding, President and CEO of James L. West Center for Dementia Care, as a 2026 Pinnacle Award honoree for her work across the senior care, skilled nursing and home care fields.

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