👟Lockheed out of the running; Sabre does $1.6B; A&M won't be dragged down; Catholic Charities sues for $36M.

Lockheed Martin is out of the running for the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter jet program, known as Next Generation Air Dominance or F/A-XX, Breaking Defense is reporting.

Southlake-based Sabre, a global travel technology company, and India's Coforge Limited, a digital services and solutions provider, have reached a 13-year, $1.56 billion agreement that will strengthen their long-standing partnership to supercharge Sabre's product roadmap. As a key partner, Coforge extends Sabre's ability to accelerate product delivery and launch additional innovative AI-enabled solutions. 

Catholic Charities Fort Worth has sued the Trump administration asking for it to unfreeze $36 million for its work with refugee resettlements. Catholic Charities says that its partners have had to lay off 750 people because of the freeze.

So, that's why: UT-Austin associate professor Yijin Lu x-rayed 20 individual AirPods and discovered that the printed circuitry in the device generates heat that causes damage to the AirPod.

The Texas A&M System Board of Regents passed a resolution banning drag shows across all 11 system universities. The regents ordered Chancellor John Sharp and Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III to cancel any upcoming drag show events.

The Stanley Korshak store in the Crescent development of Uptown Dallas is now under the umbrella of Mitchell Stores, a Connecticut-based department store chain. The owners of each had been members of the Forum Group of luxury retailers and joined forces to streamline the customer experience, e-commerce, and inventory.

Tarrant To & Through T3 Partnership announced the Hire2Hundred initiative aimed at connecting 200 Tarrant County graduates with 200 career-launching opportunities in high-demand industries across north Texas, ensuring that local talent stays local. In partnership with the Fort Worth Mayor’s Council on Education and Workforce Development, Hire2Hundred is for students graduating with certifications, credentials, associate degrees, or bachelor’s degrees.

American Airlines has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower-court decision that found its now-scrapped U.S. Northeast partnership with JetBlue Airways violated federal antitrust law. AA asked the justices to review a decision in November by a Boston-based federal appeals court that upheld a ruling blocking the airlines' "Northeast Alliance," which had allowed the two carriers to coordinate flights and pool revenue.

Grapevine-based GameStop selected Australian payments provider Zip Co. as its primary buy now, pay later service for online and in-store customers in the U.S. Zip has more than 6.3 million active customers and nearly 82,000 merchants across the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. 

Dallas-based CanTex Capital purchased a 230,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fort Worth at 7901 S. Freeway. During the second quarter, CanTex plans to paint the exterior, refresh office spaces, renovate all restrooms, add LED lighting and improve the land to accommodate outside storage.

Dallas-based PMB Capital Investments is seeking to re-zone 183 acres of what's known as Veale Ranch west of Fort Worth, according to the Dallas Business Journal. A planned development could include commercial and medium industrial uses. PMB's newest development includes a 180-home built-to-rent community called Canopy Homes, next to the 492-acre Ventana. The meeting is set for 1 p.m. March 12.

Alaska Airlines announced it will change its bookings from Dallas Love Field to D-FW International Airport beginning May 15. Alaska Airlines flies between D-FW and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport five times a week.

Extinction means forever, but scientists at Austin/Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences are trying the next best thing to restoring ancient beasts: Genetically engineering living animals with qualities to resemble extinct species.

Texas has been awarded the 2024 Site Selection Governor's Cup for the 13th consecutive year for leading in total qualifying projects. The 1,368 qualifying projects were up by 114 projects (9%) over the 1,254 during 2023. See how Texas and the D-FW area stood amongst others.  

Governor Greg Abbott finalized the makeup of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities for terms set to expire on February 1, 2031, and three members are from Tarrant County. The Committee recommends changes in disability policies and programs, supports a network of committees on people with disabilities, issues awards to promote greater awareness, and promotes compliance with disability-related laws.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $126,994,246 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to provide continued flight test support. The work includes administrative, maintenance, and test preparation for training systems labs, flight test labs, and Autonomic Logistics Information System/Operational Data Integrated Network labs in support of testing of new capabilities for the F-35.

Daily digit: Almost 30% of the roughly 19,000 stores that opened in the U.S. from 2018 through 2023 were from foreign-owned retailers, according to CNBC.

Significant stat(s): In front of the second-largest crowd in Schollmaier Arena history, the TCU women's basketball team earned its 26th victory, the most in program history. The win ran its home record to 18-0 and extended a Big 12 best home winning streak to 21.

Announcements:

• Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Hires Ericka Garza as President & CEO.

• Tarleton State University: Names Dr. Myoung-gwi Ryou Interim Dean of the School of Health and Clinical Professions. 

• Fort Worth: Stephanie Frances, event coordinator for the Fort Worth Convention Center, earned a Certified Venue Professional certification from the International Association of Venue Professionals.

• Fort Worth: Dr. Jared Wood has been named Manager of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. 

• TCU: Hires Nina Rios-Doria as Mental Health Counselor.

• Fort Worth Chamber: Selects Joseph DeWoody, co-founder and CEO of Valor, as the recipient of its 2025 Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award. 

• Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas: Camp Fire First Texas and Yolanda Willis, Director of the Early Education Apprenticeship Program, have been recognized as Workforce Champions of the Year.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County: Names Jeffrey Paul as Board Chairman for 2025.

• Brackett & Ellis: Adds attorney Brad Timms.

• American Occupational Therapy Association: Hires Kate Lino as Director of Communications

• TTI: CEO Mike Morton unanimously voted as winner of the 2024 Tobin Bridge Award from the Electronics Representatives Association. 

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology: Selects Dimitrios Karamichos, Ph.D., interim dean of UNTHSC’s College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, for the 2025 Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award.

• Cresa: Names John F. Bellman Principal.

• HTeaO: Names Jodie Chau VP of Supply Chain. 

• Euless: Selects Stacy Rodriguez-Duke as the 2024 Employee of the Year for her exceptional community service.

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