🎤Trump pardons UT arena contractor; AA's $16.7M fine disabled by Trump; A critical Turning Point for schools?

The Texas Attorney General's office in partnership with the Department of Justice reached a settlement that requires Constellation Energy Corporation and Calpine Corporation to divest two electricity-generating plants in Texas before moving forward with their proposed $26.6 billion merger. Together they supply a significant share of wholesale electricity to ERCOT, which supplies electricity to more than 27 million Texans.

The Tax Increment Finance District (TIFF) covering the Near West Side approved $45 million in infrastructure funds for the $1.7-billion Westside Village development. The partnership between Larkspur Capital and Robert Bass' Keystone Group has a 10-year plan that includes 880,000 square feet of office space, 238,000 square feet of retail, 1,785 apartment units and a 175-key hotel near the corner of White Settlement Road (Westside Dr.) and N. University Drive. 

President Donald Trump has unconditionally pardoned Timothy Leiweke, a former chief executive of arena operator Oak View Group. The pardon came after Trump’s Justice Department charged him in July with conspiring with Legends Hospitality, a firm co-founded by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, to rig the process for constructing a new arena in Texas.

The dispute between the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks regarding team headquarter locations and arena control of American Airlines Center has been delayed. The Texas Business Court will hear arguments beginning Monday, May 11. The Mavs alleged the Stars violated an agreement to have its headquarters in Dallas by moving to Frisco in 2023. The Stars countersued, arguing the Mavs violated the same clause by moving corporate operations to Las Vegas in 2024 with the purchase from Mark Cuban.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Turning Point USA are launching a partnership to create chapters in high school campuses. Turning Point USA was founded by conservative Charlie Kirk, the late activist who was killed in early September while speaking on a college campus in Utah. 

Jimmy Kimmel, suspended briefly in September after controversial statements he made about assassinated activist Charlie Kirk, has agreed with Disney on a one-year contract extension until May 2027. His late-night show began in 2003.

The U.S. Transportation Department will waive $16.7 million in fines issued to American Airlines under then-President Joe Biden in 2024 as part of a settlement over the air carrier's treatment of disabled passengers. 

Gate wars: United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby consistently has been vocal and critical saying American Airlines will not survive at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Forbes took a look at the skirmish and did not see it exactly as Kirby does. In fact, it hints at a two-hub airport. 

Gate wars II: American Airlines agreed to pay $30 million for two Spirit Airlines gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, becoming the first carrier to acquire Spirit assets during its second bankruptcy. The move restores some physical airport access for American after gate re-allocations had reduced its footprint. Spirit Airlines’ daily departures fell from 32 to roughly half.

Former Fort Worth City Councilman Jared Williams said he would run for Precinct 2 on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after its current representative, Alisa Simmons, announced she would run for County Judge. 

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, is running for Tarrant County Judge. It was somewhat of a surprise, last-minute pivot for the seven-term congressman who was expected to run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is dropping his bid for the Texas Senate and will run for Texas’s new 33rd Congressional District seat. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) had an opening and is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Ground tests at Edwards Air Force Base indicate the Lockheed Martin F-35As are closer to carrying Meteor missles. Italy is sponsoring integration of the ramjet powered weapon, and the UK is leading integration on the F-35B model.

The Embraer Foundation awarded $65k in grants to four Dallas-Fort Worth-based organizations, including Tarrant County College. The announcement followed the ground-breaking of Embraer’s commercial Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

Westlake-based ECI Software Solutions, a leader in AI-powered, cloud-based business management software and services, has acquired Amper Technologies, a Chicago-based manufacturing execution system company that gives factories real-time visibility into their shop floors.

An Investors Observer survey of 1,050 investors -- ages 35 to 60 and portfolios north of $500K -- finds 64% never have used an AI chatbot for investment advice. Only 5% act on AI advice without human checks. Still, momentum is building: 59% plan to use or keep using AI tools, treating them less like robo-advisers and more like research accelerators. 

M.L. Leddy’s in the Stockyards is one of the best clothing stores in the U.S., according to The New York Times. Its style section selected the 50 best clothing stores in the U.S. The only other Texas store was women's boutique Mr. Larkin in Houston. M.L. Leddy's has been selling handmade boots for more than 100 years and is in its fourth generation of family ownership. The retailer has a store in San Angelo, where its products are produced. 

Country music legend Dolly Parton is partnering with an existing Tennessean Travel Stop operator to launch "Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop" next summer. The model targets a similar niche as Buc-ee’s, Love’s and Pilot/Flying J, but differentiates through Dolly’s brand — Southern hospitality, curated Tennessee-centric retail, and food experiences.

Disney will re-release the original 1977 version of Star Wars: A New Hope in theaters February 19th, 2027, celebrating the film’s 50th anniversary. The restored theatrical release will be the original cut, not the 1997 Special Edition that featured significant changes, including the controversial scene where Greedo shoots first at Han Solo. Director George Lucas in 1994 told the Associated Press: “The Special Edition, that’s the one I wanted out there...the movie I wanted it to be, and I’m sorry you saw a half-completed film and fell in love with it.”

Significant stat: 3 million+ = Number of active business entities in Texas, reflecting strong entrepreneurship and sustained economic momentum across the state.

Believe it or not: If you thought your Starbucks fix was hitting your finances a tad too much, check out this cafe in Dubai that is serving the world’s priciest cup of coffee.

Snippets:

• Westlake-based Charles Schwab's undisclosed gift enables Texas A&M to establish the Aggie Financial Planning Clinic.

• The departments of Transportation and Health & Human Services have launched a $1 billion campaign to make airports more family friendly. 

• Glenn Hamer resigned as President and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, one of the state’s more influential business groups, two weeks after he was sued over allegations of sexual assault and harassment.

• A number of changes were announced Monday in the leadership ranks of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway as the 95-year-old gets ready to end his tenure.

• Did you know? While tornadoes occur across the world, an estimated 75% occur in the United States, which experiences approximately 1,200 tornadoes annually.

• Shaken, not stirred: New Zealand police recovered a $19,000 James Bond-inspired Fabergé egg pendant after monitoring for six days the suspect who allegedly swallowed it. 

⚖️Notice to Tarrant County law firms: The January issue of our print publication will include a ranking of firms based on number of attorneys practicing in north Texas. Firms must have a minimum of five attorneys to be listed. The deadline to submit data is December 8; please contact [email protected] for details. There is no charge for the listing. 

Announcements: 

• Clayton Youth Enrichment: Hires Kevin Hood as Director of Programs.

• 1849 Advisors: Fractional CFO and COO work (and more) launched by Graham Brizendine.

• Rotary Club of Fort Worth: Presents $40k to James L West Center to benefit the Veterans served there. Proceeds were raised from the 11th Annual Crazy Pants Open, presented by Autobahn Fort Worth.

• Blum: Rachel Saltsman returns to the firm as a law Partner.

• 2025 Morgan Circle: Adds James Wyss, Managing Director and Wealth Advisor JP Morgan Chase, to its group of advisors recognized for exceptional client commitment and business impact.

• Navigate: Adds James Katz and Caroline Watson to its Medical Advisory Board.

• South Carolina: Names Kendal Briles its offensive coordinator. He had been TCU's offensive coordinator the past three years. 

• TCU: Adds Autumn Bryant as Facility Operations Coordinator.

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