♦️Caesars buy heightens casino talk; Welcome Exxon, new state park; A rare materials Battle Royale.

Six Flags Over Texas has begun testing its roller coaster, Tormenta Rampaging Run, as it prepares to debut the world’s first giga dive coaster. It is 309 feet tall, reaches speeds of 87 miles per hour, and features a 95-degree, beyond-vertical drop. The ride will open this summer. See video here.

More ammo for Texas casinos? Caesars Entertainment agreed to be acquired by Fertitta Entertainment in a $31-a-share, all-cash transaction valued at approximately $17.6 billion, including $11.9 billion of Caesars’ debt. Houston businessman Tilman Fertitta owns the Houston Rockets NBA team, eight Golden Nugget casinos, and the Rainforest Cafe and Morton’s chains. 

Fort Worth-based MP Materials Corp initiated legal action in Texas against USA Rare Earth, alleging misappropriation of proprietary technology related to permanent magnets. The lawsuit claims that USA Rare Earth has failed to meet commercial benchmarks and resorted to theft for recovery. USA Rare Earth denied these accusations, asserting that MP's claims misrepresent their company and culture.

ExxonMobil investors approved the company’s move of its legal domicile to Texas. The oil company’s proposal originally faced opposition from one of the largest shareholder advisory firms.

A federal appeals court temporarily upheld Texas’ law requiring app marketplace operators such as Google and Apple to verify all users’ ages and seek parental permission before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases. The law is in effect immediately.  

The second largest park in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department system is on its way. TPW acquired close to 54,000 acres of Hill Country ranch land, which has a 30-acre spring-fed lake. It will be called Silver Lake State Park. 

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have delivered the first next-gen Javelin launchers to the U.S. Army. The launchers incorporate infrared camera technology that allows for easier and faster target detection and are smaller and lighter than the legacy version. 

Fort Worth-based DynaTen Corporation announced that Chief Executive Officer Scott Brady will retire, effective July 3 after a career spanning more than 40 years in the mechanical contracting industry. Brady acquired DynaTen in 2004. As part of a planned transition, President Kyle Hogue will assume leadership of the company.

Global "luxury" real estate brokerage The Agency opened its 9^th office in the state, this one at 2833 Crockett St. #127 in Fort Worth. Managing Partner Heather Stevens will lead the office in addition to her responsibilities overseeing the Frisco and Rockwell offices. 

J&J Oyster Bar is about to close after 45 years, but its best-known guest already has a new home, according to the Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy. The giant longhorn bull statue that has stood outside 612 University Drive for 25 years will move to Fred’s Texas Cafe at 7101 Camp Bowie Blvd. West after J&J closes May 30, Fred’s boss Quincy Wallace announced. Artist Johnny Pate's 12½-foot-tall bull has a tip-to-tip horn span of 7½ feet.

The Treasury Department has prepared designs of a $250 bill bearing President Donald Trump's likeness meant to celebrate the country's 250th birthday in July. Current law does not allow the image of a living person on U.S. currency; an act of Congress would be needed to issue the bill.

Italian industrial metal 3D printing service company ATLIX is establishing U.S. headquarters and a distribution center at 1825 Mustang Court in Southlake, putting it in close proximity to D-FW International Airport. The site has 17,180 square feet of industrial space, a 4,300-square-foot office demonstration area, and storage facility.  

An American journalist and author is in federal court today on charges after having been accused of working as an agent for the Chinese government for at least seven years. Thomas Weir Pauken II, the son of former Texas Workforce Commission Chair Thomas Pauken, was arrested in early March.

Incora, a Fort Worth-based global provider of supply chain management solutions for the aerospace and defense industries, is expanding operations in India after receiving a customs and warehousing license, which allows Incora to store and distribute parts without paying duty for products that are re-exported. David Coleal is Incora's CEO.

Business Insider says an internal document it viewed shows Disney will dismantle the Hulu app and integrate all programming into Disney+ by the end of the year. Disney has said it has no plans to sunset Hulu, which has approximately 64 million paid subscribers. Currently, Disney+ does not support Hulu Live TV. 

LanCarte Commercial completed the lease of 1362-1364 Ranchers Legacy, approximately 24,000 square feet of new industrial construction within Markum Business Park at I-20 and Markum Ranch Road. The transaction was completed by Sarah LanCarte and Finn Wilson, who represented the landlord and secured a single tenant operating in the data center sector. 

Legend Bancorp, the holding company for Legend Bank, has an agreement to acquire Graham Savings and Loan, a Texas community bank founded in 1934 with approximately $160 million in assets. Both boards have signed off and the  planned transaction is expected to be completed in the fall.

UNT Health Fort Worth’s Institute for Translational Research has joined a national study focused on Alzheimer’s disease in adults 25 or older with Down syndrome. The partnership expands access to no-cost brain health evaluations and research opportunities for north Texas families. For info, contact the Institute at [email protected].

Southlake-based ISP Tek Services, an IT asset disposition provider, has been acquired by Ivy Technology, a portfolio company of Staple Street Capital that provides technology life-cycle services and infrastructure solutions. The strategic pairing adds secure asset recovery, refurbishment and resale services to Ivy, and extends its operational footprint into Mexico. Matthew Zimmer is CEO of ISP Tek Services.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote to university and college Presidents strongly suggesting they pause all increases to undergraduate tuition for the 2026-2027 school year. In part: "Access to affordable, high-quality higher education is essential to ensure Texans learn the skills needed to secure family-sustaining jobs and meet the demands of a growing workforce." 

Toledo, Ohio-based Barry's Bagels announced its first Texas location will be at 10303 E. Bankhead Hwy. in Aledo. It is partnering with Michael Wainz to open 30 Barry Bagels locations the next decade in the state's major metro areas.

News you can use: GoodRx launched a $14.99 monthly Companion subscription plan that provides customers with access to low-cost and free generic drugs, as well as online care visits, and savings on dental care, vision care and lab and imaging services.

Snippets:

• The Texas Workforce Commission is out with numbers for the 2026 county-by-county cost of living. Costs, no surprise, are up from 2025, but not the same everywhere. 

• Fort Worth continues to build its green space, having agreed to purchase two parks/recreation areas from the FW Independent School District.

• Universal Kids Resort, Universal Destinations & Experiences' first regional theme park designed for kids, will open in Frisco July 1.

• Three's company?: Fort Worth and Lake Worth ISDs may get some takeover company after Texas Education Association officials denied the Austin ISD request to approve a partnership to run its three chronically failing schools that would have put a pause on the campuses' accountability rating. A final decision on a takeover is due soon. 

Announcements:

• Wilks Brothers: Hires Shea Hopkins as Vice President of Community Engagement. 

• Goodwill North Central Texas: Promotes Karyette Simmons to Director of Workforce Development – Education, and Autumn Harold to Director of Safety and Asset Protection.

• Marathon Petroleum: Hires Noel Wilson as Lead Behavioral Health Professional. 

• Post L Group: Hires Jeremiah Wilson as a Construction Superintendent.

• Six Flags: Hires Ash Walka as CFO. 

• Vista Bank: Hires Cristie Escochea as Community Engagement Director. 

• Victory Awning: Chandry Buck Manzke, part owner and daughter of the founder, is leaving the company after 13 years. 

• Stoneburgh Management: Hires Ryan Thompkins as Sales & Customer Experience Architect for residential customers of Fort Worth Heat & Air.

• American Airlines: Hires Angelha Rodriguez as SLT Executive Assistant for Investor Relations.

• Modular Building Institute: Elects Matt Slataper, President of Ramtech Building Systems, as its President of the Board of Directors. Previous company leaders that have led the organization are Bob Houchin, Mike Slataper, Linc Moss and Roland Brown.

• NBC News: Hires Alexis Garcia as multi-platform producer on the NBC/Telemundo & Regional Sports Networks Central Content Desk. 

• Garver: Hires Kelly Dillard as Water Resources Leader in D-FW. 

• Core and Pogue construction companies: Kadee Blair announces she is leaving.

• Switchyard Innovation District: Name for the downtown area encompassing the Texas A&M buildings and surrounding research and innovation centers. 

• Shine Talent Group: Hires Julia Gatica as Associate Talent Manager.

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