- 817 BIZ
- Posts
- ⏱️Trump says no $ if airlines delay you; Montserrat mansion is going up for auction; Trivia for $100: Who composed State Farm jingle?
⏱️Trump says no $ if airlines delay you; Montserrat mansion is going up for auction; Trivia for $100: Who composed State Farm jingle?
Plus, more bite-size news about business in Tarrant County.
The Trump administration withdrew a proposed Biden-era rule that would have required airlines to compensate passengers $200-$300 for significantly delayed or canceled flights.
A Dallas judge rejected former Gateway Church Pastor Robert Morris' request to dismiss Cindy Clemishire's defamation lawsuit on First Amendment grounds, which could mean a trial next summer. Morris pleaded guilty to abusing Clemishire when she was 12.
Former Catholic Charities Fort Worth President and CEO Michael Iglio asked a Tarrant County court to help him get answers to why he was fired. Iglio asked for permission to take testimony of several leaders at the non-profit to investigate the “mysterious nature of the termination.” Iglio alleges he was “treated differently than other past CEOs of Catholic Charities” and needs to determine whether he was discriminated against. The Fort Worth Report has the story.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch told Fox News the lack of civics education is one of the "greatest" dangers to American society. He said "half of Americans" cannot pass the citizenship test that non-Americans who are seeking to become U.S. citizens are expected to pass. “Most Americans cannot name the three branches of government"... and Americans "need to know our shared history" and that "the things that separate us pale in comparison to the things that unite us."
TCU announced a 4.75% increase in tuition to $66,520 for the 2026–27 school year. Tuition has increased by more than $20,000 during the last decade with the largest increase being 7.9% for the 2024-2025 school year.
TCU Neeley Executive Education will launch its inaugural Mini MBA March 2-6, a five-day, on-campus, in-person experience designed to equip leaders with skills and strategies to guide their organizations in a world of continuous transformation.
Tesla and a deaf ex-employee are in a heated legal situation. The technician at Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory claims he was assigned to a position melting aluminum ingots at 1,220°F, a temperature that caused his hearing aids to fail, making it all but impossible for him to hear alarms, alerts and other audible safety signals. When he asked for a new position, he says he was fired.
Monday mansion: A 19,000-square-foot mammoth castle in Fort Worth's Montserrat neighborhood, originally built for then-Texas Rangers owner and energy giant Bob Simpson, is on the auction block from Dec. 3-18.
President Donald Trump said he will take legal action against the British Broadcasting Corporation over how his Jan. 6, 2021 speech was edited. The BBC apologized, but refused to compensate him. Friday, Trump said: "We'll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week."
The core mission of the Texas Attorney General’s office includes defending the state and state agencies in court. Yet, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office filed a rare lawsuit against a Texas agency overseeing higher education.
The Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry (and not railroads), gains U.S. Environmental Protection Agency go-ahead to approve projects that shoot carbon underground.
Union Pacific and Burlington Northern CEOs are going tit-for-tat in war of words over a proposed merger. Let's hope it doesn't go off the rails.
SPONSORED BY BELLAIRE NORTH INVESTMENTS:
Why earn 4-4.5% on a CD when you can get 13% annualized ROI? Become a partner in a new single-family luxury rental development in Granbury. Eleven of 41 units are already completed. This is a well-capitalized venture where you have the same rights and security as the original partners. Expected payout is 18-24 months. For more information contact Richard Bates at 817-996-0072 or email [email protected].
Approximately 99% of shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern backed the railroads’ proposed $85-billion merger to create the nation’s first coast-to-coast rail network. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board must approve it before the deal can be completed.
Significant stat: $9 billion = The deepening net loss for the U.S. Postal Service in fiscal year 2025. Revenue was up $966 million to $80.5 billion, but was offset by increased compensation and benefit expenses of $1.7 billion. The last annual profit was 2006 and it has lost $100 billion since.
Orvis, a national retailer known for fly-fishing gear, sporting apparel and adventure accessories, will close its Southlake location Dec. 24, one of 36 store closings as part of a major downsizing of the company's brick-and-mortar footprint.
Cherie Turner, CEO and Founder of McKinney-based Mommy Scrubs, a postpartum scrub line for breastfeeding mothers, won $35,000 during the eosera® Foundation Pitch Competition. She won $30,000 for winning and another $5,000 for the people's choice award.
U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch and Jasmine Crockett of Dallas are considering their options after new maps radically changed their districts. Political analyst Gomer Jeffers Jr. takes a look at the possibilities.
Berkshire Hathaway (probably not Warren Buffett's doing) announced a $4.3-billion stake in tech giant Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
Panera Bread will close all its remaining fresh-dough manufacturing facilities in the U.S. during the next 18–24 months. The transition, part of a three-year growth plan, is expected to boost consistency and product availability, but comes at a significant cost to hundreds of workers.
The Grande Dame of Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasting is gone. Suzie Humphreys (WFAA and KVIL) passed away at the age of 87.
Notable and quotable: "They say that everything is bigger in Texas … and that certainly applies to the golden opportunity in AI."
Today’s trivia: Forty-five years ago, he wrote a jingle for State Farm that dominates its commercials today. He was paid a one-time fee of $500 and jokingly calls it his biggest hit. Click here to see if you were correct.
Snippets:
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe for FREE here. Interested in reaching 10,000+ business-minded readers like you? Become an 817 Biz advertising partner.
Announcements:
Women’s Business Council–Southwest: Adds board members Lisa Choi – Texas Capital Bank; Maryanne Pina Frodsham – Career Management Partners; Crystal "Crys" Cardwell – pugnacious; Jamita Barnett-Machen, The Software Vault.
Texas Court Clerk’s Association: Awards Jetmira Ademaj, a case manager with the Arlington Municipal Court, its Distinguished Service Award.
TCU Frog Club: Hires Cedric James as Assistant Athletics Director / Director of the Block T Association to oversee donor engagement, membership growth and operations, including administration of the TCU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Quiddity Engineering: Names Cesar J Molina Jr. Director of Business Development for north Texas.
The Geenuine Article: Launched by Erayne Gee Hill.
Urban Air Adventure Parks: Adds Bryan Bragg as a General Manager.
Yesway: Appoints Robert Drake Vice President of Facilities.
Bennett Thrasher: Hires Hiram Shah as a Partner.
UNT Health Fort Worth: Selects David Vumbaco, Ph.D., as Director of Research for the North Texas Eye Research Institute.
Schwab Advisor Services: Promotes Brad Losson to head of sales and relationship management; Tom Bradley, chief client officer, plans to retire at the end of 2025.
817 Biz is formatted for viewing on mobile devices. If this email doesn’t look right, click the link at top right. Some links may expire after initial posting or be paywall-protected.