🛤️Was Texas high-speed rail just de-railed? Embraer brings work to Perot Field; Odds that ousted lottery app wins fight against Texas?

Dr. Kirk Calhoun (UNTHSC) and Dr. Warren von Eschenbach (Dallas) are the sole finalists for the UNT Health Science Center and UNT Dallas presidencies after a unanimous vote by the UNT System Board. Calhoun has been interim UNTHSC President since January 2025 after retiring as President of The University of Texas at Tyler in May 2024. von Eschenbach was appointed interim President of UNT Dallas in April 2024.

Texas’ law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages is constitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled. House Bill 1181, enacted in 2023, requires websites to verify that a user is over the age of 18 if more than one-third of their content is considered harmful to minors. A 6-3 majority sided with Texas, finding that requiring age verification “is within a State’s authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content.”

The Spanish operator of the proposed high-speed rail from Houston to Dallas has liquidated its American subsidiary. What does that mean for the Fort Worth investor who has taken control?

High-profile caterer Eddie Deen has brought Mary Sue's Chicken & Dough to 816 N. Collins St. in Arlington. Prominent on the menu is "hot chicken."

Warren Buffett donated $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation and four family charities, his biggest annual donation since he began giving away his fortune nearly 20 years ago. The donation of about 12.36 million Berkshire Class B shares boosted Buffett's overall giving to charities to well over $60 billion.

Lottery.com, ousted from participation in the Texas lottery, prepares to fight back against what it says was an orchestrated smear campaign.

CommuteAir, a United Express partner, signed a maintenance, repair and operations contract with Embraer to support its fleet of Embraer aircraft. The work will be carried out at Embraer’s recently opened commercial aviation facility at Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth.

The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, expressed optimism about resolving disputes relating to Turkey’s exclusion from the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet program and sanctions imposed under the 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Lockheed Martin clinched a $250-million modification contract involving the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft program for the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md. Lockheed will produce the F-35 logistics information system. 

Believe it or not: For the first time, a new car left its Texas factory and delivered itself to the owner’s home, which was in Austin. When the vehicle arrived, it was greeted by a team of Tesla employees and a stunned owner who watched the car park itself.

Construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 1 on LivSmart Studios — apartment-style suites with full kitchens and amenities like fitness and laundry facilities for 20-night or more stays — at 8664 Lower Sonoma Lane in Fort Worth. The Hilton brand is expected to be completed in 15 months.

A UT-Arlington professor is making a quantum leap to teach the physics that high school teachers fear. She is equipping STEM teachers with methods to instruct quantum science and inspire tech careers.

Beginning Sept. 1, the Texas Business Court's amount-in-controversy requirement drops from $10 million to $5 million and allows that threshold to be met by aggregating "the total amount of all joined parties" claims for certain case types. In addition, intellectual property and trade secrets claims are now part of the statute’s jurisdictional coverage. 

Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French is deep in quicksand about a social media poll concerning Muslims and Jews he posted and has since withdrawn. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick called for his ouster.

One wing of Hulen Mall in Fort Worth remains closed after a fire Friday evening. Four stores suffered extensive water damage. A cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.

Southlake parks department drafts ordinance that would ban kids 14-and-under from riding electric scooters. 

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker proclaimed July 3 — Meacham International Airport’s 100th anniversary — as Meacham International Airport Day. Parker, members of the City Council, the city manager, assistant city managers and guests were invited to sign a vintage airplane on display in the lobby at City Hall. Read here about the airport's 100-year history.

The loss of Fort Worth's Community Arts Center is not a tremor to the business and population growth in the city, but to Jessica Fuentes and the arts family, it is a devastating loss of space, continuity and community.

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Announcements:

• Dallas Stars: Hired Glen Gulutzan as head coach. He previously coached the team from 2011-2013. 

• Walter Camp Foundation: Honors former TCU associate athletic director Mark Cohen with its Sports Communicator Award. Cohen was with TCU for 19 years, 11 months. 

• TCU: Hires Jeremy Vickers as Chief of Staff to Chancellor Daniel Pullin. Adds Will Stein, a four-year standout for the men's tennis team, as women's tennis assistant coach. 

• Fort Worth: Jack Carvahlo, after nearly four years of district leadership positions, is leaving to enter Creighton University School of Law.

• Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce: Honors Tim Coates, Director of Community Outreach and Small Business Lending for Prosperity Bank, with the Community Partnership Award, and Shay Gibson, Vice President of Community Engagement for Goodwill North Central Texas, with the Trailblazer Award.

• Signet Jewelers: Hires Todd Barnett as Director-Pricing & Promotions.

• Fort Worth Public Library: Hires Sherry Knight as Assistant Library Director. 

• Fort Worth Public Library Foundation: Adds Kelly Hart attorney John Phair to its Board of Directors.

• Young Women's Leadership Academy of Fort Worth: Adds Kelly Hart attorney Meredith Knudsen to its Foundation Board. 

• Mansfield Stadium: Hires Scott Norton as General Manager. 

• Lockton: Selects Mark Kuonen as Chief Operating Officer of Lockton Dunning, the largest segment of its People Solutions business.  

• PolyActiva: Selects Jerry St. Peter as CEO and board director. Closes a $25-million Series C funding round.

• Whitley Penn: Promotes Stephanie Servin to Manager.

• Gilbane Building: Appoints Suzanne Bennett as Vice President and business leader of the strategic initiative.

• KAI: Adds Aditi Sridhar as design manager and Seme Gizaw as project architect. 

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