💵What would you do with $20B extra? AA settles with 3 evicted passengers; Ex-Cowboy nominated as Ambassador.

🎄817 Biz will be off until Friday Jan 3. Watch your inbox next Friday for the digital version of the new issue of our print publication. Newsletter subscribers get early access. Not a subscriber yet? Sign up for free.

TuSimple Holdings said it would re-brand as CreateAI and pivot from autonomous trucking to AI gaming technology, marking an attempt by the once-prominent self-driving truck startup to make a comeback. TuSimple had been testing at Alliance Hillwood. 

Texas lawmakers will have about $20 billion in unspent money entering January's biennial legislative session. "The Legislature will have a lot of tools in the toolbox next session to deal with issues, whether it's road infrastructure, water infrastructure, electrical grid infrastructure, public education, higher education…” Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.

As expected, Federal Reserve officials cut benchmark interest rates by another 25 basis points, capping 2024 with a full percentage point of relief ...all in the last four months. The cut leaves the target range for the federal funds rate between 4.25% and 4.5%. Economists predict that strong economic indicators will lead the Fed to slow the pace of rate cuts in 2025.

American Airlines settled a lawsuit with three Black men who sued the airline for race discrimination after they were removed from a plane by white flight attendants.

American Airlines has become the latest corporation to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies following a complaint filed by watchdog group America First Legal.

Walmart employees in some stores (including in Denton, TX) are wearing body cameras; the tech, widely used in law enforcement, has been expanding into retail to help deter conflict and prevent theft.

In Arlington, unfinished buildings can be declared a public nuisance after the building permit has expired for 180 days. The city council also voted unanimously to give final approval to changes to rideshare rules in the entertainment district.

Knightvest Capital, a multi-family investment firm, acquired the 314-unit apartment community Verandas at Cityview in Fort Worth. 

The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs awarded full accreditation to the University of North Texas Health Science Center / North Texas Regional Institutional Review Board. The IRB reviews research involving human participants for UNT Health Science Center, John Peter Smith Health Network, and other organizations in the region.

Though the ARPA funding from Tarrant County expires in December, the University of North Texas Health Science Center will continue helping companies with its Small Business Innovation Research grants program. The focus will be educating and supporting companies that are developing innovations that align with HSC's mission and strategic plan.

President Biden is considering invoking the Defense Production Act or other executive actions to help data centers speed up the pace of development. One possibility is to give data centers priority access to electricity, exempting them from some pollution limits and allowing them to build on federal land.

President-elect Trump has nominated NFL great and former Dallas Cowboys running back Herschel Walker as ambassador to Bahamas. 

Daily digit: 45.8% = the likelihood that a released convict in the U.S. will return to prison within five years.

Significant stats: The primetime audiences for CNN and MSNBC have fallen by 46% and 55%, respectively, since the election. Through Election Day, CNN and MSNBC averaged 739k and 1.3M primetime viewers, respectively; since election day, those numbers have fallen to 401k and 603k. Fox News’ audience, on the other hand, has risen to 2.7M, making it 2.5x larger than CNN and MSNBC’ combined primetime programming totals.

Believe it or not: Her nickname is Fireball Flo. She’s 106 years old, and she stays young with positivity and Fireball whiskey.

Snippets:

• Alphabet’s Wing is expanding its partnership with DoorDash to bring drone food orders from 50 merchants located in Hulen Mall.

• The biggest stories of 2024 captured through the eyes of their photographers. The year in pictures from The New York Times.

• Duck Donuts, known for customized donuts, drinks and ice cream, opens tomorrow at 7 a.m. It is located at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd within Ridglea Plaza.

• Kroger couldn't get a deal done with Albertson's so it announces $5-billion buyback.

Announcements:

• Dallas Mavericks: Name Rick Welts CEO. He previously was with the Golden State Warriors.

• TimelyCare: Names Michelle Lanter Smith Chief Marketing Officer. 

• JPS Health Network: Names Forrest “Dell” Moore Chair of Surgery and Stephanie Carson-Henderson Chair of Women’s and Infants, with its Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group.

• Higginbotham: Names Jennifer Vuduris a Private Client Account Manager.

• On-Site PC Services: Adds Chris Stone to Business IT Services.

• Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership: Hires Spencer Mitchell as Vice President of Economic Development and Katie McConnell as Associate. 

• Texas Wesleyan University: Adds Jonathan Jenswold as Adjunct Professor of International Business. 

• Realtor Emeritus: Adds Jerry Barton.

• Triptease: Names Christopher Munizza Market Manager.