Your weekend is here, Texas, and it’s time to take a look back at some of the stories that were in our headlines this week.
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The Week in Review
1. Jasmine Crockett won’t release her polling but says she would win next year’s U.S. Senate race
The Dallas Democrat flipped the Democratic field for U.S. Senate on its head when she essentially forced former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred to drop out of the race on the last day of candidate filing. That left Crockett in what’s expected to be a head-to-head primary battle with Austin state Rep. James Talarico, a rising star in the party.
2. $430 million data center project filed for Whitney, Texas
A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has found that construction for a new data center has been created.
The project will be in Whitney, Texas, a town outside of Waco. According to the filing, the construction is expected to start in February 2026, with the scope of the work stated in the filing: “93,319 SF new construction, single story data center with one-story office component. Exterior construction to be insulated precast with steel structure.”
3. Texas Association of Business president and CEO resigns following sexual assault lawsuit
Glenn Hamer stepped down on Tuesday as president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business (TAB). This comes just two weeks after an unidentified women sued both the former CEO and TAB itself on accounts of sexual assault and retaliation.
4. Elon Musk says DOGE was only ‘somewhat successful’ and he wouldn’t do it again
Mega billionaire Elon Musk, in a friendly interview with his aide and conservative influencer Katie Miller, said his efforts leading the Department of Government Efficiency were only “somewhat successful” and he would not do it over again.
5. Rod Paige, nation’s first African American to serve as secretary of education, dies at 92
Rod Paige, an educator, coach and administrator who rolled out the nation’s landmark No Child Left Behind law as the first African American to serve as U.S. education secretary, died Tuesday.
Former President George W. Bush, who tapped Paige for the nation’s top federal education post, announced the death in a statement but did not provide further details. Paige was 92.
Around the Nation
1. Disney invests $1B in OpenAI in deal to bring characters like Mickey Mouse to Sora AI video tool
Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will bring characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Luke Skywalker to the AI company’s Sora video generation tool, in a licensing deal that the two companies announced on Thursday.
A Look Ahead
Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks during the National Chanukah Menorah lighting, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, on the ellipse of the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Hanukkah begins on Dec. 14.