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SpaceX, Tesla make Grimes plant official<\/p>\n
What CEO Elon Musk says will be the world\u2019s largest computer chip manufacturing plant is planned for Grimes County, east of College Station, the Austin American-Statesman reported.<\/p>\n
In a joint announcement last week, Space X and Tesla unveiled an initial $16.8 billion investment in a plant called Terafab. It is expected to employ at least 3,000 people. Many of those jobs are expected to go to residents of Grimes and neighboring Brazos counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re now embarking on the most epic chip-building effort,\u201d Musk, CEO of both companies, said in a statement. \u201cThe Terafab is bringing cutting-edge manufacturing to America, creating thousands of high-paying jobs in the Lone Star State and enabling us to produce AI chips at scale for use on Earth and in space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed last week that the project is receiving a $30 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant from the state. Grimes County has previously approved a property tax waiver in exchange for annual payments of $20 million.<\/p>\n
The plant would eventually span 100 million square feet.<\/p>\n
State Fair of Texas\u2019 gun ban upheld by appeals court<\/p>\n
A Texas appeals court upheld a handgun ban at the State Fair of Texas, rejecting the state\u2019s claim that the city of Dallas unlawfully allowed a private operator to prohibit guns on city-owned property, according to The Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n
The 15th Court of Appeals affirmed a Dallas County judge\u2019s dismissal of a case originally filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and three gun owners. It rejected the state\u2019s argument that the restriction on cities banning guns doesn\u2019t automatically apply to private tenants operating on public property. The ban will remain in place unless the Texas Supreme Court intervenes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision to prohibit firearms on the fairgrounds is the correct decision to protect the safety of our patrons,” Karissa Condoianis, a State Fair of Texas spokesperson, said. This will be the third year the ban will be in place.<\/p>\n
Talarico voted using parents\u2019 address, report says<\/p>\n
Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico voted in five elections using his parents\u2019 address after buying a nearby home for himself, according to The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, a practice that may have violated state voting laws. The revelation comes weeks after Talarico accused Paxton, his GOP opponent, of voting from his estranged wife\u2019s address despite not having lived there for two years.<\/p>\n
Talarico has taken advantage of a state law that allows some public officials to redact personal information, such as home addresses. The news organizations pieced together the information from unredacted records provided by the Talarico campaign.<\/p>\n
Texas law requires that residents register to vote where they live. The Talarico campaign declined to answer questions about his residency and voting history, saying \u201cright-wing actors\u201d have made threats about trying to locate the candidate and his family.<\/p>\n
Talarico\u2019s house is in the same county as his parents\u2019 home. Both residences are\u00a0 located in the same state House district he represents, but in different jurisdictions for some local elections, according to The Tribune.<\/p>\n
Wildfire danger increasing as conditions turn dry<\/p>\n
August is typically the peak month for wildfires in Texas. The Texas A&M Forest Service expects wildfire potential to increase due to dry vegetation, particularly in the Panhandle and North Texas.<\/p>\n
The state is deploying numerous wildfire response resources as a result, including the state\u2019s mutual aid system and assistance from a number of state agencies.<\/p>\n
There were two active wildfires as of Sunday. The 200-acre Round Up fire west of Amarillo was zero-percent contained at that time.<\/p>\n
The service recently acquired three multi-mission aircraft, adding to its first dedicated, state-managed wildfire aviation fleet. It previously had acquired two wildfire suppression helicopters.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery wildfire is different, which is why a diverse aviation fleet is so important,\u201d said Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief Jared Karns. \u201cHaving multiple aircraft types available, including multi-mission aircraft platforms that can serve a variety of roles, allows us to respond effectively to the unique demands of each incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salmonella cases linked to jalape\u00f1os<\/p>\n
The popular jalape\u00f1o pepper has been linked to 345 cases of salmonella illness in 27 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The San Antonio Express-News reported three cases in Texas, stemming from peppers imported from Sinaloa, Mexico.<\/p>\n
No deaths have been reported nationwide, but 36 people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC. Nearly all of the cases were reported by people after eating at a Mexican-style chain restaurant.<\/p>\n
Two affected chains, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, said they had taken steps to remove potentially contaminated peppers.<\/p>\n
Talarico unveils his \u2018affordability agenda\u2019<\/p>\n
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico last week unveiled an “affordability agenda” that would help Texans buy homes, cancel medical debt, raise the minimum wage and expand the child tax credit, according to The News.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe top 1% put the American Dream behind a paywall,\u201d Talarico told about 1,300 people at an Arlington rally. \u201cFor too many of our neighbors, for too many Texans, the American Dream has become an American Nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talarico also touted the endorsements of former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, a Republican, and Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, a self-described independent.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the most corrupt politician that Texas has ever seen,\u201d Whitley said of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Paxton has faced numerous ethical and legal challenges during his time in office. He has denied wrongdoing and was acquitted by the Texas Senate in his impeachment trial.<\/p>\n
At the Arlington rally, Talarico blamed both parties for economic policies that he said benefit the wealthy at the expense of working families.<\/p>\n
\u201cRepublicans and some Democrats sold the false Gospel of trickle-down economics,\u201d he said. \u201cTrickle-down economics isn\u2019t a theory. It\u2019s a theft.\u201d<\/p>\n
Distracted driving puts school children at risk<\/p>\n
As the school year begins, the Texas Department of Transportation is urging drivers to pay special attention in school zones. More than 3,200 traffic crashes in school zones involved school buses last year. Distracted driving and speeding were the most common contributing factors in these crashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool zones can be chaotic places, with people in a rush and children not always watching for cars while they hop on and off buses or in and out of cars. Drivers can become impatient or distracted, which leads to mistakes,\u201d TxDOT said in a news release.<\/p>\n