Renewables aided 2024 Texas summer power surge, winter challenges remain
Solar power and utility-scale batteries played a pivotal role in helping Texas maintain grid stability amid the extreme heat and record high energy consumption during the summer of 2024. However, a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas warns that these resources may not be able to handle future energy demands and potential winter challenges.
Last summer, solar energy provided nearly 25% of Texas’ mid-day power needs between June and August. Battery storage systems supplemented this by discharging energy during evening hours. This compensated for declining solar output when the sun went down.
In late August, both solar and battery storage set new records during a peak load event. This performance marked a significant improvement from 2023, as in the summer of 2024, Texas avoided issuing energy conservation appeals to consumers like it had been forced to do multiple times the prior year, demonstrating greater resilience during warmer months.
Winter poses unique challenges
Despite this progress, experts caution that winter poses unique challenges. Peak demand often occurs in the early morning, when solar generation is unavailable and current battery storage capacities may be insufficient for extended demands during extreme cold.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas also projects substantial growth in energy demand due to the expansion of data centers, industrial operations and electrification trends.
By 2030, peak summer load could rise to 148,000 megawatts, significantly higher than the 85,000-megawatt peak recorded in 2024.
Price reductions may deter investment
While solar and battery storage has lowered wholesale electricity prices — benefiting consumers — these price reductions may deter further investment in additional battery storage and dispatchable power generation.
Texas’ energy-only market design, which compensates generators solely for electricity produced, may require adjustments to incentivize new capacity and ensure future reliability.
Additionally, the state’s standalone grid has been criticized for past resilience issues. The federal government has allocated $360 million to create a new connection between Texas and the national grid, although experts estimate this project could take a decade to complete.
Coaches brace for change as NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ approaches
The day after the NFL’s regular season ends is known as “Black Monday,” when struggling teams inform coaches their services are no longer needed. This year, it falls on Monday, Jan. 6, and there is plenty of speculation surrounding what could be more than half a dozen moves.
Three job searches are already underway, as the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints fired their coaches during the season.
Current NFL job openings
Chicago Bears –– Thomas Brown (interim)
New York Jets –– Jeff Ulbricht (interim)
New Orleans Saints –– Darren Rizzi (interim)
Those teams currently have interim head coaches, all of whom will reportedly interview for the head job with their respective teams. But there will also be multiple outside candidates brought in.
Three teams have made it clear they will give their coaches at least one more season in charge. New England’s first-year coach, Jerod Mayo, is the shakiest on this list; he has posted a 3-14 record. Right now, the Patriots are in line for the number one pick in April’s draft.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan has seen good and bad reports concerning his tenure.
“I don’t really pay much attention to those reports. I just try to come in and do my job as best I can and do it as long as they allow me to do it,” said Callahan. “If for some reason, and hopefully it’s years from now, they say your services are no longer needed, then that’s how it goes.”
Coaches in the ‘hot seat’
Las Vegas Raiders –– Antonio Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars –– Doug Pederson
New York Giants –– Brian Daboll
Indianapolis Colts –– Shane Steichen
Dallas Cowboys –– Mike McCarthy
Although it’s pure guesswork, these five coaches are most mentioned in the debate about whether the teams need a change.
For those like Doug Pederson and Brian Daboll, it would not be a surprise if they were let go Monday.
For Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys, the jury truly is still out. He has heard both praise and criticism from team owner Jerry Jones. On New Year’s Eve, Jones talked about the possibility of retaining McCarthy on a local Dallas radio station, saying he’s been thinking about the issue for weeks.
“What I’m not gonna do this morning is get into any indication one way or the other that I’m not interested in having Mike back. I don’t want that to be the case at all,” Jones said.
Not exactly a vote of confidence. In any case, McCarthy is in a different situation. His contract expires Jan. 14, so he‘ll be free to sign with any team –– whether he’s officially fired or not. There are also reports that other teams could be interested in McCarthy.
Could holograms revolutionize health care in rural and low-income areas?
The hologram technology that Princess Leia used to plead for help in “Star Wars” is real. It’s been notably used for posthumous performances by renowned artists like Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur – but now it’s making its way into hospitals.
A north Texas hospital is the first in the United States to use the technology, called Holobox. It goes a big step beyond telehealth, allowing patients to meet face-to-face with their doctor in a private room, life size and in real time, even if they’re miles apart.
Your Hologram Doctor Will See You Now
In the emerging “MEDiverse” we’ll be interacting with remote clinicians in more engaging & interactive ways @holoconnects is one example
The Holobox looks like a big, empty, refrigerator-sized phone booth. Using a camera, a microphone and a backdrop, doctors can make a “studio” for meeting patients that creates a lifelike experience, which can help reduce commutes and admission times. It’s also designed for ease of use, requiring minimal training to get the Holobox up and running.
Crescent Regional Hospital in Lancaster, Texas, just south of Dallas, is using it for what they call “non-touch visits,” like pre- and post-op appointments. While it’s the only hospital in the country with this technology right now, it opens the door for rural hospitals and facilities in low-income areas to provide better, more consistent care to patients.
In recent years, hospitals like those have struggled to remain open nationwide because of rising costs and decreasing revenues. The issue is only expected to get worse as America faces a shortage of doctors that’s supposed to last well into the next decade, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Proponents say hologram technology has the potential to bridge those gaps while also developing a more trusting relationship between doctor and patient than traditional telehealth options might be able to.
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in ‘every major city’ of Tennessee: TBI
Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang, has been making headlines due to its growing presence in the U.S., with recent incidents linked to the gang ranging from apartment shootouts in Aurora, Colorado, to kidnappings and murders near Dallas, Texas. Now, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the gang has a presence in every major city in Tennessee.
TBI Director David Rausch addressed the escalating threat during a budget meeting with Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee this week. During the meeting, he warned of an uptick in gang activity in the state over the last few months.
Rausch explained the gang, which originated in Venezuelan prisons, began appearing in Tennessee neighborhoods two years ago. However, he noted that Tren de Aragua is now active across cities like Memphis and Nashville.
Officials are particularly concerned about the gang’s involvement in human trafficking, especially the trafficking of women. They are also worried about violent gang clashes between Tren de Aragua and the cartel spilling out onto the streets.
“They are back in all of our major cities,” Rausch said. “They are running human trafficking operations, that is where they start. They will and they have taken on the cartel head on, and they’re very violent in their efforts.”
One example cited by Rausch involved gang members filming themselves executing a cartel member in broad daylight, shooting him 31 times, and then posting the video on social media.
“They will not hesitate to attack their opponents in public and in broad daylight,” Rausch said.
While Memphis and Nashville have confirmed reports of the gang’s presence, the Knoxville Police Department says it’s unaware of any Tren de Aragua activity in their jurisdiction. However, Rausch noted gang members, who were once easily identifiable by distinct tattoos, are now altering their appearances, making it more difficult for investigators to identify them.
The TBI is working with law enforcement agencies in other states to track the gang’s movements across the U.S.
TGI Friday’s franchisees worried over $50M in gift cards amid bankruptcy
TGI Friday’s recently filed for bankruptcy, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic, its capital structure and a decrease in demand for casual dining for its current status. While the Chapter 11 filing affects only the 39 company-owned restaurants in the U.S., the chain’s franchisees are now worried the bankruptcy proceedings will impact them in the form of nearly $50 million worth of gift cards that are still out there waiting to be used.
Jason Binford, an attorney representing more than 60 franchise locations, argued in a Dallas court hearing Monday, Nov. 4, those restaurants could be on the hook for the millions of dollars in unused gift cards, with some dating back more than 20 years.
“Any comment on this other than — ‘Wow,’” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan said. “$49.7 million on outstanding gift cards. I did a double-take on that. I was imagining, you know, grandparents who got gift cards for their kids in college and then it got thrown away. If it’s going back to 21 years, we have a lot of thrown-away gift cards.”
Usually, the company would reimburse the franchisees for customers using gift cards, but that policy’s feasibility is being questioned amid the 59-year-old restaurant chain’s bankruptcy filing.
The $49.7 million in outstanding gift cards surpasses the $5.9 million the restaurant is borrowing for bankruptcy restructuring, according to court documents.
Binford said the company’s bankruptcy could lead to an uptick in gift card use. He also said a “use it or lose it” mindset for cardholders may make them rush out to spend them.
“We’re certainly supportive of the continued use of gift cards because we agree they drive sales,” Binford told the judge. “It’s just there’s a circumstance where we can be seen, the franchisees, by we I mean, could be seen left holding the bag if there is not a source of funds available to reimburse the franchisees under the ordinary course.”
The judge is allowing TGI Friday’s to continue the gift card program on an interim basis. This gives franchisees more time to review the program and Friday’s finances. Friday’s has 122 franchised locations in the U.S. and 316 more around the world.
Attorneys for TGI Friday’s present at the hearing said the company does plan to honor its obligations for both its franchisees and customers.
Sam’s Club tests all-digital store that has no checkout lanes
Sam’s Club is testing a checkout-free shopping experience, leaning heavily on its Scan & Go app to eliminate the hassle of long lines. The Walmart-owned membership club has reopened a store in Dallas, featuring a showroom-like space where customers can scan items with their phones as they browse everything from diamonds to cars, according to CNBC.
Peter Keith, a senior research analyst at Piper Sandler, highlighted the benefits of this innovation.
“It really eliminates the most painful part of these membership clubs, which is the long lines to checkout,” he said.
At the Dallas location, shoppers are greeted by high-end items like a Mercedes-Benz SUV and a sectional sofa, but no traditional checkout lanes.
The new store, which opened in mid-October, offers customers the opportunity to use the app to handle purchases as they walk through the aisle.
In the space previously reserved for registers, Sam’s Club displays online-only items such as a 12-foot Christmas tree and a five-carat lab-grown diamond, all accessible via QR codes that link to the app.
Sam’s Club CEO Chris Nicholas described the store as a testing ground for emerging technologies, including AI powered exit systems similar to Amazon’s Just Walk Out.
The club aims to attract younger shoppers, with Gen Z memberships increasing by 68% in the past two years.
While some customers are excited about the new tech, others are cautious. Sam’s Club has reassured customers that staff will be available to help with the transition to the Scan & Go app.
Lainey Wilson set for NFL Thanksgiving halftime, Red Kettle campaign kickoff
Country music star Lainey Wilson, the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainment of the Year award winner, will be performing at the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day game featuring the Dallas Cowboys, the league announced Sunday, Oct. 13. This year, the Cowboys will face their NFC East rival, the New York Giants, at AT&T Stadium.
The Pulitzer Prize winner will have a lot of eyes on him when he takes the field at the Caesar Superdome. Last year’s Super Bowl attracted 123.7 million people — the largest TV audience on record, according to Nielsen.
While the Super Bowl is without question the NFL’s most watched game of the entire year, with many considering it to be a national holiday, the NFL’s most watched game of the regular season happens a few months earlier.
The NFL’s Thanksgiving game continues to break regular season viewership records. Last year’s game against the Washington Commanders averaged 41.8 million viewers, only beaten in ratings by 2022’s game between Dallas and the Giants with over 42 million viewers.
Wilson, coming off a Best Country Album win at this year’s Grammys, will follow in the footsteps of Reba McEntire, the Jonas Brothers and last year’s performer Dolly Parton.
Along with football and music, the halftime show will kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign for the 28th time. The Red Kettle campaign itself is entering its 134th year.
The Salvation Army said it has raised over $3 billion since the first Red Kettle kickoff halftime show almost 30 years ago.
In a statement, Wilson called it an honor to kick off the Red Kettle campaign.
“We truly can do more good when we come together to serve those in need in our communities,” she said.
The Cowboys-Giants game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, on Fox.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
The United States is sending troops and an anti-missile system to Israel. And an incredible landing has SpaceX cheering and thinking about future missions. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
Iran has now warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X.
This comes as Israel said at least four of its soldiers were killed in a drone attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah Sunday, Oct. 13. At least 60 other people were injured in the attack on an army base in central Israel, including seven soldiers.
http://twitter.com/IDF/status/1845719319449145830
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut last week that left 22 people dead.
An attack this deadly in Israel is unusual. Its advanced air defense systems usually spot a threat well beforehand. Israel has said it’s investigating how the drone entered the country without triggering an alert.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes left at least 40 people dead in Gaza Sunday, including 13 children, according to local officials. One of those strikes was at a hospital in central Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
The Israeli military said it was a precise strike on a Hamas command center “embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Shuhadah Al-Aqsa’ hospital.” Israel’s military also said it took steps to limit harm to civilians in the attack.
Authorities said the Nevada man had a shotgun, a loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports with him when he was stopped near where the rally was being held in Coachella.
Deputies assigned to the rally said they stopped the 49-year-old suspect as he was driving an unregistered vehicle with a “homemade” license plate. They said the man claimed to be a journalist.
The man passed an outer security boundary before being stopped at an inner perimeter, patrolled by local deputies. Authorities said former President Trump was not yet at the rally when the arrest happened, and he was “not in any danger.”
The suspect has since been released on $5,000 bail. Court records show his next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2.
Biden approves $612 million to support Florida’s hurricane-ravaged communities
As hundreds of thousands remain without power and flooding continues to be an issue, President Biden visited Florida on Sunday for the second time in less than a week. This time it was to get a firsthand look at communities ravaged by Hurricane Milton.
On Saturday, Biden approved a disaster declaration to give federal funding to people affected by Milton, including grants for temporary housing, home repairs and loans. Biden said more than 250,000 Floridians have already registered for help, which he said was “the most in a single day ever in the history of this country.”
Trial begins in mysterious murders of 2 Indiana teenagers
Investigators arrested Allen in 2022 in connection to the deaths of 14-year-old Libby German and 13-year-old Abby Williams, five years after the girls disappeared while walking on a trail in the town of Delphi near an abandoned bridge. Searchers found their bodies a day later.
SpaceX pulled off an incredible feat on Sunday, successfully launching its fifth test flight of its unmanned Starship spacecraft. However, it was the return of the Super Heavy rocket booster that wowed the crowd, as well as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
For the first time, after breaking off from the Starship, the 232-foot-tall booster returned to Earth but didn’t land in the ocean like the spacecraft would. Instead, it returned to the Texas launch pad, caught by two mechanical arms which SpaceX calls “chopsticks.”
Elon Musk called the moment a “big step towards making life multiplanetary.”
SpaceX is hoping its Starship system will one day take people to the moon and Mars — with plans to use the capsule to transport NASA astronauts to the moon as soon as 2026.
‘Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne sells for $1.49 million
One “Game of Thrones” fan is sitting pretty, or at least powerfully, after taking the iconic “Iron Throne.” Unlike the characters in the HBO drama, the winner didn’t have to go through eight seasons of fighting, just a six-minute bidding war and $1.5 million.
This 310-pound plastic version of the throne was used during promotional and touring events for the series.
In total, Heritage auctions said its three-day auction in Dallas raked in more than $21 million dollars, making it the company’s second biggest entertainment event ever — behind the $22.8 million record set in 2011 by the Debbie Reynolds sale.
Texas first responders warned to watch for Tren de Aragua gang violence
A series of high-profile arrests of Tren de Aragua gang members has occurred in major cities across Texas. The arrests are raising concerns about public safety and the safety of first responders.
In San Antonio, a massive raid over the weekend of Oct. 5, targeted 300 apartment units following reports of drug activity, human trafficking, and threats to apartment employees. Nineteen people were arrested, including four confirmed gang members.
The threat of gang violence prompted the San Antonio Firefighters Union to issue a warning to its members at two fire stations near a known gang activity hotspot, just a few blocks from a migrant resource center.
The union advised firefighters to “keep your head on a swivel” and “watch your six.” Members of the firefighters union respond to emergency calls unarmed and without police escort, according to the union.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, authorities confirmed that a suspect in a violent gang robbery is a Tren de Aragua member.
In late September, Wilmer Gonzalez allegedly orchestrated an attack on a woman, following her into her garage, pistol-whipping her, threatening to sever her fingers, and stealing her valuables. He crossed the southern border in April 2023 and was released with a court date, according to homeland security sources who spoke with The New York Post.
In Houston, a wanted Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested on Monday, Oct. 7, the same day he was expected to appear in court for his asylum hearing. The member was wanted for theft and identified by a tipster through tattoos linked to the gang.
As part of the state’s ongoing efforts to combat gang violence, the Texas Department of Public Safety is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of known or suspected members of Tren de Aragua.
Texas AG Paxton threatens to sue Dallas over gun ban at state fair
Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican lawmakers are challenging a new firearms ban at the State Fair of Texas. The fair announced a new rule banning guns at the fair, except for those carried by active or retired peace officers. The ban comes after a shooting at the fair last year left three people wounded.
Paxton has threatened legal action against the city of Dallas if the state fair does not rescind its firearms ban within 15 days. He argued that the ban violates a Texas government code protecting licensed gun carriers’ rights on government property.
Additionally, more than 70 Republican legislators signed a petition opposing the ban, arguing it compromises safety because gun-free zones are “magnets for crime” and less of a deterrent to potential wrongdoers.
According to a spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas, the firearms ban ensures a safe environment and family-friendly atmosphere.
Fair representatives said they will deploy 200 uniformed officers, conduct screenings, use a weapon detection system for security and implement a bag size policy.
Paxton said he sent a letter to the city of Dallas demanding that the ban be lifted before the start of the fair, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 20.