The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 30, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, July 30th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the largest settlement ever obtained by a single state after he alleged that Meta, the parent companyits the capturing of an individual's biometric identification, such as retina, fingerprints, or hand geometry, for a commercial purpose unless the individual is informed and provides consent prior to capture. Paxton said, This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world's biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating In a statement to The Texan, Mehta said, exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers. The Meta spokesperson also noted that there is no admission of wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.

Starting point is 00:01:32 Next, state senators spent more than three hours grilling Centerpoint Energy CEO Jason Wells on Monday over the company's apparent failure to manage energy delivery to millions of Texans before, during, and after the Category 1 hurricane barrel pummeled the Houston area earlier this month, leaving 36 dead, including several heat-related deaths. Senator Charles Schwartner, chair of the special committee called by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, said, This committee was formed for one reason only, and that is to answer two simple questions that said, Recovery, and Electricity also heard from Texas Department of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd and Public Utility Commission Chair Thomas Gleason. Their harshest criticism and ire were directed at Wells. Also, President Joe Biden completed his delayed trip to Austin on Monday, speaking at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library as he unveiled his plans for changes to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Starting point is 00:02:48 The visit was originally scheduled for Monday, July 15, but was pushed back after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13 and announcement that Biden had COVID-19 several days later. Biden delivered the keynote address to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. During his address, he echoed reforms that he plans to propose in regard to SCOTUS. He described the reforms he will propose, which include term limits for Supreme Court justices, a code of conduct and new ethics rules, and a constitutional amendment that would limit the justices' recent decision on presidential immunity. Last but not least, no one really knows how some of the county records ended up in the basement of the Wise Area Relief Ministries building,

Starting point is 00:03:33 but Wise County Clerk Blanca Tuma is making it a priority to rescue, remove, and remediate as many as possible. When Tuma took office in January 2023, she learned that there were some county documents being stored in the basement that often had standing water in it. Some speculated that the records ended up being spread to different buildings after the old courthouse burned down. Tuma was told to beware of snakes, mold, and water when she made her first foray to see what was stored in the basement. Although she didn't encounter any snakes, she did discover a mess. When she stepped into the basement, she recognized historical deed record books that were from the late 1800s. They were mixed up with old paint cans and even a

Starting point is 00:04:17 chicken feeder. Tuma told the Texan, quote, I couldn't believe the condition and the disarray. Last week, the Wise County Commissioner's Court agreed with Tuma's project and approved her request to engage Revolution Data Systems to begin to sort through the records, remove them, and attempt to remediate the damage done to them by years of water and mold exposure as part of a three-part process. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 30, 2024

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