AGP Executive Report

Energy Markets: Oil is swinging as talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz stay uncertain, keeping pump prices elevated heading into Memorial Day. Beef & Agriculture: Cargill has started a lockout at its Fort Morgan, Colorado, beef plant, adding pressure to already volatile cattle markets. Tech & Mobility: Waymo paused robotaxi service in Dallas and other Texas cities citing weather safety concerns, while it continues service elsewhere. Legal & Consumer Protection: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Meta/WhatsApp encryption lawsuit is back in the spotlight, arguing the company misled users about end-to-end privacy. Business & Finance: Greenwich LifeSciences got a Nasdaq notice for a late 10-Q filing, and a Dallas-area transit contract win keeps private operators expanding. Public Safety: A jury in Ector County awarded nearly $49M in a semitruck crash wrongful-death case. Community: Multiple North Texas districts are rolling out free summer meals, and flood-readiness guidance is circulating for ranchers and livestock owners.

Apple TV + MLS: MLS says Saturday’s LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo match will be the first-ever sports broadcast shot entirely on iPhones—bold on the tech, but the bigger question is whether production still keeps up with the action. Texas Privacy Fight: Texas AG Ken Paxton sued Meta and WhatsApp, accusing them of misleading Texans about “end-to-end encryption” and unlawfully accessing private messages. Markets + Energy: Stocks pushed higher as oil eased and investors watched U.S.-Iran talks; the Strait of Hormuz remains the swing factor for crude prices. SpaceX Watch: SpaceX scrubbed a Starship launch from Texas at the last second, blaming a hydraulic pin issue, and is targeting another attempt Friday. Local Good News: Brenham’s Fortnightly Club donated $35,000 to the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library. Power Reliability: NERC’s summer assessment points to improving grid reliability, helped by solar and battery growth.

Meta Privacy Lawsuit: Texas AG Ken Paxton sued Meta and WhatsApp, arguing the apps misled Texans about end-to-end encryption and that employees/contractors could access message content—Meta denies wrongdoing. Border & Security: A CBP-linked surveillance blimp near Laredo broke free during storms and crashed in Mexico, while officials keep pushing for better counter-drone coverage at the southern border. Defense Industry: Lockheed Martin broke ground in Alabama on a THAAD/Next Gen Interceptor production expansion tied to a broader missile-output ramp. AI + Data Centers: LiquidStack (Trane) says its GigaModular liquid-cooling platform is now commercially available up to 14 MW, as the state debate over AI-driven infrastructure and water use continues. Energy & Prices: AAA puts Texas regular gas at about $4.09—among the lowest in the U.S.—even as Middle East tensions keep pressure on fuel markets. Local Watch: Houston-area residents reported a natural gas odor, prompting investigations and evacuations.

SpaceX IPO Shockwave: SpaceX has filed for an IPO with a reported $1.75 trillion target, while its AI push is dragging results—showing a $1.94B operating loss in Q1 and massive AI-related red ink, plus Musk retaining tight control through voting shares. Energy Storage Momentum: A new report says U.S. energy storage additions hit a first-quarter record, up 32% quarter-over-quarter, with data centers and volatile power demand pulling the market forward. Texas Politics Under a Spotlight: In Texas runoff races, candidates are facing fresh scrutiny over Zionism-related comments and claims they’re not living in their districts—setting up a tense finish as early voting winds down. World Cup Fraud Warning: Houston-area experts warn AI-powered ticket scams are getting harder to spot, with cloned ticket sites and high-pressure texts targeting fans. Texas Courts and Consumer Protection: Texas AG Ken Paxton sued ISS over ESG-based advice, while a federal judge rejected a hotel’s bid to escape a trafficking suit. Local Business Wins: Austin’s Steam Team was named a Family Business Award recipient, marking 43 years of service.

Supply Chain Expansion: H-E-B is weighing a $700M expansion of its San Antonio Foster Road supply-chain campus, potentially adding a new bakery, refrigerated warehouse, and transportation building—plus 1,200+ jobs by 2028. SNAP Funding Shake-Up: Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Texas could start cost-sharing SNAP admin expenses in 2026 and, if payment error rates stay high, face benefit cost-sharing in 2027—feeding into a bigger budget crunch for the state. Markets & Energy Pressure: Wall Street slid again as Treasury yields climbed and Iran tensions rattled investors, while farmers keep getting squeezed by drought and war-driven input costs. Tech & Materials: Scientists say a bacteria-grown “living” supermaterial could replace some plastics, while AI data-center growth keeps pushing power demand and grid stress. Local Privacy Fight: A tiny Bandera town waged a months-long battle against AI license-plate cameras, cutting poles and forcing contract termination. Sports & Culture: Texas RB Hollywood Smothers lands a six-figure NIL deal with Fiterman Sports, and Ella Langley keeps stacking awards with “Choosin’ Texas.”

Markets & Energy: Tokyo’s Nikkei slid under 60,000 as oil jumped and bond yields spooked investors, with WTI holding above $100 amid fresh Iran-strike talk. Texas Power & Data Centers: Oklahoma moved to protect ratepayers from big AI/data-center cost pass-throughs, requiring large-load customers to sign long-term infrastructure agreements. Oilfield Risk: New research flags a pattern in Texas and other states where older, lower-producing wells get sold to smaller operators—potentially shifting cleanup risk downstream. Local Business Boost: Fort Worth’s Icepick Web Design launched a free Google Review Link Generator that spits out direct review links and QR codes for walk-in customers. Community Tensions: In Lufkin, residents say they were shut out of public comment on proposed AI data centers at a city council meeting. Sports/Tech Crosscurrents: Tesla shares fell after a Model Y price hike, while U.S. travel demand is surging for major summer events.

Texas Politics: Attorney General Ken Paxton sued DFW-area roofing firm Rubinsky Roofing, alleging it took storm/insurance payments and then stalled or failed to finish jobs—targeting elderly Texans with high-pressure tactics. Campaign Finance: In Denton County’s GOP commissioner runoff, filings show a costly, donor-heavy fight between Valerie Roehrs and David Wylie as early voting runs through Friday. World Cup Watch: Houston is preparing for DR Congo’s team arrival while CDC says Ebola risk to Americans remains low; meanwhile, resale ticket prices for U.S. matches have dropped about 23% in a month, though “get-in” averages still sit around $558. Logistics & Trade: C.H. Robinson opened a 142,600-square-foot fresh-produce logistics center in Pharr near the Pharr-Reynosa bridge, betting on speed for cross-border shipments. Energy & Weather: CenterPoint activated emergency operations for incoming Houston-area storms. Business/Tech: Google rolled out its biggest Search update in 25 years, adding AI agents and deeper multimodal search.

Middle East Shockwaves: Oil slid nearly 2% after President Trump paused a planned strike on Iran to open negotiations, easing some immediate pressure even as markets keep watching Strait of Hormuz risks. Texas Energy & Power: A Six Flags Texas outage stranded riders on coasters after a construction crew hit an underground line—guests were evacuated safely. AI Hardware Dealmaking: Analog Devices is reported in advanced talks to buy Empower Semiconductor for about $1.5B in cash, targeting AI power-management chips. Texas Legal Heat: Texas AG Ken Paxton is teaming with DOJ on antitrust probes into major meatpackers as beef prices stay elevated. Local Tech Workforce: UTSA launched a new College of AI, Cyber and Computing to feed San Antonio’s fast-growing tech talent pipeline. ERCOT Shift: Utility-scale solar is on track to top coal generation in ERCOT for the first time in 2026.

AI & Small Business: Mark L. Madrid (Breakthrough Mavens, former SBA official) is rolling out an “SMB Breakthrough Blueprint” LinkedIn Live on June 9, pitching an AI-era playbook for entrepreneurs—governance, scaling education, transformation systems, and funding pathways. Data Centers & Power: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is calling for a temporary moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, arguing they’re straining land, water, and electricity before the state fully assesses long-term impacts. Energy Markets: With the Iran war still disrupting flows, the U.S. extended a sanctions waiver for Russian seaborne oil for “energy-vulnerable” countries, while AAA warns Memorial Day travel costs are rising as crude and fuel prices climb. Local Business Moves: Stargel Office Solutions completed its second Texas acquisition, buying Precision Printing & Office in Navasota. Workforce/Community: Victoria County is funding two Texas A&M–Victoria endowed scholarships for aviation and agriculture students. Corporate ESG: RS says it just racked up five ESG honors, including CDP A-List and EcoVadis Platinum.

Energy Shock: Oil prices surged again Monday as West Asia tensions flared—after a drone strike hit the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant and Trump signaled tougher pressure on Iran, reviving Strait of Hormuz supply fears. Texas Renewables: OCI Energy and Arava Power inked a deal to jointly develop and operate the 670 MWdc La Salle Solar project in La Salle County, targeting a 2028 commissioning. Data Center Power: HD Hyundai Marine Solution signed an O&M MOU with AEG for maintenance of 33 power-generation engines tied to a Texas data-center buildout, aiming to expand aftermarket services in North America. Industrial Real Estate: Investcorp’s unit bought a $200M+ U.S. industrial portfolio spanning Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Business Courts: A Pizza Hut franchisee sued in Texas Business Court, alleging an AI delivery system caused “cascading” failures and more than $100M in damages. Tech & Policy: The MIPI Alliance launched a Physical AI “Birds of a Feather” group focused on humanoids and how standards could support the next wave of robots.

Cybercrime Crackdown (Houston): A Secret Service operation in Harris County turned up 14 card-skimming devices after visits to nearly 400 businesses and inspections of more than 3,100 payment terminals, pumps, and ATMs—authorities say it helped stop about $14.5 million in fraud. Border Wall Backlash (Big Bend): Despite earlier promises that no wall would be built inside Big Bend National Park, CBP awarded a $1.7B contract tied to “border wall in Big Bend,” reigniting confusion and local pushback. Food & Consumer Safety: A voluntary recall pulled certain Oregon-distributed organic ice cream flavors due to possible metal fragments, with Texas listed among affected states. Energy & Geopolitics: Cuba confirmed it has run out of oil, with blackouts stretching 20–22 hours daily, while China pledged at least $17B in U.S. agricultural purchases over the next three years. Local Business: Houston entrepreneurs launched Noolyte, a sports drink aimed at hydration plus focus and performance.

Energy & Diplomacy: U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright toured QatarEnergy’s Golden Pass LNG project in Sabine Pass, underscoring LNG’s role in energy security as the plant ramps toward up to 18 MTPA. Border Watch: In Big Bend, a $1.7B CBP contract was awarded for “no wall” plans—sparking fresh confusion over what’s actually being built. Retail Speed Race: Amazon is rolling out 30-minute deliveries in Houston and other cities for an extra fee, using small order hubs to stock thousands of fast-moving items. AI Data Center Backlash: Hill County commissioners voted 3-2 for a one-year pause on rural data center projects, a rare move in a state that’s been eager for them. Tech & Privacy Fight: Texas AG Ken Paxton sued Netflix over alleged children’s data tracking via autoplay and other features. Manufacturing Push: Tesla’s “Terafab” chip factory idea is back in the headlines, with reports of up to $119B across phases.

Texas Hemp Whiplash: Texas’ smokable-hemp fight is still ping-ponging—products get pulled, then put back—leaving shops and businesses stuck in uncertainty while courts sort out what’s allowed. Netflix vs. Texas AG: Ken Paxton’s lawsuit accuses Netflix of tracking children’s data through autoplay and other dark-pattern style features, setting up a privacy showdown. AI Data Centers vs. Local Control: Hill County approved a one-year rural data-center moratorium, a test case for whether counties can slow the AI buildout that’s been moving outside city rules. Energy & Markets: Oil jumped on US-Iran/Hormuz fears, while Texas continues to court major expansion tied to LNG and gas demand. Local Watch: Port Aransas City Council meets May 20 on a proposed hotel-conference center and food-truck rules. Space: SpaceX launched a Cargo Dragon mission to the ISS with a space-weather sensor, timed as a geomagnetic storm underscored grid and satellite stress.

AI Supply Shock: “RAMageddon” is pushing up prices for laptops and phones as AI data centers pull scarce memory chips—especially HBM—away from consumer devices. Texas Energy Shift: EIA forecasts solar will overtake coal on ERCOT this year, with Texas adding a big share of new utility-scale PV and storage. Autonomy Safety Watch: Tesla robotaxis in Austin were involved in two low-speed crashes while remotely controlled, with details newly submitted to NHTSA. Auto Manufacturing: Toyota filed to build a $2B Bexar County facility, targeting 2,000 jobs and potentially reshuffling production for U.S. demand. Legal & Health Policy: Texas Supreme Court gave Home Depot a win in a fatal crash case, while the state’s hemp fight over delta-8 THC continues with more time for companies to respond. Food & Climate Pressure: A new report pegs climate-driven disasters at a $5.1B annual hit to U.S. food supply, with heat stress a major driver.

Autonomous Safety Scrutiny: Newly unredacted NHTSA records say Tesla Robotaxis were involved in at least two remotely operated crashes in Austin at low speed, after Tesla previously trimmed details from crash reports. Energy & LNG Momentum: Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Golden Pass LNG in Sabine Pass, praising record U.S. gas exports as Commonwealth LNG work advances. Regulatory Pressure: Public Citizen’s TCEQ Watchdog says the agency is failing on core public-protection duties, citing fewer on-site investigations and slow complaint responses. Food Supply Antitrust: Texas AG Ken Paxton launched an investigation into major meatpackers for potential anticompetitive conduct, aligning with a DOJ probe. Local Growth Backlash: Caldwell County leaders warn data centers are accelerating fast—while residents push back. Sports & Community: Iowa bought the NCAA Houston Elite Eight court to replace Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s floor, turning March Madness into a Texas-to-Iowa keepsake.

CFPB Showdown: Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ push to roll back Trump-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau changes, setting up another election-year fight over medical-debt rules, overdraft protections, and military consumer safeguards. US–China Energy & Security: Trump and Xi wrapped talks in Beijing with claims of progress but unresolved gaps on Taiwan and Iran; Trump says China agreed to buy more U.S. oil, with shipments routed through Texas. Cyber Risk for Texas Industry: Foxconn confirmed a ransomware attack hit North American manufacturing sites, with reports pointing to disruptions at facilities in Texas and Wisconsin. Texas Courts: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed a DWI evidence suppression ruling, tightening how lower courts handle suppression arguments. Local Growth Watch: Nacogdoches approved a deal to renovate and reopen its only movie theater, using a decade-long sales tax rebate. Energy Resilience: CenterPoint ran a full-scale hurricane emergency exercise for the 2026 season. Housing Permitting Tech: Austin is testing an AI tool to speed up permit approvals as the city tops 1 million residents. Sports & Culture: The NFL released the 2026 schedule, opening with Seattle vs. New England on Sept. 9, plus Dallas band Cure for Paranoia won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.