Elon Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday that he intends to move headquarters for SpaceX to Texas and X headquarters to Austin in response to California Governor Gavin Newsome signing into law a bill that primarily affects LGBTQIA+ students in the state, banning public school employees from disclosing “any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
The bill is a first in the U.S., banning the “forced outing” of students to their parents.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott welcomed the news…
The move is the latest development in Musk’s shift toward the political right. In the past week, Musk offered a full-throated endorsement of former President Donald Trump in the upcoming US election, and will also donate tens of millions of dollars to Trump’s campaign every month. He has long criticized California’s liberal politics, and has threatened to pull X and his other businesses out of the state on numerous occasions.
Musk said SpaceX’s main office would move to an existing facility in Boca Chica, Texas, while X would move to Austin. But the extent to which jobs or facilities in California will transfer to Texas was unclear.
— Reuters
Meanwhile, data says junior-level Tesla employees love their jobs. Senior employees? Not as much. (Austin American-Statesman)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a stay of execution less than an hour before a Texas inmate was set to die by lethal injection. (USA Today via MSN)
Restaurants in and around Houston on Monday filed a class action seeking more than $100 million from U.S. power provider CenterPoint Energy, alleging incompetence and negligence in the utility’s efforts to restore power quickly following Hurricane Beryl. (Reuters via MSN)
Anger grows in the Houston area as some senior facilities are left without power for days. (KFF Health News via Yahoo!)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has given the utility company under fire for the prolonged and widespread power outages in the Houston area until the end of the month to develop a plan to minimize future outages or face unspecified executive orders to address its shortcomings. (USA Today via MSN)
Preliminary estimates show losses of $1.5 billion in Texas and $2.5 billion across the United States due to damage from Hurrican Beryl. (Odessa American via Yahoo!)
Candidates for Austin City Council and mayor have raised more than $1.3 million, with Mayor Kirk Watson bringing in more than half of that money. (KXAN-TV)
The city is moving forward with two finalists for police chief. (KEYE-TV)
Sixteen Texas Republican lawmakers have asked U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to resign, citing her support earlier this year of legislation that would deny Secret Service protection to former President Donald Trump. (Houston Chronicle via MSN)
Austin’s water supply is stressed. (Community Impact)
A midyear check of the Austin housing market shows a surge in housing supply. Slower home sales and a decline in median closing prices reflected the ongoing cooling trend.
In June, the number of homes for sale in the Austin area shot up almost 26%, to 13,227 active listings, according to the latest report from the Austin Board of Realtors.
— Austin American-Statesman
State and local law enforcement officers are rolling out a new summer program to crack down on speeding. (FOX7 Austin)
According to federal statistics released this week, the number of migrants apprehended by federal authorities after illegally crossing the border into Texas decreased roughly 32% in June — a sharp drop seen across the entire U.S.-Mexico border. (Texas Tribune)
Austin and Travis County are preparing to vote on a first-ever regional food plan. More than 14% of people in Travis County experience food insecurity. (KEYE-TV)
One person is dead after being struck by a train in south Austin last night. KXAN-TV)
One person is dead and one other is in custody after a shooting in Elgin that authorities say appears to be a road rage incident. (KVUE-TV)
Court hearings for a lawsuit filed against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a lack of air conditioning in Texas prisons will start July 30. (Daily Texan)
The Michelin Guide and its restaurant reviews are coming to Texas later this year. Anonymous inspectors will be reviewing restaurants in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. (Houston Chronicle via MSN)
At Globe Life Field in Arlington last night, MLB’s American League defeated the National League, 5-3, in the 94th All-Star Game. Boston’s Jarren Duran slugged the go-ahead two-run homer that gave the AL the win and him the game’s MVP award. (MLB)
Austin FC is back on the road tonight at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Austin will face in-state foes FC Dallas with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT. (Austin FC)
Longhorns opponents in the SEC can use the “Horns Down gesture” with one exception. (For The Win! via MSN)
How permaculturists are molding the Texas Hill Country to turn it into a lush paradise…
