McALLEN — Rio Grande Valley groups are suing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, accusing the agency of bypassing state regulations by allowing SpaceX to temporarily discharge industrial water at its South Texas launch site without a proper permit.
The groups — the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, along with the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, and Save RGV — filed the lawsuit Monday after the agency decided last month to allow SpaceX to continue its operations for 300 days or until the company obtained the appropriate permit.
It is the latest in a string of lawsuits filed by environmental groups aimed at curbing the possible environmental impacts of SpaceX’s operations at Boca Chica on the southern tip of Texas.
Earlier this year, TCEQ cited SpaceX for discharging water into nearby waterways after it was used to protect the launchpad from heat damage during Starship launches four times this year.
SpaceX did not admit to any violation but agreed to pay a $3,750 penalty. Part of the penalty was deferred until SpaceX obtains the proper permit and on the condition that future water discharges meet pollution restrictions.
The environmental groups say that allowing SpaceX to continue is a violation of permitting requirements and that TCEQ is acting outside of its authority.
“The Clean Water Act requires the TCEQ to follow certain procedural and technical requirements when issuing discharge permits meant to protect public participation and ensure compliance with Texas surface water quality standards,” Lauren Ice, the attorney for the three Rio Grande Valley organizations, said in a statement.
“By bypassing these requirements, the Commission has put the Boca Chica environment at risk of degradation,” Ice said.
A TCEQ spokesperson said the agency cannot comment on pending litigation.
Some of the Rio Grande Valley groups are also involved in a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly failing to conduct an environmental review of SpaceX’s rocket test launch in April. The case remains pending in federal court.
They also sued the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for agreeing to a land exchange that would give 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX in exchange for 477 acres adjacent to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. SpaceX canceled the deal in November.
Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.
Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.
A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been bumped more than a month, according to the space agency.
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NASA’s next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams’ return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March.
NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. But it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.
NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.
Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.
Earlier this summer, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko clued in a Russian news agency that the first results of a preclinical study of an anti-cancer vaccine would be released late 2024, and those results came back with a positive result. The vaccine was developed as a whole by numerous teams of scientists that represented the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Blokhin Cancer Research Center, and Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute.
Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology exemplified the utilization of AI in advancing and being the catalyst in the vaccine production. Neural network computations powered by artificial intelligence consolidated the necessary time needed into under an hour in creating personalized cancer vaccines.
“Now it takes quite long to build personalized vaccines because computing how a vaccine, or customized mRNA, should look like uses matrix methods, in mathematical terms. We have involved the Ivannikov Institute which will rely on AI in doing this math, namely neural network computing where these procedures should take about half an hour to an hour,” Gintsburg stated.
Russia is not the solo ship in this avenue developing a vaccine for cancer, there are also talks of companies such as Merck, BioNTech, CureVac, and Moderna who are also in the field developing a successful vaccine. Leveraging AI and pre-clinical success, the mRNA cancer vaccine is a success in combating and pacifying tumors and metastases, the rapid spread of cancer cells in the cuerpo.
Of course there is skepticism about the success of the vaccine, skeptic scientists such as Professor Kingston Mills, a distinguished immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland who mentions, “There’s nothing in scientific journals that I can see about it. That’s where you usually would start reading, as a scientist, about a breakthrough. I don’t see any paper about this, so I have nothing to go on in terms of what the science is.”
Mills also critiqued the development, with his sceptic with good reason comments stating,
“”I think what doesn’t make sense is a vaccine for cancer—as we all know there are multiple cancers,” examines Mills. “So, is this a universal vaccine for all cancers? I’d be very skeptical of that. I think it couldn’t be. I don’t think even the Russians would claim that they have a vaccine to treat all cancers.” With good reason, Mills questions,
“What is the cancer? What is the antigen? Where is the clinical trial data? These are all unanswered questions, and we haven’t seen any of this data to make a proper assessment of it.”
This miracle will be made available to patients free of cost by 2025, now whether citizens of our great country will be eligible to receive this vaccine, is obviously still in question or discussion one should presume.
City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution to rename a terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honor of the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
The late congresswoman, who died in July from pancreatic cancer after representing the 18th Congressional District for almost 30 years, was a frequent flyer between Houston and Washington, D.C., where was remembered as a “fierce advocate” for her adopted city, helping secure millions dollars in federal funds for the airport.
The resolution kicks off the official renaming process, which next will be considered by the Houston Airport System before returning for City Council committee discussion, public comment and a final vote.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee greets attendees before a forum hosted by the Transportation Advocacy Group – Houston at The Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, in Houston. (Houston landing file photo / Antranik Tavitian)
“Naming Terminal E after (Jackson Lee) is not just a tribute to her work on the federal level but the service she gave to the city and its people,” said District F Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, reading a statement from Jackson Lee’s daughter who could not attend the meeting. Erica Lee Carter won a special election in November to finish her mother’s final term and thanked the council for supporting the proposal.
District J Councilmember Edward Pollard, one of the eight council members to sponsor the resolution under Proposition A, pushed to have Wednesday’s vote serve as final approval.
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Because the council held availability for public comment Tuesday before the unanimous vote Wednesday, Pollard said the proposal should not have to be further considered.
The renaming will “keep her legacy alive in a significant way,” Pollard said.
City Attorney, Arturo Michel said he did not know when to expect a response from the airport system, but said the proposal had to go through the entire administrative process.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After a nearly two-month delay, the Pinellas County Commission voted Tuesday in favor of its share of financing for a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, part of a plan to keep the team in St. Petersburg for another 30 years.
The overall plan, with its slogan “Here To Stay,” was approved by the county commission and city of St. Petersburg officials this summer, but votes on the funding for the deal have proven more contentious and were delayed.
Earlier this month, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve its share of the bonds necessary to build the new 30,000-seat ballpark. The county vote Tuesday was 5-2 for bonds that would be funded by tourist or “bed” taxes that cannot be spent on things such as hurricane recovery.
Under the agreement, the city and county would put up about half the cost, with the Rays covering the rest, including any cost overruns.
“We’re upholding our part of the bargain,” City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders said at a meeting earlier this month. “We said we were going to do this. We’re doing it. Now what you got?”
The county’s share of bond financing approved Tuesday is about $312.5 million. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred met recently with several skeptical commissioners to stress the project’s importance and the league’s desire to keep a team in the Tampa Bay region.
“He is committed to this market. Rob Manfred is the reason I am voting yes on this today,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala.
The proposal caps years of uncertainty about the Rays’ future, including possible moves across the bay to Tampa, or to Nashville, Tennessee, or even to split home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal, an idea Major League Baseball rejected.
Under the stadium deal, the Rays commit to remain in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. But the Rays will play this season in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training site, Steinbrenner Field, because of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.
The Rays say costs of the new ballpark will inevitably rise because its planned opening will be delayed at least a year, from 2028 to 2029. It’s not clear what those extra costs will be, but cost overruns are the responsibility of the Rays under the agreement.
Matt Silverman, co-president of the Rays, said in a statement after the county vote that the team “cannot absorb this increase alone” and that further negotiations are likely.
“When the county and city wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together,” Silverman said.
The proposed stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.
Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space — and the promise of thousands of jobs.
“This is much, much bigger than a stadium,” Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters said at a November meeting. “It’s about the investment we can make and the return on that investment that can guarantee we can keep our taxes low.”
This article comes from our news partner, Texas Tribune.
After a yearslong legal battle, federal officials are asking Texas schools that used a Medicaid reimbursement program for special education services to return $16 million that they say were billed incorrectly.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission sent an email this month to 552 school districts statewide informing officials they would need to pay anywhere from $100 to $800,000 back to the department for services billed in 2011. The charges stem from a 2017 federal health agency audit that found Texas had improperly billed the agency 238 times for services under the School Health and Related Services program.
The SHARS program reimburses schools for providing services to Medicaid-eligible students, including mental and physical therapy, nursing and screenings. Almost 950 of the state’s more than 1,200 school districts are currently enrolled in SHARS programming, according to the Texas Association of School Boards.
The 238 errors the federal government identified were for services that were deemed ineligible for reimbursement. The Inspector General’s Office also found over 94% of the services billed — including some that were eligible — did not have the required documentation.
The audit warned the Texas Health and Human Services Commission that districts would be asked to return the money paid out for ineligible services, but a series of attempted appeals postponed the repayments. School districts would have had to return more funds, but Texas’ appeals and a review by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services lowered the number of billings considered ineligible.
School districts have six weeks to decide whether they want to pay the money back at once or to request installment plans, according to HHSC. The federal agency is not requiring the state to recoup the money directly from school districts, leaving the option of using state funding to pay the bill.
“It is up to the state to recoup from individual school districts, if it chooses to do so,” according to a spokesperson with the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
A statement from Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission said the department has already paid the $16 million to the federal government, and that it is required by law to recoup its costs. The statement added HHSC “submitted every possible denial and request” to contest the charges.
With school budgets set for the year, Texas districts say they have little room to move around funds to pay the money back.
“Because this comes in the middle of a budget year, it makes planning for schools virtually impossible,” said Brian Woods, director of advocacy at the Texas Association of School Administrators. “Had this clawback been known prior to schools approving their budgets in the summer of 2024, then at least it could have been planned for, right?”
Pete Pape, chief financial officer for the Leander school district, called the charge “the tip of the iceberg” and expressed frustration with the Texas health agency’s lack of support for districts and their programs. Federal appeals officers said in 2023 that Texas produced “nothing at all” to dispute investigators’ findings, noting the only evidence Texas submitted in its appeal was a spreadsheet created by CMS listing the improperly billed services.
“If we acted like this as a school district, we would get blasted,” Pape said. “It’s like they just want to check off a box, they could tell the community and the legislature, ‘Yeah, we appealed it.’ So it’s frustrating.”
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The Leander district owes about $99,000. Pape said he plans to appeal the charge, although the repayment notice the district received did not say if it could be appealed.
The $16 million repayment request comes after Texas slashed more than $607 million for SHARS funding as the state imposed strict limitations on the kinds of services school districts could get reimbursed for. The move, which some school staff consider overcorrection on the state’s part in reaction to the errors made in 2011, have forced some smaller schools to exit the program entirely.
Woods, the former superintendent of the Northside school district in San Antonio, said the repayments are “substantial” even for the largest districts because they are already so strapped for funding.
Northside ISD is set to return more than $420,000, one of the highest repayments the federal government is asking for.
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Over 40 schools owe more than $100,000; however, more than half the schools listed owe less than $10,000. The Houston and Austin school districts are set to pay the most, with over $780,000 each.
For many districts, the notice comes as officials grapple with budget shortfalls worsened by inflation, expiring pandemic relief funds and five years without a significant raise in public school spending from the state.
“I don’t think that I’ve heard a consistent, programmatic-type plan. Most of what I hear is, ‘You got to be kidding me, right?’” Woods said of districts’ reactions. “This is on top of the multimillion-dollar cuts that we spent most of the fall talking about, and here we are with another.”
District officials hope lawmakers will provide relief after the SHARS cuts. Several special education funding bills have already been filed ahead of the state legislative session that starts next month. Woods said there is no lawmaker who serves the role of a “designated advocate” for special education funding but added that there is still time to highlight the issue before the Legislature starts.
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“Concerned parents and concerned citizens just need to contact their representatives and indicate that they believe there’s a need to rectify that situation,” Woods said.
Disclosure: Texas Association of School Administrators and Texas Association of School Boards have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
The central bank’s latest move leaves its benchmark lending rate at a range of 4.25%-4.5%, a two-year low.
The decision to cut was not unanimous, is an attempt to ease pressure on America’s economy from elevated interest rates to preserve the labor market’s health.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the latest rate cut was “a closer call,” adding that recent inflation readings were “the single biggest factor” on officials’ minds during the meeting. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack was the lone dissenter on Wednesday’s decision, preferring to keep rates at their current levels.
The Fed signaled in its policy statement that it is leaning toward holding rates steady in the future, since inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s 2% target. The US economy has also proved remarkably resilient in the face of elevated borrowing costs, giving the Fed some reassurance that it can stand pat without risking any undue economic damage.
Fed officials penciled in just two rate cuts for next year, according to their latest forecasts, down from the four they projected in September. Officials also project slightly stronger economic growth, slightly lower unemployment, and for inflation in 2025 to be higher than they previously thought.
The projections overall suggest Fed officials expect the US economy next year to be buoyant, with no recession in sight. They expect inflation to reach their target over a longer period than they previously estimated, not touching 2% until 2027.
Powell sang the US economy’s praises in his post-meeting news conference, saying its strength has been “the story” of the year. Powell affirmed the likelihood of fewer rate cuts next year that the projections showed.
Some investors are bullish on the prospects of strong growth next year, which could come about from the policies of President-elect Donald Trump. The incoming administration promises extending the 2017 tax cuts and cutting down on regulations — policies poised to boost growth if they’re enacted.
However, Trump’s threat of massive tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada and China could derail the Goldilocks economy the Fed has seen so far, since the stiff tariffs Trump has floated are widely expected to stoke inflation.
A former Fed president told CNN that the US economy has already achieved the exceptionally rare feat of a “soft landing” — a scenario in which inflation is tamed without a recession — and is now just a matter of sustaining it.
Here are key takeaways from the Fed’s third consecutive rate cut.
Powell on what could be in store for 2025
The US economy next year is widely expect to remain solid, according to the Fed’s own estimates and those of other economists.
Trump has indeed floated plans that could transform the economy, such as high tariffs and mass deportations, but it will generally take time for those plans, if they’re signed into law, to affect the broader economy.
But for now, the Fed sees a robust US economy with some stubborn price pressures in 2025.
“I think that the slower pace of cuts for next year really reflects both the higher inflation rate this year and the expectation inflation will be higher,” Powell said.
The Fed leader said that some officials already began to incorporate possible changes in trade policy in to their economic models. Officials regularly devise simulations to understand what the economy might look like in the future.
In September 2018, when the first Trump administration went on a tariff spree, slapping duties on foreign goods ranging from solar panels to washing machines, a Fed simulation deemed it appropriate to hike rates if foreign countries imposed retaliatory tariffs and if Americans also expected inflation to pick up, according to a declassified 2018 Fed document detailing policy alternatives known as the “tealbook.”
Powell continued to express that there are still many unknowns about Trump’s tariff plans, such as which goods will be tariffed and the duration of any duties, saying it “is not a question that’s in front of us right now.”
He didn’t rule out a rate hike in 2025.
Powell on US economic growth and the labor market
US economic growth this year has been healthy, driven by American shoppers continuing to open their wallets. Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the US economy, has been boosted by a steady job market with historically low unemployment. Businesses have also continued to invest in their operations throughout the year, according to Commerce Department data.
Powell said that persistent strength has been one key reason why long-term interest rates, tied to the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield have trended up since the Fed’s first rate cut in September. That includes mortgage rates.
“Most forecasters have been calling for a slowdown in growth for a very long time, so we we’re now well into another year of growth” that looks strong, he said. “The US economy is just performing very, very well.”
Powell had a measured tone when describing the labor market, noting that it “is still cool by many measures” but “not cooling quick or in a way that really breaks.” He said that the labor market is not a source of inflation pressure, adding that the Fed isn’t aiming to see any further softening in activity, which could be either higher unemployment or slower monthly job market.
“This is a good labor market and we want to keep it that way,” Powell said.
Overall, America’s economy remains in good shape, but high inflation isn’t in the rearview mirror just yet. Recent inflation readings have reflected persistent price pressures in housing and a pick-up in prices for food and some goods.
Put together, economic data makes a strong case for the Fed to hold rates steady until inflation’s downward trend gets back on track. Officials’ latest projections show that inflation won’t reach the Fed’s target until 2027, a year later than what they estimated in September.
A few miles away in Abu Dhabi in the Yas Marina Circuit, one of the foremost venues in the Middle East that hosts F1 motorsport events, has hosted the ultimate, historic race of Mexican legendary race car driver Sergio Michel “Checo” Perez Mendoza. Valtteri Bottas, a proud Finnish racer collided with Perez in the very first lap of the race, causing Perez to put an end to his career. Outshined by his teammate Max Verstappen for the majority of 2024, this was the last loss to his 2024 winless season, a bow to the gift presented to Perez by Red Bull, who had initially agreed to a contract with Perez up to 2026.
Constant pressure from a weak season performed by Sergio Perez, stemming from never finishing higher than 6th places in 14 races, is the canary in the coal mine for Sergio’s tenure with Red Bull.
“Finishing second or third in the end makes no difference,” Perez says, “So, we really want to win it.”
Red Bull had initially wanted to cut Perez in the beginning of the season, but had a change of heart and wanted to give Perez a second chance. In May Perez had signed a contract that would ultimately end in 2026, however his 2024 performance unfortunately changed the future of this plan. Perez, who had been chosen over Carlos Sainz, joined Red Bull in 2021, was strongly considered by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, despite Perez losing three races in Miami, Monaco, and Imola where he finished eighth, fourth, and collided with another racer on the inaugural lap, finishing 16th in that race in Monaco. There were high hopes at the time of the contract signing, strong belief in Perez and teammate Verstappen, with team principal Horner stating,
“Continuity and stability are important for the team and both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership.”
Horner has a great amount of respect for Perez, despite all the losses by Perez, every dog has its day.
“Checo started the season so strongly, four podiums out of five races. It felt like he’d taken off where he’d left off last year. But then really from Monte Carlo, that race onwards, it’s been a very tough year for him, and we’ve tried everything with him and supporting him and basically he’s come to his own conclusion that I think that now is the right time to step away from Formula 1 to take a bit of time out.”
22-year old New Zealander Liam Lawson will be replacing 34-year old Perez.
“While Checo will not race for the team next season, he will always be an extremely popular team member and a treasured part of our history,” team captain Horner proudly exclaims.
Fellow teammate, well ex-teammate Verstappen posted on his social media saying,
“It’s been an absolute pleasure driving alongside you,” along with a heartfelt message, “We’ve had some amazing moments together that I’ll always remember.”
Regardless of his final seasonal performance, Sergio “Checo” Perez without a doubt made his nation proud. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, starting out in kart racing at the age of 6, Perez sets the top echelon standard of what it takes to grace the illustrious Formula 1 race track.
Franchises with deep pockets are lining up to give a hefty contract to the 2 time World Series champion Alex Bregman who will take nothing lower than $200 million. THe Houston Astros offered Bregman $156 million, way below his strike price, and honestly a slap in the face considering the amount of potential that Bregman still has. However, perhaps a new environment is what Bregman needs to catapult towards an improved hitting rate. The two-time All-Star averages 25 home runs a season with a consistent hitting rate of .270 for the past 6 years.
There is without a doubt that Bregman will receive what he is asking for. Teams such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Phillies are eagerly interested in grabbing the third baseman whose skills have yet to diminish. The Phillies are considered to be at the front of the list, as history shows they have never shied away from spending the amount necessary to acquire skilled labor such as the likes of Bryce Harper. The Detroit Tigers are also in need of a third baseman, so Bregman has some thinking to do if he considers giving Justin Verlander’s old stomping grounds a swing. Teams that are eager to make a name for themselves would love to grab a top notch player with championship experience to the mix, who also won the 2024 Golden Glove Award, so that is all the proof needed to guarantee a player with superb defense and lightning hits at the plate.
Bregman should be excited to say the least, especially since there are plenty of teams who are in strong need of a third baseman. Bregman could easily land the largest or second largest contract in the offseason from any of these high paying franchises. It does hurt to see Bregman go, but he deserves what he asks for considering all the hard work he committed to here in Houston. Bregman is the best player, the best asset left on the market, and it will be exciting to see what opportunity slides down Bregman’s way. What he decides to do with his free agency will greatly and obviously affect the Houston Astros offseason decisions.
If Bregman stays, their new addition Issac Paredes will most likely move to first base. This is the area in most necessity for the Astros, and they need a Yuli Guriel type player to fulfil that position. This December has been a roller coaster to say the least for the Astros after sending off Kyle Tucker to Chicago. Alex Bregman is a top priority for the entire MLB league, and to be perfectly honest it is great to see the LSU graduate have the limelight.
