February 1, 2021 Plano-headquartered Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has released the latest iteration of its online retail experience to give consumers flexibility in how they lease, finance, or buy their next vehicle. Called Toyota SmartPath, the technology aims to be a one-stop-shop for purchasing a Toyota. From browsing to vehicle delivery, SmartPath sits at […]
February 1, 2021 Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday unveiled a legislative agenda centered on the state’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a series of more politically charged issues such as police funding and “election integrity.” In his biennial State of the State speech, Abbott declared Texas is “brimming with promise” as it emerges from […]
February 1, 2021 Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, San Antonio-based USAA and Westlake-based Charles Schwab are among the world’s most admired companies in Fortune’s 2021 ranking. Southwest scored highest among Texas companies, ranking 14th overall. USAA was 27th, and Schwab came in 44th. Apple topped the list for the 14th year in a row. Fourteen other Texas-based […]
January 29, 2021 Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas predicted Friday that Texas will see 4.2% job growth this year, which amounts to the state adding 518,000 jobs. “Which is quite strong,” said Keith Phillips, assistant vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He said, “But even at […]
January 28, 2021 About 10,000 stores will close nationwide this year, according to a new report by Coresight Research. That would set a record for retail closures in a calendar year, besting the 8,741 closures in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic accelerated already-grim circumstances for the retail industry. The 2021 closures would represent about 138.5M […]
February 1, 2021 The mythic idea of “herd immunity” from COVID-19 in the long journey back to normal may be out of reach for Texas any time soon, state health officials and medical experts say. But while it remains the ultimate goal, they say it isn’t necessary to begin stemming some of the pandemic’s devastating […]
January 31, 2021 I recently received a call from a supporter of Parkland Health and Hospital System, a white woman in her 70s who was eager to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. She was hoping her age and underlying health conditions would make her eligible to be among the first in line once it became available […]
January 31, 2021 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will be delivering a “State of the State” address Monday evening to give updates on the COVID-19 response and a look at the 87th Legislative Session. The address is set to be televised and livestreamed starting at 7 p.m. The governor said the address will also “highlight exceptional […]
January 29, 2021 Texas public school students must show up in person to take the STAAR test this spring, and districts can apply for waivers to socially distance test takers, according to recent guidance released by the Texas Education Agency. The state is moving forward with the state standardized tests, taken in grades three through […]
January 31, 2021 The city of Dallas will be partnering with Methodist Health System to help distribute thousands of COVID-19 vaccines this week, Mayor Eric Johnson announced Sunday. The city will be receiving 4,875 doses of the vaccine this week, and the plan is to have Methodist Health give out 3,000 of those at the […]