Texas politicians call for guardrails on AI - Candidates for one of Texas' seats in the U.S. Senate called for guardrails on artificial intelligence this week, after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced an unprecedented breach while testing a new AI model.
Push to lower electricity costs, prepare for data centers - The Public Utility Commission of Texas filed a memo to Gov. Greg Abbott that details its plans to protect Texans from rising costs due to data centers. It also, per the governor’s request, detailed ongoing projects and needs from the 2027 legislative session.
Texas data centers - Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic Party candidate for Texas Governor, on Wednesday called on Gov. Greg Abbott to immediately halt new data center development in Texas, arguing he should use his executive authority until lawmakers can pass statewide regulations. Last month, the governor proposed eliminating some tax incentives and requiring data centers pay for their own infrastructure, provide their own power generation, reuse water, and reduce electricity costs for Texans.
Calls for guardrails on prediction market apps - A new proposal from the Texas Medical Association takes aim at online prediction market platforms and calls on state lawmakers to implement guardrails to protect young users from potentially addictive behavior. Users of these apps can wager money on the potential outcome of future events, including sports and elections. The group also called for restrictions on advertising the apps, such as banning ads near schools and parks, or on social media and gaming platforms.
State of Texas revisits ‘TxTag Troubles’ toll bill investigation - Auto-payment issues, double billing, incorrect statements and customer service runaround — those were some of the complaints from users of Texas Department of Transportation toll roads and TxTag. In a From the Vault edition of Inside the Investigation, we take a look at our TxTag Troubles project and where the story could go from here.
School district challenges Texas school funding system - Midland ISD, a West Texas school district, is challenging Texas' school finance system. The lawsuit argues the state has too much control over local property taxes. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far reaching effects in Texas.