Texas Weekly

September 24, 2024

1. ?? Group of House Republicans choose candidate to challenge Speaker Phelan

Almost 50 Texas House Republicans - including incumbents and candidates running to be elected in November - met at an Austin BBQ restaurant on Friday to elect a consensus candidate to support for Speaker against current Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.

The big picture: State Rep. David Cook - whose Tarrant County district includes Fort Worth, Arlington, Burleson, Crowley and Mansfield - bested the four other House Republicans after several rounds of conclave-style voting.

Why it matters: This marks a...

2.?? Texas-based Natura Resources MSR-1 system obtains first-ever liquid-fueled reactor permit

Abilene, Texas-based Natura Resources made history last week when its MSR-1 system at Abilene Christian University (ACU) received the first construction permit in history from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the deployment of a liquid-fueled advanced reactor. The construction permit is also only the second for any advanced reactor issued by the NRC.

“If we're going to meet the growing energy needs, not only in the State of Texas but in our country and the world at large, we must begin deploying advanced nuclear reactors," said Douglass Robison, Natura Resources Founder and President.

Why it matters: The Dallas Morning News notes that...

Plus more headlines from last week, what’s on our calendars, and be sure to make it to the end for this week’s Texas history fact!

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