Energy Prices & Grid Strain: With the Iran war pushing crude higher, U.S. gas prices are holding near the politically sensitive $4 mark, and Dallas-Fort Worth is seeing steep year-over-year increases—adding pressure to trucking and household budgets. Data Centers & Power Reality Check: New reporting highlights how much of the U.S. AI data-center pipeline may stall because “phantom” projects won’t materialize, while Texas continues to face grid and interconnection bottlenecks. Long-Duration Storage Deal: Noon Energy and Sabanci Renewables are partnering on up to 1GW of co-located ultra-long-duration storage and renewables for data centers, with early deployments targeted for 2027. Manufacturing Expansion in Houston: Apple opened an Advanced Manufacturing Center inside a Foxconn campus, training small and medium-sized businesses while Mac mini production ramps in Texas. Border Wall Fight in Big Bend: A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation group asked a federal judge to halt border wall-related construction in Big Bend, citing damage to archaeological and culturally significant areas. Cybersecurity for Frontier Health AI: CHAI formed a nearly 100-member work group to publish health AI cybersecurity guidance by end of 2026, aiming for practical assessment tools and playbooks. Local Hiring Boost: Sabre Industries in Hicksville, Texas, is using a $20,000 grant to advertise openings and train welders for power-tower manufacturing.