2025 1:51 PM EDTElon Musk's new Texas city The new mayor for the “City of Starbase” is Bobby Peden, 36, according to the Cameron County, TX, Election Commission, which posted the results of the May 3 Peden isn't the only official running the new city Commissioners for the "City of Starbase" were also elected which contains the headquarters of Musk's company SpaceX Peden was the only candidate listed for mayor on the ballot Peden's LinkedIn page says he has worked for SpaceX for 12.5 years most recently as the vice president for Texas Test & Launch He has held a number of positions for the company starting as a cryogenic systems engineer in 2014 As a graduate research assistant at the University of Texas-Austin Peden "Developed a new experimental technique for measuring velocity of projectiles in flightand the velocity of penetrating projectiles using Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV," his LinkedIn page says He also worked as an intern at Ad Astra Rocket Company and Virco He attended Arkansas Tech University before getting his master's degree in engineering mechanics at the University of Texas His page lists a 2013 publication titled "Photonic Doppler Velocimetry for Study of Rapid Penetration into Sand." The neighborhood once known as Boca Chica Village is seen near the SpaceX facilities where they build rockets in Brownsville Tech billionaire Elon Musk's dream of gaining city status for his SpaceX spaceport in the southern US state of Texas became a reality on Saturday when voters overwhelmingly backed turning his Starbase into a new municipality GABRIEL CARDENAS/Getty Images According to The Texas Tribune Peden's home "is owned by the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. The two commissioners for Starbase also work for SpaceX the latest example of the cutting-edge technology comes from the USA's first 3D-printed Starbucks coffee shop The project is being led by German firm Peri 3D Construction, which is also responsible for creating Europe's largest 3D-printed building the large machine followed a pre-made blueprint to extrude a cement-like mixture out of a robotically controlled nozzle in layers slowly building up the basic shell of the building producing the telltale ribbed look of the walls human builders were then tasked with adding windows and everything else required to turn a concrete shell into a functioning coffee shop the 3D-printed Starbucks is relatively small – measuring 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m) spread over one floor – reflecting its intended use for pick up orders and for drive-thru rather than a coffee shop people actually sit and spend time in The project is just the latest in what is a very rapid growth in 3D-printed buildings in recent years in the USA. Elsewhere in Texas, Icon has also been extremely busy, producing multiple housing developments, including the Wolf Ranch and Community First! Village Sources: Starbucks, City of Brownsville, TX - Municipal Government [Facebook] The 1,400 sq ft drive-through opens on April 28 in Brownsville Germany's Peri 3D Construction is behind the building project 3D printing technology for construction projects is some distance from our usual coverage of the hardware used to realize 3D digital files in the real-world. Unlike the best 3D printers we have looked at the Peri 3D Construction BOD2's output material is similar to cement Construction 3D printing is also done at a very large scale The new 3D-printed Starbucks in Brownsville isn't going to be a very large store its 1,400 sq ft shell is just enough for a mobile order pick up desk and drive-through coffee shop – no indoor seating It would seem from the signage that there is no in-person walk-in order system there have been more than 50 BOD2 printers delivered worldwide in the last three years don't be surprised if you see this style of construction in a location near to where you live these devices are in use by house builders Printing at these larger scales also seems to lack the refinement offered by the best desktop style 3D printers you usually see reviewed on Tom's Hardware You don't have to look very closely at the photos of the new Starbucks to see significant stepping in the finish It looks like the material continues to flow a little There are also highly visible misalignments and joins in parts of the building Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews American 3D Printer filament companies raise the flag, not the price 3D printing is about to get more expensive, if you can get it at all Arrow Lake die shot shows off the details of Intel's chiplet-based design Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. 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Starbucks opens first 3-D printed store in the U.S Texas — Starbucks has unveiled its first 3-D printed store in the United States and its location may surprise some spans 1,400 square feet and operates exclusively as a drive-thru Starbucks has not said why they chose to open the new store in Brownsville The city of Brownsville is now home to the first 3D printed Starbucks The coffee shop is located at 2941 Boca Chica Boulevard and is drive-thru only RELATED STORY: Starbucks' new drive-thru in Brownsville is the coffee giant's first 3D printed store in the US Starbucks has more than 17,000 locations in the United States The company has not said why they chose to open up the 3D store in Brownsville Several Brownsville Independent School District students won a chance to have their work displayed at the U.S This is through the Congressional Art Competition but only five are selected from each representative's district Congressman Vicente Gonzalez announced the winners from his district Friday morning The art work will be displayed at the capitol later this month 1.210.564.6900 askme@virtualbx.com Brownsville (Cameron County) — History was made in Brownsville on May 1 when the nation’s first 3D-printed Starbucks officially opened at 2941 Boca Chica Boulevard The new location features drive-thru and pickup services offering customers a modern and convenient coffee experience A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the milestone and community members eager to witness the unveiling of the one-of-a-kind store A Starbucks representative said that built with cutting-edge 3D concrete printing technology structure is the first of its kind for the global coffee chain “There’s no other Starbucks or building like this—it’s definitely one of a kind,” said store manager Ricky Arreola This location is now the fourth Starbucks in Brownsville joining others located on Ruben Torres Boulevard and the corner of Expressway 77/83 and Minnesota Road A large grass fire in Brownsville was made more difficult to contain on Saturday with strong gusts across the Rio Grande Valley The fire was near New Carmen Avenue and FM 1732 Fire officials say the fire is under control and they're working on extinguishing hotspots; at least 100 acres were burned The Brownsville Fire Department had around eight to 10 units working to contain the fire Fire officials say there are no injuries or damages to any structures "One of the reasons we deployed as many units as we did is because of the high winds We wanted to make sure that we created a barrier between the fire and the structures," Brownsville Fire Department Assistant Chief Sam Padilla said Officials say they do not know what started the fire but do know that the wind did play a factor Wind gusts in Brownsville were up to 58 miles an hour The Brownsville Police Department is investigating after a vehicle crashed into a building early Sunday morning according to Brownsville police spokesperson Abril Luna The crash was reported at the 3200 block of Pablo Kisel Boulevard Sunday at around 1:37 a.m. Five people received minor injuries in the accident Those with any information are urged to contact Brownsville Crime Stoppers at 956-546-8477 A jury convicted Brownsville school board Trustee Sylvia P Atkinson on federal bribery charges Wednesday Atkinson was accused of accepting a $10,000 bribe to place an item on the school board agenda — and pushing her fellow trustees to approve it — during a FBI sting operation She pleaded not guilty and took the case to trial the jury found Atkinson guilty of one count of conspiracy one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and six counts of violating the federal Travel Act Texas (AP) — The South Texas home of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket company is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase A vote Saturday to formally organize Starbase as a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there and are mostly Musk’s employees at SpaceX according to results published online by the Cameron County Elections Department Musk celebrated in a post on his social platform Starbase is the facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program that is under contract with the Department of Defense and NASA that hopes to send astronauts back to the moon and someday to Mars Musk first floated the idea of Starbase in 2021 and approval of the new city was all but certain The election victory was personal for Musk The billionaire’s popularity has diminished since he became the chain-saw-wielding public face of President Donald Trump’s federal job and spending cuts and profits at his Tesla car company have plummeted READ MORE: Musk defends work at DOGE but gives hazy answers on his future SpaceX has generally drawn widespread support from local officials for its jobs and investment in the area But the creation of an official company town has also drawn critics who worry it will expand Musk’s personal control over the area with potential authority to close a popular beach and state park for launches Companion efforts to the city vote include bills in the state Legislature to shift that authority from the county to the new town’s mayor and city council All these measures come as SpaceX is asking federal authorities for permission to increase the number of South Texas launches from five to 25 a year The city at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border is only about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) crisscrossed by a few roads and dappled with airstream trailers and modest midcentury homes SpaceX officials have said little about exactly why they to want a company town and did not respond to emailed requests for comment “We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials in 2024 with the request to get the city issue on the ballot The letter said the company already manages roads and utilities as well as “the provisions of schooling and medical care” for those living on the property SpaceX officials have told lawmakers that granting the city authority to close the beach would streamline launch operations and even just moving certain equipment around the launch base requires the closure of a local highway and access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach Critics say beach closure authority should stay with the county government which represents a broader population that uses the beach and park has said the county has worked well with SpaceX and there is no need for change Another proposed bill would make it a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail if someone doesn’t comply with an order to evacuate the beach The South Texas Environmental Justice Network which has organized protests against the city vote and the beach access issue held another demonstration Saturday that attracted dozens of people whose young daughter was building sandcastle nearby said she was taking part to try to ensure continued access to a beach her family has enjoyed for generations a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas tribe said his ancestors have long been in the area © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins BROWNSVILLE — Elon Musk’s wish to create his own city just came true voters living around SpaceX’s rocket testing and launch facility in South Texas approved a measure to incorporate the area as a new city Cameron County election officials confirmed that overwhelming support among early voters clinched the election in favor of creating the City of Starbase Unofficial results later in the night showed the election was a landslide: 212 voted in favor; 6 opposed Musk celebrated the vote Saturday night with a single word posted to X: “S T A R B A S E.” But there were no signs of a celebration at Starbase itself Only 283 people, those who live within the boundaries of the proposed city, were eligible to vote in the election. A Texas Newsroom analysis of the voter rolls showed two-thirds of them either work for SpaceX or had already indicated their support The three unopposed people who ran to lead the city also have ties to SpaceX The vote clears the way for Musk to try to capture more control over the nearby public beach a few dozen activists who say the company has harmed sensitive habitats and ignored the cultural importance of the land rallied on the beach — with an Elon Musk piñata in tow “These hills here are sacred to us,” Juan Mancias chair of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas Company towns are also an undeniably American feature But Musk may be the first entrepreneur in modern history to incorporate his own town almost solely for his employees He’s also floated the idea of founding another city at his corporate compound outside Austin Musk and SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the election voters wearing SpaceX and Starbase T-shirts and baseball hats strolled in and out of the special polling place set up on the company’s campus A man leaving the polling place cautioned that he was not authorized to speak to the media but said he supports the new city “I think it’s a net benefit for everyone,” he said “but not a lot of people will understand why.” who built their campuses in Silicon Valley SpaceX Starbase is perched on the far edge of Texas Next to SpaceX’s main building are the remnants of an old beach village Nearly all of the houses are now owned by the company who live in the village and said they don’t work for SpaceX were among the few opposed to the new city I’m sure we’re the only ones out here who did,” said the woman who did not want to give her name because of negative past experiences with the media Musk has been open about his desire to create a city here for years. By February, enough SpaceX employees had signed a petition to force a vote on the issue The new city will have approximately 500 official residents Starbase leaders have said incorporation will help the area continue to grow while giving them more control over functions it already managed City leaders could also adopt zoning ordinances that are more lenient than those of the county allowing them to build more homes on the lots they already own “Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live — for the hundreds already calling it home as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanity’s future in space,” Starbase Manager Kathryn Lueders said in a letter to Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño the rocket Musk means to eventually take humans to Mars The vote may also force SpaceX to be more transparent Starbase will be subject to state laws that require open meetings and the release of public records Just down the road from the SpaceX launch site is Boca Chica Beach A public strip sandwiched between South Padre Island and the Rio Grande The area has become less accessible in the years since SpaceX arrived That’s because it must be evacuated for safety each time a rocket is tested SpaceX is asking for approval to increase its launches from about five to 25 times a year Cameron County commissioners decide when to close access to the beach SpaceX is backing a bill making its way through the Texas Legislature that would shift the beach closure authority to Starbase city commissioners on weekdays It has already been approved by the Texas Senate and is pending a vote by the full House a Republican from Corpus Christi and the bill’s author said the purpose of handing over that power to the soon-to-be city was to streamline the current process said they worked well with SpaceX and found no reason to change the process the protesters said local politicians have not properly protected the land indigenous leaders and local fishermen said the beach needs to remain out of SpaceX’s control “It’s just such a disgrace on what’s happening out here,” said Rene Medrano “There’s a lot of upset community people who are seeing there’s a great chance that we may lose this beach “And now they’re starting to raise their voices a little bit Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival Texas’ breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase Choose an amount or learn more about membership BROWNSVILLE — Little is publicly known about the three people poised to lead Texas’ next city which includes the launch site for Elon Musk’s SpaceX There have been no signs of a traditional campaign along the Boca Chica Beach region in South Texas where the proposed town is located about 20 miles east of Brownsville each candidate signed a pledge not to accept more than $1,110 in political contributions for this election The dearth of campaigning stems in part from the fact all three are running unopposed If a majority of the nearly 300 eligible voters — many SpaceX employees — approve the city’s incorporation Saturday And they’ll be tasked with creating the city from the ground up the entire purpose of the city is to help SpaceX grow What is known about the candidates comes from public records and social media sites, reviewed by The Texas Tribune and Sunlight Research Center Each candidate was contacted multiple times by the Tribune He started out as a ground support equipment engineer in 2013 at Space's Rocket Development Facility in McGregor His job location changed to Starbase in December 2023 where he now works as the vice president of "Texas Test and Launch." Peden has a degree in mechanical engineering from Arkansas Tech University and a master’s degree in engineering mechanics from the University of Texas He resides at Boca Chica Village with his wife and three children is owned by the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. And he owned property in Texas between 2016 and 2024 He contributed $5,000 to SpaceX's political action committee in December Campaign finance filings list his residence as Hawthorne Musk has announced he plans to move SpaceX headquarters to Texas is running for one of the two city commissioner positions she started working at SpaceX in 2012 as an avionics process engineer in Hawthorne and her last position there was manager of operations engineering at Starbase a position she held from August 2023 to July 2024 Joseph Edward Petrzelkakla is a SpaceX vice president Both obtained degrees from Iowa State University Her listed occupation on her candidate application is "philanthropist." She previously owned an Etsy store that touted donating its profits to charity and volunteered at Good Neighbor Settlement House a Brownsville nonprofit that assists migrants and people experiencing homelessness Petrzelka’s declared on her candidate form that her permanent residence address is 41356 Tarpon Bend Drive in Brownsville which is about 3 miles southwest of Boca Chica Village While no structures are visible through Google Earth a few gated homes have sprung up there as well as a street sign that reads “Mars-A-Lago Ave,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s Florida home and beach club is a senior director of Environmental Health and Safety for SpaceX He previously worked for an energy company in the Houston area He studied at Purdue University from 2004 to 2008 and now lives at Boca Chica Village with his wife who is a master’s student studying industrial/organizational psychology at Purdue Global Buss made a $600 political contribution to the SpaceX PAC — Research and analysis provided by Sunlight Research Center’s Elizabeth Clemons Disclosure: Google has been a financial supporter 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 Starbucks brewed up something new to build its latest store: a 3D printer The coffee giant's newest shop opening this week is its first 3D printed store in the country The 1,400-square-foot location in Brownsville the city's director of communications and marketing told USA TODAY It will offer drive-thru and mobile pick up service only Starbucks confirmed the opening date to USA TODAY Wednesday but did not comment further. The company referred USA TODAY to videos of the project it posted on social media While 3D printing technology is not new, Starbucks is among the first retailers to use the machinery to build a storefront. Last year, a Walmart in Tennessee constructed a 3D printed addition to its store spanning 8,000 square feet Here's what to know about the new Starbucks and the technology used to build it Starbucks said buy something or leave: How people feel about it Starbucks' 3D printed store is located in Brownsville which is at the southernmost tip of the state along the Mexico border is the chain's fourth shop in the city of more than 190,000 people a 3D printer uses a computer to create a product but instead joins material together to create a three-dimensional object They place materials by layering and fusing together layers from the bottom up, according to CDWG While the devices have been around since the 1980s there are a slew of model types on the market with different uses 3D printers are faster and cheaper than other methods In recent years, 3D printers have been increasingly used for the construction of buildings and homes. A neighborhood of 3D printed homes was completed last year in Texas Starbucks said the store was built by PERI 3D Construction. The Germany-based company did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment, but says on its website that it uses a type of construction printer from the manufacturer COBOD. The BOD2 printer uses a steel nozzle to print concrete layers, according to COBOD The printer's advantages include reducing the amount of plastering and post-treatment of walls and reducing water evaporation because of minimized wall surface area dress codeStarbucks has unveiled several changes in recent months Earlier this month, the company announced a new dress code policy for baristas requiring them to stick to a solid black top to enhance the signature green apron Melina Khan is a trending reporter covering national news for USA TODAY. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com Joshua Rhett Miller is a Newsweek chief investigative reporter based in New York Joshua joined Newsweek following roles at the New York Post where he worked as an associate producer for "Shepard Smith Reporting." He also has extensive experience covering national and international breaking news COVID-related topics and live reports from the United States-Mexico border The graduate of Pennsylvania State University can be reached at j.miller@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content scene in front of the school that sits on a dusty sun-soaked residential street in Brownsville looks much like any other elementary or middle school in that chaotic period before the morning bell saunter and dawdle into a nondescript building where they will spend the next few hours seem more jubilant than might be expected for a Tuesday morning in April The days of dodging class or suffering from a lack of motivation appear to be a thing of the past at Alpha School a private pre-K through eighth grade institution that utilizes personalized artificial intelligence to teach an entire day of core academic lessons in just two hours The tech-savvy students then spend their afternoons working on non-academic critical life skills like public speaking financial literacy or even how to ride a bike Staff — known here as "guides" rather than teachers — say they strive to facilitate a sense of independence into each child while overseeing a supportive nurturing environment like any attentive teacher in any solid school district in America The innovative approach at the South Texas campus primarily aims to instill a love for learning into each young mind cofounder MacKenzie Price told Newsweek in mid-April ahead of Alpha's expansion this fall it becomes clearer that whatever is happening at this school the students show a palpable level of excitement as 6-year-old Sarah Schipper collaborates with a dozen other classmates to solve a simple logic game students deduce the correct path by jumping on colored dots to find their way across six multi-hued rows upbeat pop music and gentle suggestions of where to hop next dominate the lively room "There's a little code and we aren't able to see it," the bubbly kindergartener said "And we have to guess it — and people can cheer for us and give us ideas of how to win." Sarah and her classmates encouraged each other to make bold choices at each pass but had a sense of compassion for any wrong move One girl suggested the cohort would "grow from losing" while another boy kindly proposed a more collaborative approach — along with less shouting The cooperative activity serves as a springboard into Alpha's AI-powered 2 Hour Learning platform where students use laptops for 30-minute sessions in core academic subjects The personalized approach utilizes proprietary and third-party apps and allows students to master topics up to five times faster than traditional methods who prefers Alpha's life skills workshops that come later in the day said she wants to be a scientist and study "microscopic things," insisting the tech-laden model will help her attain that goal while honing an unabashedly self-sufficient educational perspective "That we all work on computers," she said when asked what separated Alpha from most other public and private schools Maybe all the other schools everywhere can work on computers?" The precocious digital native said she believes Alpha's AI-centric formula will set her apart from her peers — and she's not alone "[AI] is rapidly transforming the modern world and reshaping the way we live and work," the executive order reads "To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution we must provide our nation's youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology." Trump's order also creates a "Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge," a competition for students and teachers to showcase their AI skills — a modern take on LBJ's Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge — and stresses the need for educators to fully embrace technology we must also invest in our educators and equip them with the tools and knowledge to not only train students about AI but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes," the directive continues "Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field." The order calls for the education and agriculture departments to allocate discretionary grant money and repurpose other training initiatives for the AI expansion. Educators who spoke to GovTech said they were skeptical schools would be given the resources particularly since the administration is in the process of gutting the Department of Education that would ostensibly be charged with allocating those resources who largely act as facilitators rather than traditional instructors "They don't tell me the answers," Sarah said of how her guides interact with her during the two-hour learning sprints Sarah also stressed how she's motivated to keep at it long after her school day concludes Sarah's affinity for school appears evident within minutes "I want to figure what stuff are in the world that I don't know," she said who serves as campus lead and interim director at Alpha Brownsville said the vast majority of the school's roughly 60 students complete requisite lessons during their accelerated learning sessions negating the need for homework or more screen time in most cases Pre-K students aren't even allowed to take their laptops home parents know it's to wrap up some work or maybe they have a passion project they're working on like some of the older students," Swain said they have more autonomy but when they're younger we really do focus on getting it done at school Parents don't want their kids on technology all the time." Swain's comments reflect the tension at the heart of an experiment like Alpha Schools across the country are banning devices with New York the latest state to agree on a "bell-to-bell" phone ban as part of its budget But such measures do not address the school-issued devices increasingly common in classrooms across the country According to a survey by educational software firm Lightspeed Systems are spending an average of 98 minutes per day on school-issued laptops or tablets Usage of those devices peaks in middle school at 2 hours and 24 minutes for sixth graders then declines in high school as students move to personal devices and become more involved in extracurricular activities or start working according to Lightspeed data provided to the Wall Street Journal in January Alpha's two-hour sprint approach seems relatively moderate Just a "handful" of parents this year have voiced concerns about students spending too much time on their laptops after the school day ends when they really want something or they're really working hard to achieve that goal "Because they really want to — but our parents know they don't have to." Cultivating that internal motivation is a big part of Alpha's mission. And based on some early data, it's working. Price, the cofounder, told Fox News in March that Alpha classes were in the "top 2 percent" of test scores in the country Students are universally "surpassing" education benchmarks and take Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress assessments that are aligned with common core standards "They're learning the same things you could expect to learn in a public school or a different private school," she said "They're just learning it in a different way and at a faster pace." Price launched the framework for Alpha in Austin Texas a decade ago out of personal necessity The mother of two said her zoned school district couldn't meet the needs of her daughters particularly regarding "personalized attention" despite being one of the top districts in Texas "The teacher in front of the classroom model is required to teach a certain curriculum kind of adding one of her daughters' particularly suffered in second grade they had taken a child who was tailor-made to love school and be curious and interested And I realized it wasn't about the teachers or that school or moving from a public to a private school It was the model of a teacher in front of a classroom that wasn't working." Price said she soon realized adaptive apps could be the key to providing a personalized process to each student combined with regular surveys and interactions with guides this has grown into numerous schools all based on the idea that number one "If they're going to be spending five days a week the majority of the year for 13 years in a place And kids can learn twice as fast in only a couple of hours a day by getting this one-to-one Price, who studied psychology at Stanford University insists the model is "accessible and scalable," pointing to Alpha's expansion plans in markets beyond Texas Palm Beach and Orlando are expected to open this fall Job postings for guides at some of those locations list a starting salary of $100,000 Alpha also intends to grow its footprint in Texas opening schools in fall 2025 in Houston and Fort Worth Tuition ranges from $10,000 in Brownsville to $65,000 in New York "Education is ripe for transformation and the beauty of what has happened in the last few years with artificial intelligence coming on is that now we can really make sure that children are learning efficiently and effectively," Price said The traditional role of teachers has also been vastly reimagined as Alpha guides primarily provide motivational and emotional support rather than creating lesson plans delivering lectures or grading assignments "We believe kids are limitless and we provide really high standards," she said "And we provide really high levels of support because our teachers have time to do that That's what's really special — artificial intelligence is allowing us to raise human intelligence." Price said Alpha's growth reflects the increasing number of parents nationwide who want alternatives to traditional teaching methods — what was once a pet cause of a niche subset of parents that exploded with the frustrations born out of the pandemic She praised the Brownsville Independent School District but said its "severely underfunded" schools had ongoing challenges Roughly half of Alpha Brownsville's students are children of SpaceX employees who work at the company's headquarters, about 25 miles east. Billionaire Elon Musk is trying to formally incorporate the Cameron County community The SpaceX investment has helped boost the economy around Brownsville which is home to about 185,000 people and among the poorer parts of Texas More than a quarter of Brownsville residents live below the poverty line Alpha says it provides need-based assistance in special cases to offset the $10,000 tuition "It's been a really great environment for us to test out the model and understand how it works with a diverse population both racially and socially economically," Price said of Brownsville "What we're really showing is artificial intelligence and delivering education via that format is kind of a great equalizer." Messages seeking comment regarding Alpha from Brownsville school district officials as well as the federal Department of Education the union that represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th grade educators said AI can be a "powerful tool" in classrooms so long as it is used safely and thoughtfully it cannot replace the critical role of human educators," AFT Secretary Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram told Newsweek in a statement consequential learning only happens when teachers and students collaborate in an atmosphere of mutual trust charting a learning path forward together." Ingram acknowledged AI is "here to stay," but said it can only reach its full potential under the guidance of trained educators who know how best to integrate the technology into their classrooms Some students at Alpha Brownsville are so pleased with their success and progress from past public-school environments that they're working to open a high school effectively attempting to fill their own need wants to launch the new high school so she can continue her personal momentum after she felt "stagnant" at schools in Fort Worth and Dallas Brownsville and all the cities surrounding it are lagging behind in education in the U.S. so students going from a fast-paced environment like Alpha and then having to cut it off and go to a traditional school doesn't make sense," she said Savannah would attend the public high school in Brownsville if her vision doesn't become reality but she's currently researching legal requirements and previously visited Alpha's high school in Austin as part of her plan I'm not going to know everything about financial stuff and funding and things like that Savannah isn't sure about her ultimate career choice but thinks about owning a business one day Helping to launch a private school that she would ultimately attend would be a fitting apprenticeship she realized as she was speaking to Newsweek all the kids here are passionate about learning and reaching their goals." The seventh-grader also said she experienced something of a "mindset" changed when she switched schools to attend Alpha and feels newly empowered in a way she didn't earlier in her education "The guides will never tell you that you can't do something," she said you develop that mindset and the environment from day one is you can do anything if you set your mind to it That's where I started to learn motivation." As the Trump administration moves to advance the use of AI in education tech-heavy model and the early successes it is showing should prompt discussions in public districts across the country "Take a look at how they're delivering core instruction whether it could be reconfigured and delivered more efficiently," said Robin Lake director of the Seattle-based Center on Reinventing Public Education Lake said many public school districts should take a critical look at how teachers use their time and think of how to use electronic learning tools more coherently and efficiently AI and other technological advancements have created an opportunity to rethink the role of educators entirely a really important challenge for public schools," Lake said of the teacher question the one teacher for 25- to 30-kid model has proven maybe impossible for a lot of schools." Alpha acknowledges its model may not work for every student but the looming integration of AI into education is undeniable and fast approaching "It's going to push everybody to start asking these kinds of questions," she said "Are we leveraging teachers to their best effect Are we putting their talents to the most important use There are many who are saying it's a waste of time to be spending time on basic instruction that an AI-powered tool can deliver helping kids to think critically and deeply — which is what I think Alpha School is trying to do." Lake suggested public school officials could begin analyzing staffing models and the typical student's daily schedule as part of a possible reimagining of K-12 education "We have to question that and think differently especially as dollars get really tight for a lot of public schools and outcomes are not increasing," Lake told Newsweek Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsletters in your inbox See all An official website of the United States government Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry detained a fugitive at the Gateway International Bridge who had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear stemming from an original felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon “This apprehension of a wanted person by our CBP officers is a testament to their commitment to keep our communities safe,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz CBP officers at the Gateway International Bridge referred pedestrian Yasser Ismail Abu Awwad Martínez CBP officers–utilizing biometric verification and federal law enforcement databases–verified his identity and confirmed he was the subject of an outstanding felony warrant for failure to appear issued by the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office in Olmito Further records queries indicated Abu Awwad Martínez was arrested on Dec by the San Benito Police Department and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon CBP officers turned Abu Awwad Martínez over to the custody of Cameron County Sheriff’s Office The National Crime Information Center is a centralized automated database designed to share information among law enforcement agencies including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses CBP officers have made previous arrests of individuals wanted for homicide Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity We enhance the nation's security through innovation View a complete list of local and regional CBP social media accounts On Saturday, those who live around SpaceX’s rocket launch site in South Texas will vote on whether to incorporate the area as the City of Starbase That’s because most of the voters work for him that means at least two-thirds of the eligible voters either work for SpaceX or have already indicated their support for the new City of Starbase The eligible voters include everyone from plumbers to engineers and the CEO himself It’s unclear whether Musk plans to show up for the vote SpaceX may be the first company to actually incorporate its own town in Texas and could lay the groundwork for similar cities Musk plans to found here in the future modern compound that runs for miles along State Highway 4 The state highway winds past the SpaceX rocket launchpad. The road ends at Boca Chica Beach a public beach popular with locals that hugs the border with Mexico Boca Chica Village, a small beach town founded in the 1960s SpaceX has bought up almost all of the houses there adding Airstream trailers and tiny homes for its employees SpaceX officials say only 10 of the properties are not owned by the company Musk has wanted Starbase to be its own city since at least 2021 when he posted the idea on the social media site X Creating the city would “streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live,” said Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders in a letter to the county judge obtained by The Texas Tribune She said the company already established a clinic and school and Starbase could take over those responsibilities as an official government body Starbase would also need to hold regular open meetings and share information about its spending and revenue with the public This might open up the company itself to more public scrutiny and transparency “To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” Lueders wrote Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño ordered the incorporation vote after at least 10% of the proposed city’s residents signed a petition Local leaders do not have the power to block a new city from incorporating if this threshold is met If the vote goes Musk’s way, the city would become official as soon as the county finalizes the results. Treviño said Starbase would be the first new city in Cameron County in 30 years It is opposed by county officials and local environmentalists The new city would only include the area immediately around the SpaceX compound according to a copy of the new city map provided by county officials This includes Boca Chica Village and a smaller area down the state highway where a handful of executives have larger homes The city would be small, with fewer than 5,000 residents. Three people want to be the city’s new elected leaders. They all have links to SpaceX Company towns may seem like an anachronism But tech leaders in recent years have taken the concept into the modern age with companies like Meta and Apple creating corporate campuses in Silicon Valley to draw and retain the best employees in their fields Musk may be the first among these modern entrepreneurs to take the idea of his own city this far he has built his corporate compounds in rural unincorporated areas where he is subject to fewer city rules and regulations he has a corporate compound in Bastrop County adjacent to Austin where X Corp and the Boring Company He has also floated the idea of also incorporating a part of that complex — called Snailbrook — as its own town A closer comparison than Apple or Meta might be Gary Steel not only made many of the big decisions in Gary it was so involved that it even laid out the street grid for the town “Every company creates a certain atmosphere,” Green said they often leave the place with a “Big Brother-like feeling.” The upshot is that company towns that are run well end up being “showpieces” that provide amenities for the workers and give good publicity to the corporation — like Hershey “The town itself was like Willy Wonka-ville,” he said “You're coming to this town where the very air smells like chocolate.” So what does Musk want with his company towns he appears to be putting his own twist on an old concept “There's nothing new under the sun in a way But I think that he'll try to make what he does seem unusual,” Green said “He wants to be seen as futuristic and defining new frontiers.” Brownsville police announced they arrested a woman on animal abuse charges after an "extremely malnourished" dog was found on her property Brownsville Animal Control officers responded to a report of animals without food or water at a residence located in the 2000 block of East 22nd Street admitted she could no longer financially care for the animals and voluntarily surrendered them to animal services Police said the case was referred to them for further investigation and were able to secure an arrest warrant for Mendez Mendez was arrested and charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal Mendez was also issued multiple citations from Animal Services including violations related to human treatment A woman is not facing jail time after she allegedly assaulted a child during a sporting event at the Brownsville Sports Park The news release said 39-year-old Maria Yesenia Lira was arrested after allegedly pushing a minor during an altercation between two sports teams on April 26 Parents and spectators rushed the field in an attempt to break up the fight prior to police arrival The parents of the minor that was assaulted filed charges against Lira According to Brownsville police spokeswoman Abril Luna as the charge is a Class C misdemeanor punishment for the charge is a fine not to exceed $500 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.