Leading Off (6/29/12)

Wholesale Electricity Prices to Increase. The Public Utilities Commission agreed increase the cap for wholesale power prices to $4,500 per megawatt hour. Does this mean your cost could go up? Yes. Probably. Even if you’re in a fixed rate contract.

Frisco Mayor Saves Family From Fiery Death. Maher Maso, Mayor of Frisco, was on his way home from a golf tournament when he saw smoke and flames coming from a home. So he stopped, knocked and called 911, probably saving Bob Pollock, his wife, and their 18-month-old granddaughter. Then he grabbed a water hose and put some fires out. Back to you, Mike Rawlings.

Flaming Lips Might Re-Do That Thing. Remember how the Flaming Lips did a video and it had Erykah Badu and her sister and the nekkidness and then nobody talked about it at all ever? Well, now they’re saying they might re-do the whole thing but with Dresden Dolls singer Amanda Palmer instead of Badu, who is presumably unavailable or something.

Dallas NAACP Wants Texas Lottery Gone. The local chapter of the civil rights group says poor and minority Texans spend their money on the lottery instead of rent and health insurance, and not enough of the money raised goes to public education. Most curious to me, though, was branch president Juanita Wallace’s story of the man who didn’t buy health insurance but instead bought lottery tickets and then died of the lottery.

Texas GOP Takes Strong Stance in Platform. And man, are you screwed if you’re a dune sage brush lizard. I bet you thought I was gonna say, “a woman,” or “gay,” or “poor,” but no, lizards.