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After threatening to ban video sharing platform TikTok, President Donald Trump said he approved Oracle Corporation's bid for the U.S. operations of the popular Chinese-based app, which could make its headquarters in Texas, Bloomberg reports.
The deal, which Trump said is approved "in concept," would result in a new company called TikTok Global. Oracle and Walmart Inc. will have a 20% stake in the new company and could bring upwards of 25,000 jobs to Americans and help the app avoid shutdown in the U.S. by becoming an American-based company.
"If they get it done, that's great," Trump said. "If they don't, that's OK, too."
Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that he had spoken to the president about the potential deal and let him know that "Texas would be the perfect place" for the new headquarters.
Though it has not been said where in Texas the headquarters would be based, some have speculated it could be in Austin since Oracle, a California-based company, has a strong presence in the city, where it has more than 2,500 employees. TikTok also opened an Austin office this year, which created over 2,000 jobs.
In order for the deal to move forward, the Chinese government must approve it and donate $5 billion to a Texas education fund, per the president's request.
The president had been threatening to ban the app since Aug. 6 and formally ordered the app's parent company ByteDance, to divest in its U.S. businesses on Aug. 14, citing security concerns, personal data protection and threats of propaganda, which garnered criticism from the ACLU.
Along with Oracle, companies like Microsoft and Twitter had also considered making a deal with TikTok, which has over 100 million U.S. users. ByteDance will retain 80% ownership of the company.
TikTok stated that Oracle will host all U.S. user data and technology and that it is working on a commercial partnership with Walmart. But the company has yet to confirm the new headquarter's location.
More on TikTok:
- Austin teens facing expulsion petition due to racist video - austonia ›
- Austin's Natalie Sideserf goes viral with realistic cake videos - austonia ›
- Austin TikTok jobs put in jeopardy due to executive order - austonia ›
- TikTok to hire hundreds in Austin despite executive order - austonia ›
- These TikToks will help you laugh about the 2020 election - austonia ›
- Austin companies that cracked the Fortune 500, 1000 list - austonia ›
- TikTok is hiring 83 Austin positions—and looks poised for growth - austonia ›
- TikTok to move into downtown Austin skyscraper - austonia ›
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(Austonia)
May's second election is here, in which voters will decide on the candidates to represent their party in the November general election after the winner in some March primary races was unclear.
Just like the March primaries, voters will choose which party they choose to vote in. Then based on location, each ballot will show which races are in a runoff.
In Texas, candidates must win at least 50% of the vote to be elected. In the races where the top candidate only received a plurality of votes, a runoff is being held.
Here's everything you need to know before heading to the polls.
Know before you go
Early voting for the Texas primary runoff election begins Monday and will last through May 20; Election Day is May 24.
The registration period for this election has passed; check if you're registered to vote here.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. As long as you're in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.
You'll need a valid photo ID to present once you're at a polling location.
Here are the early voting locations in Travis County.
View wait times at polling locations here.
Races to watch in Travis County:
Statewide
Lieutenant Governor
- Republican: Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Mike Collier and Michelle Beckley are vying to be the Democrat candidate on the ballot.
- Republican: Incumbent AG Ken Paxton is fighting for his seat against George P. Bush.
- Democratic: Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski will face off to be the Democratic candidate in this race.
View all the statewide races on the ballot here.
U.S. House of Representatives
View the district you live in here.
District 21
- Republican: Incumbent Chip Roy won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Claudia Andreana Zapata and Ricardo Villarreal are hoping to secure this vote.
- Republican: Dan McQueen and Michael Rodriguez are going head to head to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Former Austin council member Greg Casar won this race in March.
District 19
- Republican: Ellen Troxclair and Justin Berry are vying to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Pam Baggett won her primary in March.
Texas has been home to some of the country’s biggest celebrities of all time—think Amarillo resident Georgia O'Keeffe, Lubbock’s Buddy Holly and Corpus Christi’s famous singer Selena.
The Pudding’s People Map of the U.S., which shows each city’s “most Wikipedia’ed” resident, placed celebrities from all walks of life on the Texas map. As for Central Texas celebrities, there are some interesting (and not so surprising) names on deck.
(The Pudding)
Proving that Austin is “alright, alright, alright,” Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey is both Austin’s and Uvalde’s top Wikipedia’ed resident. McConaughey, who was born in San Antonio adjacent Uvalde, has deeply ingrained himself in Austin by studying Radio-Television-Film at UT Austin, starring in the Austin-filmed movie “Dazed and Confused” and investing in Austin FC.
Heading down just a few miles south, San Marcos claimed former president Lyndon Baines Johnson as Texas State University’s most famous alumni, who graduated in 1930, and was also named in Fredericksburg. LBJ wasn’t the only ex-president on the map—George W. Bush was listed as the top resident in Dallas, Midland, Houston and Crawford.
You’ll see some other names with ties to Austin strewn around the state: Janis Joplin in Beaumont and Port Arthur; Stone Cold Steve Austin in Victoria and Edna; Dan Rather in his hometown of Wharton; and Waylon Jennings in Littlefield.
Venturing outside of the central areas, there are big celebrities who call Texas Home. Actress and artist Selena Gomez dominated search traffic in her hometown of Grand Prairie, musical artist Post Malone was most “Wikipedia’ed” in Grapevine, and Shaquille O’Neal was named in the city where he went to high school, San Antonio.
Plus, Thomas Haden Church, Angela Kinsey, Jessica Simpson, Chuck Norris, Roy Orbison, Ron White, Jessica Alba, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Dean and Johnny Manziel all had at least one city covered on the list.
Where’s Texas’ newest resident, Elon Musk? You’ll find him still in Los Angeles, as his foray into Texas living has just begun.
Click here to view the full map.