Texas continues to lead the charge in data center employment, with the second-highest number of jobs nationwide, new data shows.

Why it matters: Companies, investors and the government are pouring tons of money and resources into data centers to help power AI and other next-gen tech. But there's debate over how many jobs they'll create and whether they're worth the energy required to run them.

By the numbers: At 17%, California has the highest share of data center employment in the nation, followed by Texas, with 10% (47,856 jobs), per the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Workforce Indicators.

• Texas has seen a 38% increase in data center jobs from 2018 to 2024.
• Travis, Dallas, Collin, Harris and Bexar counties accounted for nearly 76% of the state's total data center employment in the second quarter of 2024.

Zoom in: New data centers were recently announced for Hutto and San Marcos — and DataCenters.com lists more than 25 current data centers in Austin.

• Outside the nation's core data center hubs, such as Northern Virginia and Silicon Valley, the Austin-San Antonio region has the most data center space under construction in the country, per a 2024 report by real estate firm CBRE.

The big picture: This expansion is in line with the broader surge in data center investments by big tech companies, as the industry faces mounting demand to support AI's growing energy needs, Axios recently reported.

• The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) forecasts that electricity demand from major users like data centers will jump nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025.

What we're watching

A Houston-area midwife and her medical assistant are accused of illegally performing abortions, per Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The big picture: The case is believed to be one of the first in which a health care provider was arrested on suspicion of violating Texas' abortion ban since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The end of Roe allowed the state's ban — already on the books — to take effect.

Driving the news: Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, is facing charges of performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony, and practicing medicine without a license, a third-degree felony.

• Her medical assistant, José Manuel Cendan Ley, 29, is facing the same charges and is accused of assisting her in at least one abortion.

Rojas has been a licensed midwife in Texas since 2018, per state records.

What they're saying: Paxton said in a statement he "will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted."

The other side: Holly Shearman, clinical director of Tomball Birth Center, where Rojas worked part-time, told the Texas Tribune she was "shocked" by the arrest.

• "I don't believe it for one second," she said of the allegations against Rojas, whom she described as a skilled midwife and devout Catholic.
• Rojas does not yet have a defense attorney, per court records.

Zoom out

The Justice Department is reportedly in the early stages of investigating egg producers for antitrust violations, but proving criminal activity won't be easy.

Why it matters: High egg prices alone don't suggest collusion is happening. To understand why, we need to turn to Microeconomics 101, and specifically the question of price elasticity.

The big picture: Price elasticity measures the degree to which consumers are willing, or unwilling, to pay higher prices for certain items.

• Eggs have astonishingly low price elasticity: Demand barely falls as price rises. As a result, even modest reductions in supply are likely to result in huge price increases.

Follow the money: Berkeley economist Aaron Smith has run the numbers on egg price elasticity and found that it took a 228% increase in the price of eggs to reduce purchases by a mere 4%.

How it works: "Egg demand is inelastic because there are few good substitutes and it doesn't take up a huge portion of most people's budget," Smith wrote. It's not pleasant to pay more for eggs, he noted, but "most people are willing and able to do it."

Zoom in: More than 18 million eggs a day are laid in Texas, per the Texas Poultry Federation, including at scores of Austin-area farms.

🧯Nine homes and several outbuildings were destroyed in the Gillespie County fire north of Fredericksburg that started Saturday, authorities say. The fire has burned roughly 10,000 acres and is 85% contained. (KVUE)

🏞️ Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says a state legislative proposal to fold the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department into other state agencies could save the state money.

• Miller said he is not endorsing the bill but that his department is equipped to absorb some parks department duties. (CBS Austin)

🏀 The Longhorns men's basketball team tips off against Xavier in the First Four NCAA Tournament today at 8:10pm CT in Dayton, Ohio. (Horns247)

A boundary-pushing Asian comfort food spot in Austin is teaming up with a local bagelry on some juicy sandwiches.

Why it matters: For generations, the bagel has been married to lox.

• Now it meets fried chicken.

What's happening: On Saturday and Sunday, the Peached Tortilla is teaming up with the Leander-based Williamson County Bagel Company to add two new bagel sandwiches and a house-made chili crisp cream cheese to their menu.

The dishes include:

• The Sichuan Sausage Sando: Monterey Jack cheese, yellow onion, arugula and sriracha mayo ($14)
• Hot Honey Breakfast Sando: Katsu chicken, fried egg, apple slaw, and fermented honey ($15)

📍 If you go: The new menu items will be available at Peached Tortilla's Burnet Road and Cedar Park locations.