Presidential Sneak Peek

Step inside the new George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU

The George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU opens to the public May 1, but those wishing to get a sneak peek of the 43rd presidential library needn't wait. The property has already been toured by the media, and the center will live-stream its April 25 dedication, which will be attended by five living presidents, including Barack Obama.

The center encompasses more than 225,000 square feet and is surrounded by a 15-acre nature park replete with prairie landscaping and a wildflower meadow.

"George did not want this to be a monument to himself," said First Lady Laura Bush.

Former First Lady Laura Bush made a surprise appearance at the media preview of the center on April 24. She briefly spoke to reporters in the Rose Garden, which was modeled after the one at the White House.

"I hope people really learn and re-learn the history of the first decade of our new century," she said. "I think people will be very moved by the 9/11 exhibit, and I think that's important because we still, obviously, live with the effects of 9/11."

The University Park facilities are located near SMU's entrance and include a library, museum, presidential archives and public policy institute. In addition to the Oval Office replica, the center boasts the actual Bush White House "Situation Room," which was reconstructed piece-by-piece for the museum. The room is set up to connect Texas schoolchildren with students in California at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library.

Although it bears his name, Laura Bush said that her husband didn't want the center to just be about him. "George did not want this to be a monument to himself," she said. "He said that from the very beginning."

Bush's official portrait for the center is at least one example of sharing the spotlight. He appears alongside former British prime minister Tony Blair in the 7-by-9-foot oil painting.

Statues of George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, welcome visitors to the museum.

Photo by Jerry McClure

Statues of George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, welcome visitors to the museum.

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Innovation highway

Amazon's Zoox robotaxis steer into Dallas, revving up rivalry with Waymo

Photo courtesy of Zoox

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Ride-hailing robotaxis operated by Amazon-owned Zoox will soon hit the roads in Dallas, alongside those operated by chief competitor Waymo.

Zoox is expanding its test fleet to Dallas and Phoenix after launching pilot projects in Austin, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Zoox says in a blog post that Dallas and Phoenix are “rapidly growing metropolitan areas with high demand for ride-hailing and first- and last-mile connections. Expanding into these cities allows us to test in sprawling environments, differentiating this … from our testing in other dense metro areas like San Francisco.”

In Dallas and Phoenix, Zoox vehicles will be on the streets of centrally located neighborhoods, the company says.

“Dallas provides a valuable testing ground to refine our AI against diverse weather and complex road networks,” Zoox adds.

The Zoox test fleet, which comprises retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs, has been traveling on public roadways since 2017, starting with the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas. Amazon bought the company in 2020 for $1.3 billion.

When Zoox tests its robotaxis in a new market, it initially focuses on mapping streets before moving on to autonomous driving.

“There is always a safety driver behind the wheel who can take over at any time, disengaging the AI if needed,” the company says.

After finishing its tests with SUVs in Dallas and Phoenix, Zoox will start testing its box-shaped, purpose-built robotaxis.

In the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas, their vehicles have traveled more than one million miles and served more than 300,000 ride-hailing passengers.

Zoox joins Waymo in introducing self-driving taxis to Dallas. Last month, Waymo announced its entry into the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, Florida, markets.

Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company, says it has logged more 20 million ride-hailing trips in 10 cities, including Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

“Dallas is excited for Waymo to launch operations in our city, providing Dallas residents and visitors with new, innovative transportation options,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in February. “The availability of Waymo’s fully autonomous ride service further cements Dallas’ reputation as one of America’s most innovative and dynamic cities.”

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