The Dallas Morning News

Due to the weather forecast for the remainder of the week, ERCOT, the electrical grid operator for most of Texas, issued a weather watch for Wednesday through Friday ahead of what may be the coldest temperatures of the year. In other news, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is cutting 15% of its corporate staff, the company announced Monday. The layoffs amount to about 1,750 people; Southwest employs a total of more than 72,000 full-time or full-time equivalent workers; the jury trial for a civil lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is now scheduled for Aug. 11. Last week, attorneys for both Jones and the plaintiff appeared in front of Dallas County District Court Judge Aiesha Redmond. By the end of the hearing, Redmond ruled the trial — which was scheduled for March 3 — would be delayed; and two of Collin County’s largest cities will decide the future of hundreds of millions of dollars for publicly funded projects, including a slate of bond measures that would be the largest in Plano’s history. In Frisco, pay for elected officials could rise substantially. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mavericks assistant coach Darrell Armstrong was arrested Saturday on a charge of aggravated assault after allegedly hitting his girlfriend with a gun. Dallas police responded to a call at about 3:45 a.m. Saturday in the 1000 block of Ross Avenue. According to police, Armstrong was involved in an argument before he allegedly struck the victim with a gun and threatened to shoot her. In other news, a new political group opposed to President Donald Trump is organizing protests across the nation, including one today at Dallas’ City Hall. 50501 is planning “Not My President’s Day” protests at state capitols and city halls nationwide today. The protest in Dallas will be held at City Hall at noon; Texas’ largest teacher preparation program made enough progress to come off probation after years of scrutiny, allowing it to continue operation, state officials determined Friday; And as you plan to trim trees and clear the yard, the Dallas Zoo is asking you to consider donating your leafy twigs and branches. The Browse Program at the Dallas Zoo is accepting recently trimmed or felled landscaping to help feed and enrich its animals, from the towering African elephant to the spectacled dusky leaf monkey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A North Texas Republican wants to abolish the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. Freshman state Rep. Andy Hopper, R-Decatur, filed House Bill 2657, a proposal to transfer the powers and duties of the Texas Education Agency and the education commissioner to the State Board of Education, TEA’s policy-making body. In other news, the Texas Senate gave unanimous approval Thursday to proposals to cut property taxes by raising the Texas homestead exemption to $140,000, sending the measures to the House; a Texas judge on Thursday ordered a New York doctor to pay more than $100,000 in penalties for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, a ruling that could test “shield laws” in Democratic-controlled states where abortion is legal; and how did a North Texas bookstore get so popular, so quickly? Dallas-Fort Worth’s newest romance bookstore, The Plot Twist, is off to a steamy start. And just in time for Valentine’s Day. When the Denton shop opened in January, nearly 800 romance readers huddled in the chilly Texas weather on grand opening weekend, waiting to meet a few of their favorite authors. The Plot Twist owners, the mother-daughter duo Dawn Conner and Darci Middleton, opened The Plot Twist because they shared a love for romance novels and was created for those who read new romance novels, from contemporary to fantasy to young adult to dark and salacious. It’s a big time for “romantasy” and BookTok. Fiction and nonfiction saw a slight decline in sales between 2023 and 2024, but science fiction and fantasy were up. They took a leap of faith to open up their shop and it seems to be working: Books are flying off the shelves so fast, the mother-daughter duo is restocking shelves during business hours to keep up. If you’d like to check them out, The Plot Twist Romance Bookstore & Bar is at 227 W. Oak St., in Denton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas Morning News food team dives into the topic of GLP-1's and other weight loss drugs with the help of science fellow Miriam Fauzia. There's a philosophical element to the conundrum: Will dining change with shifting appetites and should restaurants be on the forefront of that change? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The six-year fight to change city policies that allowed a southern Dallas community to become the dumping ground for roofing debris — infamously known as ‘Shingle Mountain’ — is over. The Dallas City Council voted 12-1 Wednesday to rezone the neighborhood. In other news, The New York Stock Exchange will reincorporate its Chicago branch in Texas, it announced on Wednesday, rebranding it as NYSE Texas and moving to Dallas. With the upstart Texas Stock Exchange taking shape and the Nasdaq expanding its reach in the Lone Star State, the Dallas region is about to find out if “Y’all Street” is big enough for three players; Gov. Greg Abbott returned to the nation’s capital Wednesday in his ongoing pursuit of $11 billion from the federal government to cover the cost of the state’s 4-year-old border security initiative Operation Lone Star; And Jeff and Marissa Allen ask themselves a simple question anytime they visit a restaurant or try a new food. “Can we turn this into a cookie?” The Allens bakery, ‘Cookie Society’, has a loyal fanbase across Dallas-Fort Worth for their unique flavor combinations they infuse into the sweets they make. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant discuss [1:50] a lousy Super Bowl and how the Eagles made the Chiefs look so bad. Kevin says the real MVP was Howie Roseman, the Eagles' GM, who’s won two Lombardi Trophies with two head coaches and two quarterbacks. [16:52] Evan still can’t wrap his head around the fact that Nico Harrison traded a 25-year-old superstar, and Kevin notes that Anthony Davis has missed more games than Luka Doncic over the last seven seasons. [30:32] And Kevin peppers Evan with a few questions about the Rangers going into spring training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the fourth anniversary of her daughter’s death on a Fort Worth toll road, Cindy Gerred urged local and state leaders to adopt stricter safety standards on Texas tollways so that a similar event never happens again. The February 2021 collision is frozen in the minds of North Texas as one of the deadliest crashes in state history, a chain-reaction pileup that killed six people and injured dozens. Vehicles slid on black ice after 36 consecutive hours of freezing temperatures. In other news, a state appeals court says Dallas can’t enforce a ban limiting where short-term rentals listed on platforms like Airbnb can operate in the city; Alaska Airlines will stop flying out of Dallas Love Field in May giving up a presence it has fought bitterly to preserve for years; And with three months until voters return to the polls, Dallas County officials are not waiting to see if its current voting equipment provider can fix problems that caused thousands to vote in the Nov. 5 election with incorrect ballots. The Dallas County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a $7.6 million contract with St. Louis-based KNOWiNK to buy 4,500 poll pad devices for voter check-in and licensing and support services for two years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Authorities in Irving say a missing 12-year-old girl was found safe Monday in Alabama. Police said Alison Ramirez-Lopez left on foot around 10 a.m. Sunday for a birthday party, but she never showed up. Alison was reported missing about 13 hours later. In other news, many Mavericks fans expressed their displeasure at the team's management in the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade to Los Angeles. The Mavs lost in overtime 129-128 to Sacramento at AAC. 1,500 miles away, two of Dallas’ most beloved former players were welcomed with open arms by an overjoyed Los Angeles Lakers home crowd. Luka Doncic made his Lakers debut in a 132-113 win vs. the Utah Jazz; and a state appeals court says Dallas can’t enforce a ban limiting where short-term rentals listed on platforms like Airbnb can operate in the city. The ruling Friday means Dallas is 0-for-2 on legal challenges to regulations approved by the City Council in June 2023, which include banning short-term rentals in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont said, “the Dallas Mavericks are not moving to Las Vegas. There is no question in that. That is the answer, unequivocally. The Dallas Mavericks are the Dallas Mavericks and they will be in Dallas.” In other news, the Mavs got some bad news over the weekend though. They could be without their newly acquired star for a handful of games. According to the Mavericks’ injury report late Sunday afternoon, Davis has a left adductor strain. He is expected to miss multiple weeks, according to a person familiar with Davis’ status; the Tarrant County sheriff’s office has notified the public of the year’s first in-custody death at the county jail Saturday. The inmate, whose identity has yet to be reported publicly by the county medical examiner’s office, died at John Peter Smith Hospital two days after attempting suicide. The 36-year-old man is one of nearly 70 people who have died in custody at the jail since Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017; the Trump Administration’s proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada have been delayed, but a government economist warns that Texas will be “in the line of fire” if they are eventually put in place. Orrenius said her team had done a “back of the envelope” calculation into what a 25% tariff on Mexico could do to the Texas economy, and found a 15-30% decrease in GDP growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An additional 60 Texas educators are under investigation for potentially securing teaching certifications through a cheating ring, state officials said Thursday. The new probes by the Texas Education Agency bring the total number of educators accused of fraudulently obtaining certifications to roughly 160. In other news, North Texas native Scott Turner is taking charge of the federal department responsible for supporting affordable housing at a time when high rents and home prices remain a top concern of inflation-weary Americans. Turner addressed the workers he now leads Thursday as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, saying, “we have to find long-term solutions to make homes affordable, to spur business creation, to create economic opportunity for every American family.”; the global battle for the future of artificial intelligence has begun in Texas. OpenAI is expanding its push to construct data centers as a $500 billion “Stargate” initiative with the U.S. government takes shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas Morning News food team dives into North Texas some food brands and restaurants that are reinventing themselves — and how newbies, like beverage company Not Beer, try to stand out from the pack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most Texas schools showed improved academic performance for the first time in four years. That’s according to the advocacy group Children at Risk, which just released its annual index of school performance. The improvements mark a shift in post-pandemic school performance, and offer hope that schools are recovering from the disruption. In other news, while you expect to hear Dallas' outdoor warning system during a severe weather event, the sirens don’t always signal danger at other times. The city’s office of emergency management tests the sirens on the first Wednesday of the month at noon. The city does not conduct a test if the weather is bad, which included a cancellation of the test on Wednesday; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking about $11 billion to defray state spending on border security, didn’t come empty handed to Wednesday’s Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, telling the President that Texas can provide billions in assets to help the administration secure the border, enforce immigration laws and deport immigrants; And a 2,000-acre ranch roughly 90 miles southwest of Dallas has hit the market with an asking price of nearly $23.5 million. Lone Spring Ranch in Bosque County could be a private family retreat or the ideal spot for agricultural and cattle operations. Located on State Highway 144 about four miles north of Meridian, the ranch includes multiple residences, improved pastures, livestock facilities and a diverse landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant discuss [3:15] the most shocking trade in Dallas sports history, from what made Nico Harrison think trading Luka Doncic was a good idea to the flawed process that brought such a meager return. The only way for Nico to make up for it, Kevin says, is to win it all now. And maybe a couple more times. [51:08] Evan goes over what he expects from the Rangers as spring training commences. [34:05] And the guys make their Super Bowl picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The unseasonably warm weather is here to stay in North Texas through at least the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Temperatures will jump back up to a high 84 on tomorrow, 82 on Friday and 85 on Saturday, the weather service forecast shows. Some places may even heat up to 90 degrees. Sunday will be much chillier as a cold front comes through and causes temperatures to plummet meaning next week will feel more like a typical February outside with highs in the 50s and a possibility for a little rain. In other news, two Texas doctors have agreed to stop practicing medicine on patients after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued them under the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors; this week will see the reopening of the coffee shop and convenience store in Snider Plaza in University Park, across the street from Southern Methodist University; And the Met Gala, otherwise known as the Super Bowl of fashion, unveiled its star-studded host committee on Tuesday. Among those tapped for hosting duties are three luminaries with Texas connections: gymnast Simone Biles, musician André 3000 and sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed an agreement with the Trump administration to give immigration power to the Texas National Guard, allowing soldiers to arrest and help deport undocumented migrants. The agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency in charge of patrolling international borders, authorizes National Guard soldiers to exercise “the duties and functions of an immigration officer.” In other news, former Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was in the process of buying a new home in the Dallas area before the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers; Globe Life announced plans Monday to acquire a Class AA, six-story, 200,000-square-foot office building on Henneman Way and two adjacent tracts of land. The move allows Globe Life to retain more than 2,000 jobs in McKinney, and the firm plans to expand its workforce. Globe Life representatives did not provide further details about the transaction; And for over a decade, folks in southern Dallas have been working to get a supermarket to open there. When Tom Thumb got $5.8 million in incentives from the city to come to the Shops at RedBird in 2023, they thought it would happen. The store, originally planned to open early this year, was expected to be a step toward addressing residents’ push for quality food options in an area with limited access to groceries. Then, they learned that it wouldn’t be coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The city of Dallas is launching a nationwide search to find its next police chief following the departure of Eddie García. In other news, Lewisville ISD canceled Monday classes and city utility customers were told to boil their water before using it following a water main failure Saturday night. According to a statement on the Lewisville city website, water service has been restored to all customers, but officials said the system needs to be flushed and tested before the boil water order can be lifted; Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday he wants lawmakers to focus on subsidizing private school tuition, finding new sources of water, limiting bail for violent offenses, strengthening career training, and beefing up the state’s cybersecurity systems. Abbott also recommended that lawmakers devote some of the state budget — which includes a $24 billion surplus — to property tax relief, merit raises for teachers, border security, the power grid and school safety. And 'mourners' gathered outside American Airlines Arena on Sunday to mourn the loss of the trade of Dallas Mavericks player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Thursday cautioned against jumping to conclusions about what caused a tragic midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport. In other news, Texas officials have identified two measles cases in West Texas, both of them in unvaccinated school-age children. The children, who reside in Gaines County, were both hospitalized in Lubbock, the Department of State Health Services announced on Thursday; the explosion of uncertified teachers in Texas has led to a multimillion-dollar budget hole that may make it harder to investigate educators accused of misconduct. More than half of first-time Texas teachers hired last year were uncertified, which meant they didn’t have to pay state fees that are part of the certification process; And the Colony police said a criminal investigation is underway after over 80 animals were rescued from “concerning conditions” at a residential property. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas Morning News food team catches up on a first look at the James Beard Awards contenders for 2025 and also discusses some of the recent happenings in North Texas dining, including a bevy of restaurant closures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An American Airlines regional jet with 64 people aboard collided with a U.S Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport around 9 pm ET Wednesday, prompting a massive search and a ground stop that halted all takeoffs and landing. In other news, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, continuing a three-day series of border security-related actions, issued five executive orders Wednesday directing state agencies to assist President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations; users of Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s on-demand rideshare service GoLink could be subject to new rules beginning next April, as officials move to crack down on incidents that are burdening the system; and four years and 71 days: That’s how long North Texas breakfast spot Crossroads Diner was closed. The wait for pancakes and caramel-pecan sticky buns is over. Owner Tom Fleming reopened Crossroads Diner in Plano at 7 a.m. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [1:05] the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as the Cowboys’ 10th all-time head coach. David outlines the inner workings and how much of this was Stephen Jones’ call and how much was Jerry’s. [31:09] Evan gives us the latest on the Rangers’ new TV package and what it means in reaching 16 million potential viewers over a five-state area, increasing their market dramatically. [46:15] Kevin says the Mavs’ roster is the most complete they’ve ever had, but injuries mean they should add a center at the trade deadline coming up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas students largely aren’t making enough progress recovering from the learning disruptions touched off by the pandemic, new test results show. In other news, President Donald Trump’s administration’s crackdown on immigration, which began last week, has led to a daily spike in the number of arrests of undocumented people in the country; as a bird flu-induced egg shortage sweeps the country, North Texas restaurateurs are having to make adjustments to their menus to keep up with price increases and lack of availability. Matt Tobin, owner of Goodfriend Package and Goodfriend Beer Garden in East Dallas said, ‘we’ve seen a 20 to 25% increase in egg prices from November until now. They’re probably up 17 to 18% just in the last month.’ And the Dallas Cowboys’ confirmed that newly minted head coach Brian Schottenheimer will also serve as the team’s offensive play caller. The duty might’ve kept him in the building. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said after Schottenheimer’s introductory news conference Monday at The Star that former head coach Mike McCarthy would have continued to call plays had the team retained him as head coach. Schottenheimer — who served as offensive coordinator for two seasons under McCarthy — wouldn’t have hung around for a third year of that arrangement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keller’s schools superintendent may leave her job after speaking out against a proposal to split the school district in two. An agenda for Thursday’s school board meeting includes action items for trustees to consider a voluntary separation agreement and name an interim superintendent. In other news, a former Dallas police sergeant was charged last week on federal gun charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. Thomas Michael Fry was indicted Wednesday with three counts of possession and sale of a stolen firearm. He faces up to 30 years in Federal prison; Longtime Dallas City Council member Carolyn King Arnold won’t get a spot on the May 3 city election ballot due to new term limit rules that make her ineligible. That's according to an official ruling from the city secretary’s office; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amid cold, wet and gloomy weather conditions, hundreds of people gathered Sunday at the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in West Dallas to protest changes to U.S. immigration policy adopted by President Donald Trump last week. The demonstrators convened at the Trinity Skyline Trail and the intersection of Singleton Boulevard and Beckley Avenue to demonstrate against Trump’s policies. In other news, a Fort Worth teacher’s social media post is under investigation after the individual urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to come to Northside High School; Next up, an executive minister at Highland Park United Methodist Church resigned and turned himself in to police on solicitation of prostitution charges in October, according to court records and church statements. 72-year old John Fiedler had been a leader of the Highland Park church since 2013; And reaction to Brian Schottenheimer being named the Cowboys next head coach has gone...well, about the way you’d expect for a piece of news the club chose to drop a little before 9 o’clock on a Friday evening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lots of sunshine on the way today with a high of 59. Clear tonight with a low of 35. The weekend is looking a little wet. Saturday will be warmer with a passing shower in the afternoon. The high will be 65. Sunday will be a little cooler and a little rainier with a high of 47; Buc-ee’s has accused a Dallas-based gas station chain of copying its iconic cartoon beaver logo. In a federal lawsuit this month, the travel center behemoth says Super Fuels' logo of a brown dog sporting a red cape is too close to its logo of a brown beaver in a red hat. Both animals are set in front of circular backgrounds: Super Fuels' dog against a blue circle, and Buc-ee’s beaver against yellow. Buc-ee’s says in the lawsuit the dog “is likely to cause confusion” among customers who mistake the two from the road. In other news, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s base salary makes her the third-highest-paid city manager in Texas behind her old boss in Austin and San Antonio’s top executive; after a month of looking for the girl who went missing on Christmas Eve after her family’s vehicle was swept into a Sherman drainage ditch, Texas EquuSearch has taken over as the lead agency in the search for Clara Robinson. The 8-year-old girl was with her family as they were driving from their Oklahoma home to McKinney on U.S. 75 when their vehicle crashed on the wet road around 9:30 a.m., landing in a drainage ditch overflowing with rainwater; And Grapevine-raised musician Post Malone has partnered with Oreo on a limited edition cookie. The new flavor has swirls of salted caramel and shortbread-flavored creme sandwiched between a golden cookie and the traditional chocolate cookie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2025 has kicked off with a handful of new restaurant openings and announcements. The Dallas Morning News food team discusses some of those, along with the state of the Texas restaurant scene as restaurateurs and chefs confront proposed tariffs, no-tax-on-tips policy and more. Plus, a listener inspires a top cooking tips segment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas City Council appointed Kimberly Bizor Tolbert the first Black woman to serve as the city manager. In a 13-2 vote, she beat out two others for the job at the end of a nearly year-long search; In other news, President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is pardoning Ross Ulbricht, a Bitcoin pioneer and creator of the Silk Road marketplace that enabled the selling and buying of illicit substances on the dark web; restaurants, chefs and bars across the Dallas area made an appearance on the 2025 list of the James Beard Awards restaurant and chef semifinalists. The 35-year-old awards program from the James Beard Foundation recognizes talent in the culinary and food media industries annually. Categories range from emerging chef to outstanding restaurant; And on Day 10 of the Cowboys’ search for a head coach, Brian Schottenheimer got his second interview with Dallas. The consensus among outsiders is that Philadelphia’s Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore remains the favorite. Moore was the quarterbacks coach with Dallas in 2018 before being elevated to OC in 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [3:17] the protracted nature of the Cowboys’ coaching search as top candidates are hired elsewhere. Could it lead Jerry Jones to make a big splash with Deion Sanders? Is Kliff Kingsbury still in play? David tells us that Jerry has gone to the bunker to figure out his next move. [36:55] The guys talk about Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame in the national championship game and the favorite going into next season (Hint: Based in Austin). Kevin and David look at Luka Doncic’s injury and whether better conditioning could help him stave off some of them. And Evan tells us what’s up with Kirby Yates (gone to the Dodgers) and the new Victory+ streaming platform and what it means for Rangers fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas will not host the 2029 College Football Playoff title game as it hoped, but the committee in charge of North Texas’ bid made that decision. A report from The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy Monday said Tampa replaced Dallas as the host city for the game on Jan. 22, 2029 due to a scheduling conflict. However, a person familiar with Dallas’ bid told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that AT&T Stadium was never awarded the game and the committee withdrew its bid for other reasons last summer. In other news, a federal judge has ordered a Texas white supremacist group to pay $2.75 million to a Black musician who was violently attacked in Boston nearly three years ago; Next up, Dallas company Burger Schmurger will raise money for victims of the Los Angeles fires with a smashburger sale on Jan. 26th at Oak Highlands Brewery. Proceeds will benefit Pasadena Education Foundation, which has a fund supporting students, staff and families in the Pasadena Unified School District. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Texas jury has ordered a barbecue restaurant to pay $2.8 million to a woman who was badly burned by its barbecue sauce. 19-year-old Genesis Monita sued Bill Miller Bar-B-Q in San Antonio after spilling sauce on her right leg, resulting in second-degree burns; In other news, after being effectively outlawed in the U.S. after a Supreme Court ruling, the viral video platform briefly shut down late Saturday. A head-spinning series of events culminated on Sunday as President Donald Trump vowed to take executive action that allows TikTok to turn its lights back on, at least for the time being; The Blue Fish, a sushi restaurant that eventually grew to one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s biggest homegrown Japanese chains, has closed on Greenville Avenue in Dallas. The restaurant opened at that spot in 1998, then as a sake bar modeled after the cool-kids spots from Los Angeles, The Dallas Morning News’ critic wrote a few months after its debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With frigid temperature once again in the forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, officials are warning residents to not leave their cars running unattended, lest they want to pay a fine for several hundred dollars or have their car stolen. The Tarrant County Sheriff’s office is warning residents to not leave their cars running and unattended to warm during winter weather.; In other news, a U.S. appeals court on Friday ruled against outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden’s effort to protect immigrants illegally brought to the U.S. as children, siding with Texas just days before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office; The Dallas Cowboys’ NFC East rival Washington Commanders ended one of the NFL’s longest-standing conference championship game appearance droughts with an upset win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night. Division rival Philadelphia also won over the weekend, beating the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC Championship game and will play Washington next Sunday; And Dallas-Fort Worth attracts people of all kinds, including celebrities such as Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Keith Lee and Martha Stewart. Movie stars, sports commentators, musicians, politicians and other well-known people travel to the Dallas area for work, whether to film or perform, and sometimes for leisure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A mix of sun and clouds today turning breezy this afternoon. The high will be 64. Clear tonight with a low of 38. Get ready for a drop in temperature though. Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high of 48 but then the temp will plummet on Sunday. Sunny skies but a high of only 37. The overnight lows over the weekend will be in the low 20s. Those frigid temperatures will stick around until Wednesday. In today's news: Real estate investor Nate Paul, whose ties to Attorney General Ken Paxton led to impeachment charges in 2023, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution; In other news, Keller families lambasted their school board on Thursday night during a heated meeting about a proposal to split the district in two. The idea, which the board discussed but took no action on, has so inflamed the community that Superintendent Tracy Johnson said she was prepared to resign; Nintendo confirmed on Thursday that it will release its hotly anticipated successor to its Switch console this year — and Dallas will be one of the first places to get a preview April 25-27. And many of the authentic flavors of Mexico found in D-F-W have ties to the people who have migrated to the region. Some of these dishes have generations-long traditions, cooking methods and even secret ingredients. The Dallas Morning News is launching a new series documenting and highlighting authentic flavors of Mexico found here in North Texas. Visit dallasnews.com/sabores to read more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Dry January from some, and The Dallas Morning News food team is delving into the topic of drinking in moderation and who is making the best mocktails in town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that could determine whether the United Methodist Church controls Southern Methodist University. SMU changed its governing language in 2019 to declare itself independent from the denomination’s control about nine months after the United Methodist Church voted to strengthen bans on gay weddings and pastors in gay relationships. In other news, federal officials accused a North Texas homeowners association of discrimination for trying to kick out residents who receive government assistance to pay rent; Texas’ use of computers to score written answers on the state standardized test is under scrutiny in Dallas after school officials learned that thousands of students were awarded marks that were too low; And many of the authentic flavors of Mexico found in D-F-W have ties to the people who have migrated to the region. Some of these dishes have generations-long traditions, cooking methods and even secret ingredients. The Dallas Morning News is launching a new series documenting and highlighting authentic flavors of Mexico found here in North Texas. Visit dallasnews.com/sabores to read more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [4:28] the split between Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys and how much Jerry Jones’, uh, frugality had to do with it. David says he thinks the call between Jerry and Deion Sanders was a smokescreen designed to give both a little publicity and Deion some leverage in contract talks at Colorado. The guys also offer their favorites for the job. (Hint: David wins with a nomination of Pete Carroll). [35:50] Discussion of Texas’ loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl focuses on Quinn Ewers’ fumble and Steve Sarkisian’s call for a sideways run on the goal line. And Evan tells us why Roki Sasaki won’t be a Ranger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican, was elected speaker of the Texas House as the 89th session of the Texas Legislature kicked off Tuesday, defeating the preferred candidate of grassroots Republicans and requiring help from Democrats to prevail; In other news, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh’s job over an alleged violation of the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI; Arlington police are investigating a Monday evening shooting that left one person dead at an apartment complex. At about 5:50 p.m., officers responded to the 2400 block of Laurelwood Drive on reports of a shooting; And many of the authentic flavors of Mexico found in D-F-W have ties to the people who have migrated to the region. Some of these dishes have generations-long traditions, cooking methods and even secret ingredients. The Dallas Morning News is launching a new series documenting and highlighting authentic flavors of Mexico found here in North Texas. Visit dallas news dot com forward slash sabores to read more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike McCarthy’s tenure with the Cowboys has come to an end. The two sides have reached the decision to move on. After a disappointing 7-10 season that came down to a referendum on the job done by McCarthy and his staff and the approach Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, took in building this team, the club now begins its search for the 10th head coach in franchise history. The Cowboys compiled a 49-35 record in McCarthy’s five seasons. In other news, the Texas Legislature convenes for its 89th regular session at noon today, kicking off 140 days of wrangling over the business of the state; also, a second suspect was arrested Saturday in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred two months ago near a Walmart in Frisco. On the evening of Nov. 13, officers responded to a call reporting gunshots near the Walmart located on the northeast corner of Eldorado Parkway and FM 423. 24-year-old Jada Mansfield, of Dallas, was arrested in connection with the shooting; And Morton’s - The Steakhouse closed in Dallas at the end of the year. The legendary restaurant with nearly 40 years of history opened originally in Dallas’ West End in 1987 and moved 24 years later to Uptown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power and cancelled or delayed flights, Texas and other Deep South states were slowly thawing as weather warmed. Conditions in North Texas were returning to normal after a winter weather blast packing snow, ice and wintry mix disrupted the region Thursday into Friday; In other news, firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise; work on $370 million high-rises planned in Uptown Dallas is scheduled to begin later this year. Chalk Hill Towers is a mixed-use development set between North Harwood Street and Harry Hines Boulevard; And Klay Thompson added another milestone to his long list of accomplishments in the NBA. The Mavs sharpshooter reached the 16,000-point mark in Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center. Thompson was key to a hot start for the Mavericks, going 5-for-7 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range as Dallas raced out to a comfortable first-half lead. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure the win. The Mavs led by as many as 19 in the third quarter but Denver rallied in the fourth to beat Dallas 112-101. The teams will meet again on Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drivers in North Texas should be extremely careful Friday morning after the region was blasted with wintry precipitation and below-freezing temperatures overnight, when the region is expected to face the worst travel impacts. Caution should also be maintained throughout the day, as the area could see black ice in the evening and overnight. And any remaining water on roadways could refreeze when overnight temperatures are forecast to drop into the teens. Several counties in the region — including Collin, Dallas, Denton, Kaufman and Tarrant — also remain under the winter storm warning until midday Friday; In other news, Macy’s is pulling back in North Texas. The storied department store is shuttering five sites in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as part of a broader plan to close more than 60; Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy met for a third consecutive day about the head coach’s fate with the Cowboys, two people with knowledge of the process told The Dallas Morning News. Discussions are expected to continue today. McCarthy’s five-year contract with the club ended in the wake of the team’s 23-19 loss to Washington to end the regular season; The Texas Longhorns will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 89th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic tonight at AT&T Stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas Morning News food team discusses the hottest restaurant openings of 2025 in D-FW. They also dive into comments from readers on what they want to see more and less of in the North Texas dining scene. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It will be cold with periods of snow and sleet in Dallas today. Between 2 and 4 inches of snow is expected with a high of 36 and a low of 32. The snow will continue overnight and linger into Friday morning; With forecasts calling for a mixture of snow and sleet, shoppers scrambled this week to stock up on food and winter-weather supplies like outdoor faucet covers, firewood and portable generators. In some stores, they found picked-over produce and nearly bare shelves. At a Whole Foods in Fort Worth, delivery trucks were delayed due to winter weather elsewhere. A cashier at a Kroger in Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood said they were restocking the shelves as quickly as possible; airlines and airports are doing their best to prepare for the wintry weather. Airports are pretreating and clearing the tarmac, runways, driving lanes and pedestrian walkways. DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field have taken steps in advance of the storm. A Love Field spokesperson said the airport has four snow plows, a tanker and two trailers to disperse over 40,000 available gallons of liquid deicer, and dump trucks to spread over 166,000 available pounds of solid deicer. In other news, Texas lawmakers vowed Tuesday to hold Big Tech accountable for failing to protect minors from harm on social media, including exposure to pornography and sex trafficking. And three Dallas-based firms are partnering to develop a $1 billion data center campus south of Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and David Moore discuss [3:12] Mike McCarthy's status and the odds that he'll be back as the Cowboys' head coach. David notes that they might have gotten a little arrogant thinking that Tyler Guyton could duplicate what Tyler Smith did before him, and the mistakes made overall in the last two drafts impacted this disappointing season. [29:55] Kevin says Texas will have to play its best game of the season to beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl semifinals, which might be the actual championship game. [42:57] The guys also discuss what impact the Mavs' injuries will have on the trade deadline and whether it'll be a problem heading toward the playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It will be mostly sunny but chilly today with a high of 42. Clouds will move in this evening with a low of 30 expected. Of course the focus is really on tomorrow’s weather with a wintry mix of snow and sleet forecast for North Texas and temperatures hovering around the freezing mark all day. Dallas officials urged residents to stay off city streets once wintry weather hits North Texas as soon as late Wednesday and focus on protecting their pipes, pets, plants and people. Officials overseeing roads, public safety, homelessness response and other city infrastructure say preparations for snow and ice began Sunday amid frigid temperatures and are expected to ramp up starting Wednesday. ERCOT, the electrical grid operator for most of Texas, has issued a weather watch scheduled to last through Friday “due to forecasted cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves.” In other news, the U.S. Department of Justice has expanded its lawsuit over price fixing in the rental housing market, accusing a Dallas-based apartment management firm and five of the nation’s largest landlords of participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that drove up rents. And Jay Hartzell didn’t set out to leave the University of Texas’ flagship campus for a smaller private college in Dallas. But after SMU board members began aggressively recruiting him for their soon-to-be-vacant president job, Hartzell listened. He will take over at SMU in June, capping the 30-year tenure of R. Gerald Turner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ready for a cool down today and the rest of the week. Clouds will roll into the area with a high of 40 today. The overnight low will be 26. The weather is the big story as the temperature will drop in the coming days with the possibility of a ‘measureable snow’ beginning on Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday. The rain-snow mix is expected to last into Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. A forecast Monday afternoon showed some areas of North Texas getting between 2 to 5 inches of snow with isolated areas further west possibly getting up to 8 inches of accumulation during the winter storm; Fans traveling to Arlington this week for the Cotton Bowl game may be met with wintery weather conditions. The Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium will be the site of the College Football Playoff semifinal game between Texas and Ohio State, which kicks off Friday at 6:30 p.m.; well into the fall semester, New Hope Christian Academy in Plano abruptly announced it would cease operations, sending families scrambling to find a new school and leaving teachers unpaid and confused. Former staffers say the school had about 75 students from pre-K through 12th grades; And according to Southern Living magazine, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House is one of the best Southern restaurants in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plenty of sunshine on the way today but it will be significantly cooler than it was over the weekend with a high of only 38. The low tonight will be 24. Chances are rising that North Texas could see some form of wintry precipitation this week. The cold is projected to stay over the area all week, and temperatures are expected to rise above freezing most days before falling again each evening. According to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, a forecast discussion on Sunday mentioned that there is a “high confidence in wintry precipitation” from Wednesday night through Friday morning with a “70-80% chance of at least measurable, or a tenth of an inch of snowfall accumulations.” The highest chance of precipitation is Thursday night into early Friday, but the chance of precipitation starts as early as just after midnight Thursday. Snow and ice could accumulate Friday morning, but it is unlikely to last for a prolonged period as the forecast high that day in Dallas is 43; At First Baptist Dallas, construction workers have embarked on the painstaking work of demolishing and preserving high-value pieces of the church’s historic sanctuary, which was heavily damaged in a July fire; And the Cowboys’ season finally ended Sunday at AT&T Stadium against their long-time rivals the Washington Commanders. The Commanders defeated the Cowboys 23-19 as the season ended in dramatic fashion when Marcus Mariota connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terry McLaurin with three seconds left. The Cowboys finished the season 7-10. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mostly cloudy in the Dallas area today. The sun will peek through on occasion with a high temp of 62. The clouds will stick around this evening with a low of 51. Saturday will be cloudy as well with a chance for an afternoon thunderstorm. The high and low will not differ more than a few degrees in the low 60s. Sunday will be a bit of a transition day. Mostly sunny skies with a high of 64 and then as the day progresses into the evening and early morning hours of Monday, the temperature will plummet into the low 20s, setting up a chilly start for a cold week ahead. Investigators are probing why Shamsud-Din Jabbar who bragged about his Beaumont roots and militant work ethic went from working in real estate to praising ISIS just before he launched a deadly attack in New Orleans. In other news, the suspects at the center of the New Year’s terror attack in New Orleans, and another in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, both got their vehicles through an app-based car rental service called Turo. Also, November home sales in Dallas-Fort Worth showed the strongest year-over-year improvement since mid-2021 — but those who watch the market closely have some concerns. And, the Texas Longhorns are gearing up for their Jan. 10 showdown with Ohio State in the semifinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tiger Bech, the brother of Texas Christian University wide receiver Jack Bech, has been identified as one of the victims of the deadly truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. He was 27. In other news, four people were killed in a vehicle crash in Mesquite early Wednesday and a man faces charges. Four people were standing outside the car when another vehicle headed east “drifted onto the shoulder” and hit all four people and the disabled car; one person was killed and three others were wounded Wednesday afternoon during a shooting in Red Bird. Officers were dispatched about 2:40 p.m. to the 2900 block of St. George Drive, near Chaucer Place, where they found four people had been shot; And the Texas Longhorns have punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals for a second straight year. Andrew Mukuba intercepted Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt in the second overtime of yesterday’s Peach Bowl to give Texas a 39-31 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Longhorns will advance to the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and will face Ohio State who beat Oregon last night in the Rose Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Jane Ramos, the fiancée of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, had items worth thousands of dollars stolen from her vehicle the day after Christmas, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Dallas Morning News. According to a Dallas Police Department report, “several pieces of property” worth close to $40,000 were stolen Sunday night. In other news, this year’s New Year’s Eve entertainment at Reunion Tower will no longer include a drone display as the show’s North Texas-based drone provider contends with a Florida crash. Dallas Love Field travelers won’t have to journey as far to catch an Uber or Lyft at the airport starting Friday. Airport officials say they’re moving the rideshare pickup area closer to the terminal, which is expected to cut the walk from baggage claim roughly in half. And a Colleyville man is accused of assaulting law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced earlier this month that the FBI arrested Daniel Dustin Deneui on Dec. 18 in Fort Worth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jimmy Carter, the one-term president of the post-Watergate era whose unparalleled peace-making during a remarkable 40-year post-presidential period earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100. In other news, the Dallas Cowboys lost 41-7 at Philadelphia on Sunday but it won’t necessarily determine Mike McCarthy’s fate. Five years of results as the Cowboys head coach tilts the scales more than anything that happens in the final eight days of the regular season. But what the Eagles did to a Dallas team that had won four of its last five games on an unseasonably warm afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field didn’t help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas Animal Services is set to host “Calming the Canines” on Dec. 31, designed to alleviate the stress experienced by shelter pets during the New Year’s Eve fireworks. The event will begin at 10:30 p.m. and finish up around 12:30 a.m., and DAS is calling on the community to participate in the initiative; In other news, venture into the great outdoors on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with Texas Parks and Wildlife. The state agency will once again host First Day Hikes, a way to start the new year (and those resolutions for better health) on the right foot. Ray Roberts Lake State Park, an hour north of Dallas is hosting its second Tri-Park-A-Thon. Attendees can choose to join for nearly a full day of activity or just for a leg of the journey. The first hike is at 9 a.m., second is at 11, and then again at 1:30 p.m. Each hike is between two and five miles. Hikers who complete all three hikes receive a prize; what makes Plano one of the best cities in the country to raise kids? For many it comes down to affordability, education, child care, family fun and socioeconomics. This year, personal finance company WalletHub ranked Plano the fourth best city in the country to raise a family; And if 2024 was the year inflation altered how often we dined in Dallas-Fort Worth, 2025 will be the year we take back our seat at the table. Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association said, “Cautious optimism” is the catchphrase in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Kristine J. Guleserian is the director of the congenital heart surgery program at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas. The 56-year old surgeon treats tiny patients on a daily basis, operating on babies who are born with improperly functioning hearts. Guleserian has a lot of professional experience with pediatric heart defects; In other news, ScholarShot offers scholarships and mentors low-income and first-generation college students with individualized plans and support through graduation. The organization takes 50 students every year from a pool of about 1,200 applicants. The program aims to solve a statewide problem: Many low-income students who enroll in college don’t ever graduate; first responders in Sherman are searching for a missing 8-year-old girl who was swept into a drainage ditch on Christmas Eve after a car crashed off US Highway 75. Crews searched for the girl much of the night and picked up again Christmas morning. ; And the Dallas Mavericks nearly pulled off a Christmas Day miracle but lost 105-99 to Minnesota. The Mavs’ Luka Doncic injured his left calf in the first quarter and will undergo an MRI on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the injury confirmed Wednesday to The Dallas Morning News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices