News

Unusual Murder Trial Begins For Police Officer Who Killed Jordan Edwards

By Jolie McCullough, Texas Tribune • 2 hours ago

DALLAS — The body camera footage started with former police officer Roy Oliver jovially teasing teenagers fleeing from a party busted by the cops, laughing as they complained about walking through the mud.

Voters In Dallas School District Will Decide On 13-Cent Tax Increase This Fall

By Gus Contreras • 4 hours ago

Residents in the Dallas school district will vote on a 13-cent tax increase this November.

The school board Thursday night approved a recommendation for an election on a proposal to raise the district’s maintenance and operating tax rate from $1.04 to $1.17 — the maximum state law allows.

Domingo Garcia Wants LULAC To Return To Roots, Become 'New Voice For Latinos'

By Rick Holter & Francesca Paris • 6 hours ago

One of the nation's most prominent Latino organizations has a new leader, and he's a familiar face to North Texans.

Prosecutor: Former Balch Springs Officer Who Shot Jordan Edwards Was 'Trigger Happy'

By RYAN TARINELLI/ASSOCIATED PRESS • 21 hours ago

Rose Baca / The Dallas Morning News via AP, Pool

A former Texas police officer accused of killing a black teenager was angry, out of control and "trigger happy" when he fired at a car full of teenagers while responding to a house party, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday during the ex-officer's murder trial.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Urges Teacher Retirement System Not To Raise Health Care Premiums

By Aliyya Swaby, Texas Tribune & Sydney Greene/Texas Tribune • Aug 16, 2018

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is urging the Teacher Retirement System not to raise health care premiums for retired teachers, arguing that state lawmakers should take on the burden of increased costs.

Murder Trial To Begin For Former Balch Springs Officer Who Killed Jordan Edwards

By Ryan Tarinelli/Associated Press • Aug 15, 2018

A murder trial for a former Texas police officer who killed a black teenager highlights the heightened role video evidence plays in high-profile police shootings that have stirred discourse and triggered protests nationwide over issues of race and law enforcement.

UT Dallas Professor Designing 'Smart' Material That Changes Shape To Heal Wounds

By Justin Martin • Aug 15, 2018

A bio-engineering professor at the University of Texas at Dallas has received a half-a-million-dollar grant to further his research into material that could help with human healing.

Plano To Cancel Recall Election For City Councilman Who Shared Anti-Islam Post

By Molly Evans • Aug 15, 2018

A recall election to decide whether to remove a Plano City Council member who made an anti-Islam social media post will be called off.

10 State Fair Food Finalists: Bacon-Wrapped Cake, 'Tater Tot On Steroids' And More

By Molly Evans • Aug 15, 2018

Good news first: The folks at the State Fair of Texas have chosen 10 intriguing new foods to compete in the final round of the 14th annual Big Tex Choice Awards.

OK, bad news: Deep Fried Ranch did not make this year's cut.

Texas Gives School Districts A-F Grades: See How Your District (And Schools) Fared

By Stella M. Chávez, Molly Evans & Bill Zeeble • Aug 15, 2018

The Texas Education Agency rolled out a new A through F accountability system Wednesday that measures the academic performance of school districts.

Pregnant At 15, She Finished High School Early For Her Son — And 'A Different Story To Tell'

By Courtney Collins • Aug 14, 2018

Schnthia Herod has always had big, bright eyes and even bigger plans for herself. When we first met her in 2013, the 11-year-old was proud to have mastered many household tasks and basic budgeting.

"If I didn't learn all the cleaning and all the chores and the discipline now, when I grow up and my mom's not there to walk me through every step, I'd be lost," she said.

Now, at 16, Schnthia is the mom looking out for a little one. Five month-old Eulijah is all she thinks about.

Dallas Police Use 'Cite And Release' In Fraction Of Marijuana Possession Cases

By Molly Evans • Aug 14, 2018

Dallas police officers have applied "cite and release" in just 65 out of more than 1,500 marijuana-related cases, according to data presented Monday at a City Council public safety meeting.

How Texas Educators Train Before Arming Themselves At School

By Matthew Choi/Texas Tribune • Aug 14, 2018

PFLUGERVILLE — A gaggle of reporters clustered last week near shelves of picture books and signs marked "Love" and "Read" in the Windermere Elementary School library.

Then shots rang. The reporters jolted back, their iPhones shaking in surprise. A gunman ran through the hallway until he was shot down by a masked educator.

Fort Worth's Lockheed Martin Signs Inaugural Class Of Interns It’s Nurtured Since High School

By Bill Zeeble • Aug 13, 2018

It’s a very big day. Applause, cheers and deep thumping beats belie the athletic atmosphere.

This is no stadium, but a large, festive room on Lockheed Martin’s sprawling campus in Fort Worth. Dozens of students with hundreds of relatives and Lockheed employees are celebrating signing day.

South Asian Arts And Culture 'Beyond Bollywood' Finds New Space In Design District

By Anne Bothwell • Aug 13, 2018

A new gallery and performance venue in Dallas’ Design District will highlight art from South Asia, but the founders hope artists and art groups around North Texas will use the space.

Center Stage is home base to the nonprofit Dallas Indian Arts Collective (DIAC). Anu Agarwal and Jitin Hingorani formed the collective to showcase and preserve Indian culture for South Asians — and introduce it to a larger audience.

Acid Reflux Is Common, But Symptoms Could Signal More Serious Condition

By Sam Baker • Aug 13, 2018

Over-the-counter medications usually relieve most cases of acid reflux, or what some call “nighttime heartburn," but they don’t always work.

It’s Tax-Free Weekend In Texas. Here’s What You Need To Know

By Molly Evans • Aug 10, 2018

Summer break doesn’t end in Texas without one last holiday: tax-free weekend.

Since 1999, Texas shoppers have been given an annual tax reprieve on items students and teachers need most as they prepare to return to school: clothing, shoes, school supplies and backpacks.

Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway Pleads Guilty To Corruption; Resigns From City Council

By Molly Evans • Aug 9, 2018

Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges Thursday morning. He's also resigned from City Council.

Caraway pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Texas.

Plaintiffs Say Texas Voter ID Fight Is Over

By Alexa Ura, Texas Tribune • Aug 9, 2018

After seven long years of litigation, opponents of Texas' voter ID law say the case is over.

In a court filing on Wednesday, opponents of the law requiring Texas voters to present photo identification to vote told a federal district judge that the case was settled and that they would not pursue any other remedies or changes to the law they first challenged in 2011 as discriminatory against voters of color.

Judge Hears Texas' Challenge To DACA In Houston

By Julian Aguilar, Texas Tribune • Aug 9, 2018

The state of Texas will continue to incur irreparable financial harm if an Obama-era immigration program isn't halted immediately, attorneys for the state argued in Houston on Wednesday.

Tensions Mount As Fort Worth Leaders Work To Fix $1.6 Billion Pension Problem

By Christopher Connelly • Aug 8, 2018

Fort Worth is scrambling to find a fix to shore up its pension fund, which will go bankrupt within 30 years if nothing is done, according to city leaders.

Texas Will Soon Release A-F Grades For Schools. Educators Are Organizing In Opposition.

By Aliyya Swaby, Texas Tribune • Aug 8, 2018

In exactly a week, Texas will give its school districts official grades for the first time, rating them on a scale from A through F, with state officials promising a more transparent system that will show parents how their schools are educating students.

What Texans Really Think About Health Care, According To The 2018 Lyceum Poll

By Molly Evans • Aug 8, 2018

This year’s Texas Lyceum Poll from the Texas Politics Project asked — as always — about how Texas adults feel about their elected officials and how they plan to vote in the upcoming elections.

The 2018 poll also looked into Texans’ assessment of how well the health care system is working today, from government-run programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, to the access they have — or lack — through private insurance companies.

Legal Battle Over 3D-Printed Guns Illustrates Challenges With New Technology

By Justin Martin & Molly Evans • Aug 8, 2018

Plans to upload blueprints to the internet for 3D-printed guns are on hold as lawsuits crop up around the country seeking to control their distribution — and as with any new technology, the law is playing catch-up.