Five stories that have North Texas talking: Russians fool Rick Perry; DACA protesters block streets in Austin; Denton’s new radio station hits the airwaves; and more.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry was duped by a pair of Russian pranksters in a recent phone conversation.
Perry thought he was speaking with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, but notorious jokesters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus, were actually on the other end, according to the Washington Post. The 22-minute call was posted online by Russian news site, Vesti.
The conversation was wide-ranging. The Associated Press reports: “The two men pitched Perry on a new fuel they said was made from alcohol and manure and discussed President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, as well as possible cyberattacks and the Trump administration’s desire to export natural gas to Ukraine, according to a recording posted online.”
Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes confirmed the call, saying the pair targets high-level officials and celebrities “who are supportive of an agenda that is not in line with their governments. In this case, the energy security of Ukraine.”
If Rick Perry, John McCain, R-Ariz., and singer Elton John didn’t have something in common before, they do now. All have been pranked by the Russian duo. [The Washington Post, The Associated Press]
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- Rawlings, Price and other mayors of Texas’ largest cities didn’t make the list of meetings Gov. Greg Abbott’s taking with local leaders over the coming week. [Austin American-Statesman]
- Seagoville’s academic decathlon team has nearly doubled in size in the last year. Meet the force behind the Dallas school’s winning team: Coach Mark Harrington. [KERA News]
- Dozens marched to Ken Paxton’s office to protest his push to end DACA, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. [KUT]
- Denton’s finally got its own community radio station: KUZU 92.9 FM. [Central Track]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up forour weekly emailfor the North Texas news you need to know.
