The Dallas Morning News

Todd Wagner, founding pastor of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, is this week's guest on Intersections podcast. Wagner shares his views on building community and relationships through faith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas’ public school enrollment declined by more than 76,000 students at the beginning of the current school year, according to a new report by the education advocacy group Texas 2036. In other news, a Taylor Sheridan spin-off will impact traffic this week in Southlake; a week after Frisco’s mayoral election, the biggest question still hanging over the race is how two municipal outsiders knocked o...

Dallas park officials need to trim $14 million from next year’s budget and looking at shutting down some recreation centers, reducing hours at others, and make other changes. In other news, Halperin Park, the new deck park, stretching across Interstate 35E near the Dallas Zoo, opened Saturday, offering a new option for families south of downtown; Frisco, which has branded itself "Sports City USA,”...

Summer is almost here and that means it's officially patio season — even if not everyone is thrilled about it. We're breaking down the best patios in D-FW for dining and drinking al fresco, and yes, one of us will admit on the record that patios are overrated. We also have the latest on what Netflix is serving up in the food world, plus a closer look at Theodore's, the new restaurant that's moved...

As the Rangers' arduous season-opening stretch enters its final week, John and Evan join the angsting over the Rangers offense. Seems almost like it's a theme. Or maybe its own special. Then former Rangers reliever Jake Diekman, the latest of the legions of former Rangers now coaching high school baseball, joins us to talk about his new career (with the best backdrop any guest has ever had). Diekm...

Two Texas residents were passengers on the cruise ship with a deadly hantavirus outbreak, according to federal health authorities, and both left the ship and returned to the U.S. before the outbreak was identified. In other news, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that the Texas American Muslim University at Dallas, a North Texas school that advertises degree programs with Islamic studies courses, mus...

Grand Prairie canceled a private party for Muslims at a city-owned water park after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding. In other news, the Texas Department of Public Safety has proposed rule changes that would affect how Texans apply for and renew certain licenses, including handgun carry licenses; a rapid rise in the cost of living has left...

With Kevin "unavailable," Tim Cowlishaw joins Evan to go around the horn -- no pun intended -- with hot takes on the Stars and their Stanley Cup Final drought, the Mavs and the most important thing about Masai Ujiri's hiring, the Cowboys drafting of an actual leader and what Springsteen song he wants to hear at the concert that is a rite of passage for old sportswriters. Then Shawn McFarland joins...

A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death Tuesday for abducting and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand after delivering a package of Barbie dolls to her Wise County home. In other news, Dallas City Council members are pushing back after Mayor Eric Johnson blasted them for approving “bloated” budgets; Dell announced its intention to re-incorporate in Texas from Delaware late Monday; and one of Dal...

Former U.S. Ambassador of Saudi Arabia on rebuilding U.S.-Saudi relations post-9/11. This episode is the second installment in a series with Robert Jordan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Under the new laws, camps are required to install emergency warning and public address systems, provide mandatory safety training to campers and distribute emergency protocols to families. Some must build new cabins and move existing ones out of certain flood plains designated by FEMA maps. In other news, the Supreme Court on Monday restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking...

With the passage of the district’s $6.2 billion bond proposal, officials in Dallas ISD are looking ahead to a massive round of construction and renovation projects that will take years to complete. In other news, Frisco’s mayoral election is headed to a runoff as none of the four candidates secured more than 50% of the vote in Saturday’s election;  on Sunday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson backed the c...

What's a botanero? Great question — we had to look it up too, and now we're obsessed. This week we're breaking down a new spot that's making us rethink how we snack, plus a dessert shop that decided ice cream and cereal belong together (they're not wrong). Sarah B. stumbled onto a new bagel spot that's already too hot to handle, and because we believe in balance, we're pushing back on the Maman ta...

With April coming to a close, John and Evan consider what went right in the first month and what didn't. Josh Jung: Big hit. Jacob Latz: Ditto. But what about Globe Life Field seems to have gotten in the Rangers' heads. Then Kevin Mench joins the show for some memories of his seven-game home run streak back in 2006 and also to get some head-size abuse from John. Do we need to file a report with HR...

Broadnax was 20 years old when he was sentenced to death for the robbery and killing of 26-year old Stephen Swan and 28-year old Matthew Butler. In other news, Camp Mystic said Tuesday it will not re-open this summer following the catastrophic flooding last summer; Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is investigating nearly 30 North Texas businesses for visa fraud, an escalation of a probe he...

A Travis County judge has ordered a state agency to comply with the fair housing agreement it made with the developer of a Muslim-centric neighborhood in North Texas. In other news, the North Central Texas Council of Governments terminated Director of Transportation Michael Morris on Tuesday evening; Rep. Jasmine Crockett gave a peek into her political future Wednesday, telling a daytime TV talk s...

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Calvin Watkins discuss [00:45] the Cowboys' draft and why Calvin gave it only a B. He's got a problem with taking guys who didn't play in either the SEC or Big Ten or who played for Michigan. He also tells us what he thinks about DeMarvion Overshown's future with the organization. [32:05] Evan says the Rangers' offense won't get going until Core...

Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan joins Intersections podcast to unpack the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, the conflict involving Iran and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The vote against recommending clemency or reprieve was unanimous, according to a memo obtained Tuesday by The Dallas Morning News. The decision comes two days before Broadnax is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in Huntsville. In other news, only three Texas summer camps have received licenses to operate this summer, as camps race to navigate a slate of strict new laws enacted following...

The 19-year-old became the third Mavericks player to win the award after Luka Doncic in 2019 and Jason Kidd in 1995. In the second-closest Rookie of the Year race since the 2002-03 season, Flagg received 56 first-place votes from a global media panel of 100 voters. In other news, Dallas-Fort Worth may be renowned for better housing affordability than other large U.S. metros, but skyrocketing home...

Two people were killed when a strong storm brought tornados through Parker and Wise counties Saturday night. The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado hit the Runaway Bay area in Wise County, bringing wind gusts of up to 135 mph. In other news, the Dallas firms behind a hotly debated $800 million development at the southwest corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane have scaled back...

First, we sit down with Larry Lavine, the Dallas entrepreneur who opened a casual burger-and-chili joint in a converted house on Greenville Avenue and accidentally built one of the most recognizable restaurant chains in the world. He talks about the early days, what he got right, and what it feels like to watch his creation have a full-blown cultural renaissance decades later. And because we had t...

With the Rangers sitting at .500, a familiar spot the last two seasons, John and Evan break down the significance of Wyatt Langford's forearm injury and whether all the soft tissue injuries early in his career are a concern. Speaking of concerns, the guys wonder about Corey Seager getting hot, because, as Evan says, the offense isn't really going anywhere until Seager and Langford get on track. An...

The updated rules allow — but don’t require — officers to ask people who are lawfully detained or arrested about their immigration status, work with federal immigration authorities and share immigration-status information with them. In other news, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board Chair Randall Bryant touted the importance of DART to the growing region’s current and future transportation needs; Texa...

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt go over the Cowboys' draft prospects one last time before Thursday's big day and try to sort out the possibilities. Trade up? Or stay put? Consensus: If they wait, they'll miss an impact player. Kevin says Ray Davis pulled the rug out from under Chris Young by cutting payroll, thus keeping him from investing in the bullpen. Gavin Collye...