The Dallas Morning News

Drivers are now expected to travel a little slower on a busy Dallas highway. The Texas Department of Transportation has installed signs on U.S. 75 lowering speeds from 70 to 65 from Mockingbird Lane to downtown; In other news, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TikTok on Thursday, alleging the social media giant is violating Texas’ parental consent law. The lawsuit said TikTok collects, stores and processes minors’ personal identifying information when they interact with the platform; Texas school finances are stretched. Coppell is the latest district across the state to close a school because of a tight budget; and, JumpShot Inc., a basketball-themed entertainment company, is putting its corporate headquarters in Dallas before opening the first location of the Topgolf-inspired concept in the city next year.

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SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [2:45] one of the ugliest NFL games in memory and whether Roger Goodell needs to send his refs a cease-and-desist order. David tells us how long Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence should be out and how the Cowboys will adjust in their absence. [24:58] Evan and Kevin run over the Rangers’ exit presser and what might be asked of Marcus Semien next season if Chris Young can’t afford to add some big bats. Kevin wonders how long Bruce Bochy, going into the last year of his contract, might want to put up with another season like this one. [45:05] The guys also talk Texas and Georgia football and the big game coming up Oct. 19 in Austin, with a little love tossed to SMU for its win over Florida State.

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The Dallas Morning News food team taste tests and ranks the 10 Big Tex Awards food finalists with the help other journalists from the paper. Think of this as your everyman's guide to the State Fair of Texas.

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Vape shops in North Texas are selling potentially illegal and dangerous products marketed as kratom over the counter, and one industry advocate says it’s time for authorities to step up enforcement; in other news, after last year’s botched rollout of a new application, the FAFSA form is now available to a select number of students – including a few in Dallas – while most must wait until Dec. 1. The federal college financial aid form typically opens Oct. 1; around four dozen current and former Dallas elected officials and local leaders called on voters Wednesday to reject three proposed city charter changes they say would endanger the city and how it serves residents for years to come; and, in a move surely designed to flood any Nickelodeon-loving millennial with nostalgia, the kids TV network has partnered with restaurants around the country to create real-life versions of the SpongeBob SquarePants Krabby Patty to mark the show’s 25th anniversary.

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Dallas’ new children’s hospital is getting another $100 million donation toward the construction of a $5 billion pediatric care facility, Children’s Health and UT Southwestern announced Tuesday; While 1 in 4 women in the United States will experience some form of domestic violence in her lifetime, Langbein said that statistic increases to 1 in 3 in Texas. In Dallas, police statistics show there have been more than 6,600 intimate partner crimes in 2024. Nine were fatal;  Armyworms — named for their tendency to march in troops — have hatched in throngs this fall across North and Central Texas, where they are wreaking havoc. Gardening groups on Facebook are rife with photos of the caterpillars and once-green lawns turned brown. Lawn care companies say they are receiving far more calls than usual, and agricultural organizations have published alerts; and, what makes a taco a great taco? Is it the tortilla? Is it the meat? Is it the salsa? Is it some mysterious secret ingredient?  Surely, you have tried more than one taco in your life. Some have been good, some have not. We asked four North Texas Hispanic restaurateurs to help solve the riddle. These restaurateurs primarily deal in tacos, focusing in on what makes the dish a delicacy worth coming back for more.

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Coppell trustees narrowly voted to close its oldest elementary school Monday night, with district leaders lamenting the painful decision as necessary because of a financial squeeze triggered by declining enrollment and stagnant state funding; In other news, Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed Monday to block a ruling that he says prohibits his office from enforcing vote-harvesting restrictions and investigating potential violations. A federal judge ruled Friday that a section of the 2021 law aimed at preventing election fraud in Texas violated the First Amendment by placing “an invalid restriction on speech” and the 14th Amendment’s due process clause by being “unconstitutionally vague.”; a 6-month-old baby taken from her Rockwall home Monday morning was found hours later with her biological parents in Missouri; And how ready are you for the polls? The Texas general election is November fifth. The Dallas Morning News Voter Guide can help you prepare to cast your ballot. Check out the guide today at dallasnews.com/voterguide to compare candidates, get recommendations, and build your own ballot.

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Host Abby McCloskey talks with legendary Dallas news anchor and fellow Dallas Morning News contributing columnist John McCaa about disruptions in the media landscape and which news reports can be trusted in the lead-up to November's election.

The site McCaa recommended is www.refdesk.com. 

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The county agreed to pay $750,000 to the family of 52 year old Georgia Kay Baldwin, who died in 2021; also, after serving half of her 10-year sentence for murder, former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger became eligible for parole yesterday. Guyger fatally shot Botham Jean in his Cedars apartment in 2018; for more than a month, the Araujo family worked to build a roller coaster in the front yard of their Grapevine home. But after a complaint from a neighbor, they were forced to dismantle it; and how ready are you for the polls? The Texas general election is November fifth. The Dallas Morning News Voter Guide can help you prepare to cast your ballot. Check out the guide today at dallasnews.com/voterguide to compare candidates, get recommendations, and build your own ballot. Visit dallasnews.com/voter guide.

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Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price says Dallas should consider building its own jail, suggesting it could help lower the near-capacity county jail population. Price told City Council members on Wednesday that space at the over 7,100-person capacity Lew Sterrett Justice Center remains an issue, and he believes the city isn’t paying enough to cover its costs; In other news, when the Texas Railroad Commission was created in 1891, regulating trains was part of its mission. The state agency’s duties have changed but the name has not, which can be confusing, particularly for voters who choose the three commissioners who create many of the rules governing Texas’ fossil fuel industry; And Southwest Airlines economy fare passengers may have to sacrifice some precious legroom to make way for new premium seating sections on many of the carrier’s planes. The company unveiled plans Thursday for new boarding and seating configuration arrangements to accommodate assigned seating in 2025.

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In honor of the state fair, the DMN food team brought in science fellow Miriam Fauzia to get at just why we love to eat fried food. She shares the "why" and dives into tips to get the most out of your fried food-eating experience.

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