Mayor Thinks Pandemic Is Challenging His Authority. Well, Yeah.

When this is over, it will just be beginning. The global pandemic already is shaking the foundations of class, capitalism and nationhood all over the world. Some people see it. Some don’t. Here in Dallas, our mayor is an unfortunate example of don’t. According to the most recent population estimates…

Dallas County Extends Emergency Order Through May 20

The long haul is getting longer. Friday morning, Dallas County Commissioners voted to extend the county’s Public Health Emergency until May 20. That means all residents of the county will continue to shelter in place for at least the next six weeks, barring intervention from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins…

How Do Texas’ Coronavirus Numbers Compare to Other States?

Like the rest of the country, Texas, the second-largest state both in population and land area, is in the midst of a public health crisis. In the state’s largest counties, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus is rising drastically each day. Gov. Greg Abbott has shut down…

Former Dallas Police Chief David Brown Tabbed Chicago’s Top Cop

Three and a half years after stepping down as chief of the Dallas Police Department, David Brown has been named to lead Chicago’s police force. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Brown’s selection Thursday afternoon. “We are Chicago and we deserve the best,” Lightfoot said. “In this time, in this moment,…

Need Unemployment Benefits in Texas? Talk to Larry. Maybe He’ll Help.

As thousands and thousands of Texans continue to lose their jobs as the state and the rest of the world suffer through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Workforce Commission has been overwhelmed. The commission’s phone lines have been overwhelmed, and its website huffs, puffs and stalls during high-traffic hours. The…

Texas’ Coronavirus Abortion Ban Back in Effect

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus abortion ban is back in place thanks to an emergency stay from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The stay, according to the court, was issued so that it can give full consideration to an emergency appeal from the Texas attorney general. The ban…

Dallas Paid Sick Leave Blocked, Just in Time

Until Monday night, Wednesday was going to mark a sea change in Dallas civic life. For the first time, Dallas workers were going to be guaranteed paid sick time — one hour for every 30 hours they worked. It’s couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Then the courts…

DFW Goes Plumb Crazy During COVID-19 Crisis

Advice from DFW plumbers during the COVID-19 crisis: stop flushing weird stuff down the toilet. Because of our bizarre, virus-fueled run on toilet paper, many area residents are being forced to resort to alternative options. Kleenex. Wet wipes. Paper towels. Napkins. No reports yet of leaves or corn cobs, but…

Abortion Still Legal in Texas After Judge Slaps Paxton, Abbott

Despite Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s best efforts to make hay while the coronavirus spreads, abortion remains as legal in Texas as it was before the virus hit, following a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel. A little more than a week ago,…

Your Dallas Coronavirus Update for Monday, March 30

State and federal officials are setting up a pop-up hospital at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas to help expand the number of hospital beds available as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to grow. During a news conference Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott said the…

Meanwhile in Granbury: A Nurse Says She Was Fired for Wearing a Mask

There’s a crisis within the coronavirus crisis hitting hospitals and medical facilities around the country. Personal protective equipment — the gloves, masks and gowns needed to protect front-line healthcare workers — is in short supply in many U.S. hospitals. Private companies and nonprofits are pitching in, trying to get the…

Volunteers Sew Hospital Masks to Help Combat Shortage

Like many people, Rachael Wilkins has spent a lot of time lately reading the news and feeling like things are spinning out of control. The number of reported cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, ticks up each day, both nationwide and in North Texas. Schools are…