SportsDay Insider: Putting the 'D' in Dallas and CFP hopes for area teams

The Texas Restaurant Association sounded the alarm as the state's restaurants experience their worst month in years. Dwindling disposable income, inflation, tariffs and an employment challenges are to blame, and the Dallas Morning News food team adds context to the state of the industry in D-FW heading into the holidays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five people have pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists in connection with a July 4 attack outside an immigration detention center that left an Alvarado officer shot. In other news, the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton after Abbott issued a proclamation declaring the group a foreign terrorist organization; two military fighter jets buzzed over North Texas earlier this week for unknown reasons — shaking some residents — before visiting Dallas Love Field and taking off again; and do you earn enough to live comfortably in the Metroplex? Not if you’re making less than six figures, according to a report published Tuesday — even if you don’t have children to support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gov. Greg Abbott has asked North Texas district attorneys and Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate what Abbott called “Sharia tribunals masquerading as legal courts.” In a letter sent to the officials on Wednesday, Abbott pointed to the Islamic Tribunal, launched in Dallas in 2014. In other news, one person is dead and two others were wounded Wednesday afternoon after gunfire erupted at a Lake Highlands Walmart; a Curious Texas question from a reader asked: With the population increasing in North Texas, why are so many school districts closing schools? Experts point to declining enrollment and budget strains. Public schools are struggling to fill their seats as competition with other modes of schooling — charter, private and home schooling — escalates; nd NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is bringing his electronic music festival back to Fort Worth for a third year. Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival will return to Panther Island Pavilion on March 21. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt discuss the Cowboys’ win over the Raiders, their most dominant win on both sides of the ball this season. Joe cites the addition of Quinnen Williams as a key to the defense’s transition from awful to at least average. Against the Eagles this week, Joe even expects the Cowboys to use all three DTs — Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa — at the same time in a five-man front. Evan gives us an update on the Rangers, then he and Kevin analyze Georgia’s battering of Texas between the hedges. They also discuss the CFP prospects for the Longhorns, Texas Tech, SMU and UNT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A federal judge ruled Tuesday to temporarily block a new Texas law requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, marking the second time a court has found Senate Bill 10 to be unconstitutional. In other news, a federal panel on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction against Texas’ revised congressional map. If the order stands, candidates would run for Congress in the 2026 mid-term elections under the previous boundaries;  the Dallas Stars submitted new court filings in their ongoing legal battle with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday evening, accusing the Mavericks of violating their own franchise agreement with the City of Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Geoffrey Ling, a neurologist and retired U.S. Army colonel who now works with the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, is this week's guest on Intersections podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Cross Examining History podcast, Talmage Boston interviews David Brooks, New York Times opinion columnist, and bestselling author about his book How to Know a Person. This is an independent podcast hosted by The Dallas Morning News opinion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaime Castro, a longtime officer who leads the Dallas Police Association, the city’s largest and oldest police union, was placed on administrative leave Friday while the department conducts an internal affairs investigation. The exact nature of the investigation was unclear Monday. In other news, a ferocious scam is making a comeback, thanks to artificial intelligence and other modern-day techniques like caller ID and social media messaging. Texas ranks 11th in the nation in victimization with an average per person loss of $1400; Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch used the KPMG Plaza at Hall Arts in downtown Dallas on Monday as a stand-in for downtown Chicago. The production shut down Crockett Street in the Arts District between Ross Avenue and the Hall Arts Center’s parking garage entrance from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate crew; and Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant Muchacho, known for its queso, margaritas and fajitas, is slated to open in Lakewood next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center at 6 p.m. to gather feedback from residents on rezoning the area. Residents want to reduce heavy industrial uses, prevent displacement and protect the character of their neighborhoods, many of which are home to Latino and Black communities. In other news, the Federal Aviation Administration lifted all restrictions on commercial flights that were imposed at 40 major airports. Airlines resumed their regular flight schedules this morning; a judge rejected for now a bid by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to bar Tylenol-maker Kenvue Inc. from marketing its over-the-counter pain medication as being safe for pregnant women within the state; and Post Malone has been announced as the musical act that will perform at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas' best-known barbecue voice, Daniel Vaughn, joins the Dallas Morning News food team to speak about his new special, "The State of BBQ," where he's eating in North Texas right now, and some of the captivating pitmaster stories he's encountered. Vaughn also sticks around to talk about the Michelin Awards as the team shares listener feedback about the 2025 results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices