Opinion: Beyond DOGE Talking Points

A $337.4 billion state spending plan that funnels money to schools, the border, health services and other state needs for the next two years was approved by the Texas House early Friday morning after a day-long debate. The budget plan also includes new money for teacher pay raises, property tax cuts, medical research, and a private school voucher-like program. In other news, Dallas-area international students are struggling to navigate why they were told to leave the country immediately after visas were suddenly revoked by federal officials, lawyers working with some of them said. In some instances, the students had faced criminal charges but those charges were dismissed; President Trump’s tariff agenda has roiled markets, panicked recession forecasters and triggered drastic measures from some of the world’s largest companies. But the little guys ― like the small businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth region ― are feeling the most intense heat; and North Texas based furniture store Home Zone can relate to a lot of North Texans’ feelings about the Luka Doncic trade.  In a 3-part series of advertisements that aired on WFAA during the Mavericks-Lakers game Wednesday night, the store parodied the now-infamous trade that sent the beloved superstar to Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Elon Musk's chainsaw getting government spending back under control? This week, Beyond Talking Points host Abby McCloskey talks with Jessica Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celebrity sightings at Dallas restaurants? A new tasting menu worth celebrating? Another restaurant from Chef Tiffany Derry? The Dallas Morning News food team has a lot to talk about. Plus, the team looks into the history of just how chocolate bunnies became part of the Easter tradition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luka Doncic made his dramatic return to American Airlines Center for the first time as a member of the LA Lakers. The Lakers won 112-97, Doncic had one of his best performances of the season: 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In other news, the John Cornyn-Ken Paxton Senate primary showdown sets the stage for an election season that could reset Republican politics in Texas; a Hood County Republican Party committee chair and former Granbury City Council candidate was arrested Monday after authorities say she listed a Granbury address on her campaign paperwork last year despite living outside the city limits; and Dallas’ who’s who arrived Tuesday at the site of the long-promised Harold Simmons Park alongside the Trinity River to chip away at a perception that the city cannot finish what it starts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss a busy week highlighted [00:39] by Luka Doncic’s return Wednesday with his new Laker teammates. David says Luka might be overwhelmed but still sets the over/under at 34 points. Kevin takes the over. Evan takes the way over. [18:25] Evan says Chicago’s cold probably had an impact on the Rangers and suggests a line of demarcation from MLB when it comes to weather. [31:22] The Cowboys’ acquisition of Joe Milton III probably keeps them from drafting another QB, David says, adding he wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade back a few spots. [45:15] And Kevin despairs over another bad ending for Houston, this one even worse than ‘83. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Businesses and industry leaders are worried tariffs will become a major headwind for the Texas economy, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas data. In other news, Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday launched a Senate campaign against Republican incumbent John Cornyn, setting up a potentially bruising 2026 primary that could change the face of the Texas GOP; Texas power grid operator ERCOT is projecting an explosion in energy demand over the next five years, with peak electricity use more than doubling as new data centers come online around the state; and it was a historic collapse for the Dallas Stars last night at the American Airlines Center with Vancouver scoring 3 goals in the final minute to tie the game and send it to OT. The Canucks won it with a goal in overtime to win 6-5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

North Texas drivers might have noticed higher prices at the pump the past few weeks, but those could drop depending on how tariffs impact the economy. In other news, the measles outbreak that began in West Texas more than two months ago could continue spreading and growing for months to come, according to health experts; products containing THC are on the radar of Texas lawmakers, who are deciding whether to ban them altogether; and the Dallas metro and the state of Texas rank near the top of the country for average home insurance premiums — thanks in part to the rise in extreme weather events. A study published earlier this month from the Consumer Federation of America found that Texas has reported average homeowners insurance premiums of nearly $4,800, the sixth-highest in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From North Texas to New York, economists are predicting doom and gloom after the far-reaching “Liberation Day” tariffs announced by President Donald Trump triggered steep declines in global markets. Friday’s session capped the stock market’s worst stretch since the COVID-19 crisis that began in 2020. The S&P 500 is down more than 10% since trading opened Thursday, while the Nasdaq Composite closed in bear market territory, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with correction. In other news, a second unvaccinated child has died from measles complications in the West Texas outbreak, Lubbock hospital officials confirmed; Coppell ISD officials want Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against the district thrown out saying it is “political fodder” against public schools based on a manipulated hidden-video recording; and the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. The Rangers hit the road for the week with series in Chicago and Seattle before returning home on the 15th.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Birdy the Wonder Dog discuss the state of local sports. [00:27] Evan, aided by his latest canine acquisition, makes a case for Nathan Eovaldi as the Rangers' second-best free agent signing ever, behind only Adrian Beltre. Eovaldi's complete-game, 99-pitch shutout of the Reds stopped the bullpen bleeding after an awful first game in Cincinnati and may have fueled Jack Leiter's excellent performance the next day in another 1-0 win. [24:45] Kevin wonders if the Cowboys ought to trade Micah Parsons after Jerry Jones dissed Parsons' agent at the owners' meetings and said he'd rather pay top dollar and get it right than screw it up. [43:05] And, last but not least, the guys make their title picks for the men's bracket and Kevin tells old Phi Slama Jama stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Memorial High School is reeling again after a 17-year-old junior was stabbed by another student at a school track meet on Wednesday, dying in his twin brother’s arms. That followed what Frisco police called a possible double murder-suicide in December involving a15-year-old Memorial High School freshman. In other news, Dallas-Fort Worth’s Fortune 500 companies lost $49 billion in market value Thursday by the close of trading. Investors retreated after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on what he called “Liberation Day” the prior afternoon. In North Texas, hard hit companies such as Caterpillar lost $13.8 billion in value and Texas Instruments devalued $12.7 billion; members of the Texas House Transportation Committee pushed for details about a long-discussed high-speed rail project linking Dallas to Houston, but the company behind the project had few answers to provide lawmakers; and if you are a lover of pickles, The Big Dill is making its Texas debut in Arlington on Nov. 8. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices