Eat Drink D-FW: Dr. Pepper sausages and our fave local salads

Our food team is growing! In this episode, we introduce the newest member of the DMN crew before diving headfirst into the glorious chaos of a Weird Sausage Taste Test — dubbed the "Fizzy Glizzy" — where nothing is off-limits and palatability is not guaranteed. We also have the scoop on a Giant Hot Dog Challenge making waves in the D-FW dining scene (think: meat sweats, bragging rights, and a very big bun). And because we believe in balance, we swing to the other end of the food spectrum to talk salads — the local spots that are doing them right, the ones that break your heart and why a great salad in Dallas is both rarer and more exciting than it should be.Eat Drink D-FW is your guide to the Dallas-Fort Worth food scene at dallasnews.com/food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just as Team USA is about to start its quest for the World Baseball Classic title, manager Mark DeRosa, a Ranger in 2005-06, joins John and Evan to discuss his team's chances, his fervor for putting together the roster and even the possibility of Wyatt Langford joining the roster at some point in the tournament. But first, John and Evan run through the various injuries impacting the Rangers in spring training and mull the pitching situation. Finally, the guys end their historic tour of Rangers spring training sites with reminiscing over the surprise move to Surprise. What once was a dusty little desert ghost town sure has grown up, but the facility has remained leading edge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The local Republican Party’s decision to revert Dallas County to precinct-based voting caused hundreds of voters to go to the wrong polling sites on Tuesday – but it also triggered a cascade of problems within county operations that further derailed voters. In other news, parents in Coppell ISD are demanding answers after ammunition was found on three separate occasions on a middle school campus; Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to press forward with his GOP challenge to incumbent Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump’s demand that the candidates wrap up the fight; and expect possible delays on Interstate 30 as more of the Canyon project’s 2.3 mile stretch begins construction. The Texas Department of Transportation broke ground on the I-30 Canyon project Thursday morning in downtown Dallas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Interfaith leaders in the Park Cities are urging residents to fight proposed service reductions by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, saying the cuts could leave workers, low-income worshippers and people with disabilities without reliable access to jobs, services and churches. In other news, President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded an end to the Republican Senate race in Texas, promising to soon endorse either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or his challenger Attorney General Ken Paxton; the Republican fight for attorney general heads to a runoff that will test whether Mayes Middleton or Chip Roy can consolidate support from voters who backed their eliminated rivals. The race could also become more volatile as Middleton and Roy now have only one target left: each other; and Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of getting a first job, squeezing opportunities for young and entry-level workers in fields most exposed to AI while boosting pay for more experienced employees whose know-how is harder for software to imitate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt talk [00:12] about Joe’s mock draft 2.0 and what it portends for the Cowboys with the 12th pick. Joe tells us what he learned at the combine and how that affected his picks since his first mock draft. Should Jerry Jones trade up? Down? Whatever he does, they need two impact players on Day 1. [35:15] Evan tells us where the Rangers are at the mid-point of spring training. Still a lot to be determined, particularly in the bullpen and on the bench, but, except for the back of the rotation, everything else seems set. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Starting the day off cloudy with a morning shower possible. A thunderstorm will roll into the area this afternoon with the possibility of flooding downpours, high winds and hail. There is also a possibility of an isolated tornado. The high will be 81. Those conditions will stick around into the evening with heavy rain, thunderstorm activity and damaging wind gusts possible. The overnight low will be 65. Sen. John Cornyn was leading the GOP field with Attorney General Ken Paxton close behind, but neither secured a majority, setting up a May rematch and weeks of renewed attacks. On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico of Austin beat U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, after pushing rival strategies for a party shut out of statewide office for more than three decades. In other news, hundreds of voters were turned away from Dallas County polls Tuesday when they arrived at typically universal voting sites but were rerouted to their assigned polling place due to a switch prompted by the county Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Cross Examining History podcast, Talmage Boston interviews Jeffrey Rosen, outgoing President and CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, on his new book The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A former Dallas County court reporter who alleges she was repeatedly sexually harassed by a judge is suing him and the county. In other news, more than 200 residents packed Dallas’ City Council chambers to defend their cause: bulldoze or buff City Hall; the Texas Rangers law enforcement organization are bringing back a figure from the past, one who disappeared under a shroud of controversy nearly six years ago; and more than a decade after longtime Dallas entrepreneur Phil Romano opened the “restaurant of his lifetime,” Italian joint Saint Rocco’s, it closed in Trinity Groves to make way for something new. Saint Rocco’s last dinners were served last Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The weekend attack on Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces triggered worldwide protests, including in Dallas where over 100 people gathered downtown Sunday to denounce the military action. In other news, a Dallas woman who usually uses her social media accounts to feature videos of the different dogs she walks, is now using her platform to help others also stranded in Qatar following the weekend attack on Iran; three people are dead and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting early Sunday outside Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin. Among the dead was the suspected gunman who was shot by officers; and a group of women developers is planning a development in a South Dallas neighborhood near where many of them grew up. Women Breaking Ground is a collective of Black women developers and women in real estate who are working together in a field they say is male-dominated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The D-FW restaurant scene never sleeps — and neither do we. This week, we're breaking down a wave of new openings you'll want to add to your list immediately. Then, we're wading into a restaurant practice that has diners firmly divided: some swear by it, others can't stand it. Where do you fall? Tune in and decide for yourself. Plus, all the latest food and drink news from our team at dallasnews.com/food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices