First day of early voting brings thousands to polls across Dallas-Fort Worth

The city of Dallas is suing 3M, DuPont and other chemical companies, alleging they contaminated some of the area’s drinking water. The lawsuit alleges 3M and other companies manufactured and sold PFAS, often called “forever chemicals.” PFAS are known to be toxic, extremely persistent in the environment and capable of causing significant health risks. In other news, nearly one year after UTD students set up an encampment on campus to protest the war in Gaza, 14 were indicted on misdemeanor charges. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a Thursday news release that they were indicted on charges of obstructing a passageway, which is a Class B misdemeanor; for the third time in four years, the Dallas Cowboys used their first-round pick on an offensive lineman. Alabama’s Tyler Booker was the choice at No. 12 and will be asked to follow in the footsteps of Zack Martin at right guard, the future Hall of Famer who announced his retirement in the offseason. And each year, more than eight hundred million tons of greenhouse gases are emitted across the state of Texas, a Dallas Morning News investigation found. The Lone Star State ranks top in the nation for carbon dioxide emissions. Experts say those emissions have had a significant impact on climate change. And those changes are impacting everything from temperatures –  the average annual temperature of Dallas has risen by as much as three degrees Fahrenheit the past century – to weather patterns that create drought and wildfires.  Efforts are underway to curb emissions and find new sources of energy that place less strain on the environment, but supply chain limits, safety risks and partisan divisions among lawmakers have presented challenges. Read the full investigation – A Changing Climate – at dallasnews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Beyond Talking Points, host Abby McCloskey talks with Pia Orrenius, a labor economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, about the effects of migration and deportations on the American economy, workforce and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the deal with reservations right now? The Dallas Morning News food team talks about the apps that are a must to skip the wait. Plus, the team shares more on the new Chuy's location, a Colombian restaurant with heart, the hottest new rooftop patio for spring, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [3:20] the Cowboys’ draft prospects, including the fact that they could go several ways and still come away with a starter. [28:30] Evan analyzes the lineup changes made by Bruce Bochy in an attempt to shake them from their funk. [44:00] Kevin says it’s a good thing Nico Harrison isn’t the Rangers’ GM, because he’d probably try to trade Corey Seager after yet another hamstring injury. Nico’s second press conference in a week didn’t do anything to rectify the mess the Mavs have made this year, but it’s getting clearer that he’s a my-way-or-the-highway kind of executive who could soon find himself down the road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A middle school student in Collin County has tested positive for measles, health officials confirmed Wednesday, the first reported case in a child in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year amid an outbreak of cases in Texas. The student attends Willow Springs Middle School in Lucas, part of the Lovejoy Independent School District, according to Collin County Health Care Services. In other news, the North Texas Food Bank announced Wednesday that Annam Manthiram has joined its executive leadership team as its new chief external affairs officer; “softness” in demand from domestic leisure travelers stung Southwest Airlines during the first quarter as the Dallas-based carrier pushed ahead with turnaround plans that include fees for checked bags and premium seating in the coming months. On Wednesday, Southwest Airlines reported a $149 million net loss between January and March on $6.4 billion in revenue; and Dallas’ Planning and Development Department will change how it calculates commercial remodeling permit fees after losing $8.6 million because of a staff error. The Dallas City Council approved the change without discussion during Wednesday’s meeting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thousands of voters across North Texas headed to the polls Tuesday for local elections. It was the first day of early voting, where residents cast ballots for mayors, city council members and million-dollar bonds. In other news, the measles outbreak that began in Gaines County in January has grown to 624 cases in Texas, according to a Tuesday morning update from the state public health department; tributes poured in for Denton County Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell and her slain husband, Fred, as more details emerged Tuesday about a stabbing that police say led to the arrest of the couple’s grandson Monday morning at their home in Lewisville; nd Sprouts Farmers Market, following years of waiting, is weeks away from opening in southern Dallas. The grocer is set to open the store in Oak Cliff — located at North Hampton Road and Fort Worth Avenue — on June 20, according to its website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A judge on Monday refused to reduce the multimillion-dollar bond for the 17-year-old accused of shooting at least four people at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas last week. Tracy Haynes Jr. is being held in Dallas County jail, facing six charges of aggravated assault mass shooting. In other news, many Dallas residents have been fighting for years for the right to clean water and air, more green spaces, less pollution and the removal of industrial warehouses near residential neighborhoods. Residents and environmental advocates hope to find allies to tackle the issues among the new Dallas City Council that will be elected in the May 3 election; potholes, sidewalks and parks don’t have political affiliations, and because of that, city elections are historically nonpartisan. There are no primaries for Democrats or Republicans. But they are leaning more left and right as the May 3 election nears; and Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo and a former bishop of the Dallas Catholic Diocese, announced the death of Pope Francis early Monday. While he holds administrative authority during the transitional period, he does not make significant decisions on doctrine or church policy. His role is to maintain order and uphold the sacred traditions of the papacy until a new pope is chosen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Frisco ISD official said Saturday night they were seeking charges against a man who said he “broke into” a high school stadium to capture video related to the fatal stabbing at a track meet earlier this month. In other news, communities to the west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area worked to clean up Sunday after several tornadoes touched down late Saturday night. Thousands across the region were without power; two people are dead in what detectives believe may have been a shootout that stemmed from an argument between the pair. On Sunday, officers responded to a shooting call in the 5500 block of James Avenue; and the city of Dallas is launching a pilot program funded by federal money to clean up neighborhoods, but some council members are concerned it could inadvertently encourage gentrification. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The mother of a Frisco high school student accused of fatally stabbing a fellow athlete during a track meet earlier this month spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday, describing how her family has been “under attack” by a wave of racist harassment, false accusations and death threats. On Thursday, a “swatting” call was made to an address linked to the family of Austin Metcalf, the Frisco teenager who was fatally stabbed. Frisco police said officers responded earlier in the evening to a gunshot call to an address involving Austin Metcalf’s family. A police spokesperson said the call turned out to be false. In other news, Dallas ISD officials said that the shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School that sent several students to the hospital might not have been preventable. Dallas ISD police Chief Albert Martinez said at a news conference Thursday morning that all doors at this campus were “locked and secured,” meaning the door could not be opened from the outside but could be opened from the inside, as fire code requires; in a seismic shift for Texas education that could have ramifications for decades, the state House signed off on a plan early Thursday to allow parents to use state dollars to pay for their children’s private school education; and the writing has been on the wall. As the Dallas Mavericks move forward with their plans to build a basketball-only arena, their 32-year partnership with the Dallas Stars, their roommates at American Airlines Center and Reunion Arena, appears to be nearing an end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Glen Powell, Guy Fieri and Aaron Franklin all have barbecue sauces, and we’re going to tell you which one is best. The Dallas Morning News food team also catches up on the latest D-FW stops on "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" and an easy weekend recipe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices