The Dallas Morning News

Data centers divide Red Oak

RED OAK — Elda Jazmin Villegas’ dining room transformed into a war room overnight. The room started as a meeting spot for dozens of residents alarmed as Red Oak rezoned 830 acres of farmland for another data center development. It has evolved into the...

Coastal habitat to come ashore

The next chapter of the Dallas Zoo begins at the water’s edge. After years of planning, construction is set to begin this fall on African Shorelines, the first phase of the zoo’s $119 million Wild Horizons master plan and the largest transformation in...

Trump pushes pledge on utility costs

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday had governors and electricity companies join a voluntary pledge to shield U.S. consumers from higher utility bills from data centers — a sign of how the artificial intelligence buildout has become a...

Fallen soldier returns home

The remains of Isabella Gonzales, the 19-year-old soldier from Carrollton who was killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan last week, were returned to the U.S. Wednesday during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Soldiers...

Texas sizzles under high heat

AUSTIN — The operators of the Texas power grid are projecting record-breaking power demand this week as triple-digit temperatures settle in across much of the state. ERCOT, the state’s power grid operator, hasn’t issued an emergency alert or request...

Carrollton soldier killed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States military said late Monday it was carrying out its 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran in a push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed bombings came following the death of another American...

Spain defeats Argentina

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This is how good Spain was at the World Cup: Not even Lionel Messi had any answers. And when it was over, Spain walked off with the trophy. Messi simply walked off in tears. Spain is back atop the soccer world for a second...

Vacant lots cost communities

South of Interstate 30, vacant lots with “No Trespassing” signs scar the Dallas landscape. Some are overgrown with weeds. Others serve as dumping grounds, littered with tires, debris and discarded couches. They adjoin old homes and new construction...

Taking bald eagles under wing

Chris Morris stopped abruptly on the sidewalk approaching White Rock Lake, urging the park visitors alongside him to do the same. “If you stand out here for a couple minutes or so, you’ll hear them calling at different times,” Morris said. “A neat...

Hill Country floods turn deadly

At least two people died after being swept away by floodwaters and scores of others were rescued from their inundated houses, vehicles and campgrounds Thursday as heavy rain and thunderstorms pounded the Hill Country and parts of South Texas. Swollen...

A sign of normalcy

Over the last month, North Texas has welcomed soccer fans from all over the world. Global superstars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo took the field inside Dallas Stadium. The venue was visited frequently...

D-FW closes memorable run

ARLINGTON — The end came at 3:59 p.m., with exultant Spain players shouting and looking skyward and anguished France counterparts dropping to their knees. Thanks to its suffocating defense, world No. 3 Spain’s 2-0 toppling of No. 1 France in Tuesday’s...

North Texas, take a bow

Some morning wake-ups these past few weeks, Monica Paul says, have resembled 1993’s Groundhog Day, but Tuesday’s dawning promises to be distinct. Historic. Extra-exhilarating. Eight World Cup games played in Arlington over the past 30 days have...

European teams embrace Texas

For a few weeks this summer, Frisco and Mansfield became home away from home for two World Cup teams. Even though Sweden and Czechia exited the tournament early, local officials say the international attention will have lasting benefits. Between...

Dallas, through the world’s eyes

Nearly a month into the World Cup, the international press corps has found plenty to say about Dallas beyond the soccer. North Texas has had more matches than any other host region, with the ninth and final game on Tuesday. Dallas also is home to...

SCORCHING WEEKEND IN DALLAS

Tourist Pati Pereira of Brazil took photos of her daughter Maria with the soccer-clad longhorns at Pioneer Plaza on Friday in downtown Dallas. Maria shook her hands afterward, saying the horns were very hot. Though not currently forecast to surpass...

Uncertainty swirls at neighboring site

More than a month after a deadly natural gas explosion destroyed The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff, plans to redevelop the blast site have been halted, deepening uncertainty for the families next door as they navigate life in homes they no longer...

Neighbors flag arena issues

PLANO — Can a 20,000-seat arena be a good neighbor? That was the question at the center of an open house Wednesday at The Shops at Willow Bend, where city officials, the Dallas Stars president and real estate developers met with about 250 nearby...

NATO unveils billions in new arms deals

ANKARA, Turkey — President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than NATO ally Denmark, renewing tensions in Europe even as the transatlantic military alliance was announcing billions in arms...

Elation before elimination

Kaden James (from left), Neal Brewer and Colton Dunbarger spelled out ‘USA’ at the Dallas FIFA Fan Festival on Monday as they cheered on their side while watching the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium. Belgium won...

MEET RIVER AND SPLASH

ARLINGTON/MANSFIELD — Before Richard Everhart can fully open the back door of his white Ram 1500, a fuzzy, brown snout pokes out and a glistening nose wiggles as it sniffs the air. Splash, one of Arlington Water Utilities’ newest full-time employees,...

The Dallas that changed America

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, Dallas occupies a singular place in the American imagination, for better and worse. But the city’s influence extends far beyond its reputation. From the assassination that shook the nation’s faith in its...

In pursuit of happiness

Nearly every table was full at Milagro Tacos Cantina on the last Friday afternoon in June. Servers wove between families balancing plates of tacos and margaritas at the West Dallas establishment. When a group arrived, owner Jesus Carmona pushed two...

Training to bring home a win

The Egypt team and staff huddled during a training session Thursday in Dallas ahead of the team’s World Cup match against Australia. Heavy rains soaked the Dallas-fort Worth area in June.

Sweet 16

■ Malik Tillman (17) of the U.S. celebrated with teammates after scoring the team’s second goal during a World Cup Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday. It was just the second knockout-round victory for...

From Nacogdoches to Hall of Fame

WACO — Due to time constraints on this speech-filled night, the induction of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s nine-member class of 2026, Clint Dempsey’s turn at the lectern was condensed to 146 seconds. No matter. As usual, he was pure clutch and all...

A scorching day for soccer fans

Dallas weighs land-use changes

In southeast Dallas, Joppa residents have lived for decades amid industrial facilities, facing pollution concerns and sparring between advocates and businesses despite the neighborhood’s lush, green environment. City planners are looking to change...

ABUSED & ABANDONED System fails survivors

A 12-year-old Dallas middleschooler ended up on the streets where a pimp discovered her. For as little as $50, he sold her for sex. He withheld food unless she worked. She later disappeared into the state’s foster care system after suffering from...

Sick with FIFA fever

At 12:38 p.m. Monday, as Argentine superstar Lionel Messi one-timed a deep cross past two frozen Austrian defenders and a wrong-footed keeper — simultaneously giving Argentina a 1-0 lead and earning himself the alltime World Cup scoring record — the...

Draw is a win-win

(Above) A Japan fan took a photo with Sweden fans ahead of a FIFA World Cup Group F soccer match on Thursday at Dallas Stadium. (Left) Japan forward Ayase Ueda (18) chased a loose ball against Sweden defenders Isak Hien (4) and Gustaf Lagerbielke (2)...

Blue wave rolls into Dallas

Ahead of their FIFA World Cup match Thursday in Arlington against Sweden, Japan supporters tossed one another into the air (above) and cheered for their team (left) during a rally Wednesday at Harwood Park in downtown Dallas. Japan entered the match...

Inside Universal Kids Resort

Every hotel room at Universal Kids Resort in Frisco comes with a candy-colored bunk bed and at least a queen bed, and that’s a pretty apt metaphor for the whole park. The latest entrant into North Texas’ family entertainment sector is made for little...

LIONEL KING

ARLINGTON — They sang, chanted, stomped, whooped, cheered, hugged strangers and wept. Jubilant Argentina fans draped themselves in blue capes and scarves and ball caps and Lionel Messi jerseys as they watched their team take on Austria in the group...

Banderazo packs the park

The ground at Klyde Warren Park shook Sunday afternoon as hundreds of Argentine fans jumped and chanted in anticipation of their national team’s first North Texas game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Gustavo Giampaolo traveled from Patagonia, a region in...

Inside Lionel Messi, Inc.

Dallas-Fort Worth lost out on hosting next month’s World Cup final but was awarded something else fans can savor for generations: the spectacle of Lionel Messi. Argentina’s global superstar will play his final two World Cup group stage matches at...

Hundreds participate in Opal Lee’s Walk for Freedom in Fort Worth

Hundreds walked in Opal Lee’s Walk for Freedom in Forth Worth to celebrate Juneteenth on a rainy Friday morning. The walk was delayed until 10 a.m., one hour past its original start time, due to the rain. That so many people came despite the weather...

Honoring Obama’s legacy

Former President Barack Obama formally opened his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday with a call to defend democracy as three former presidents joined him on stage in an extraordinary event featuring politicians, A-list celebrities, athletes...

Soccer fever hits Arlington

Near a thousand England and Croatia supporters stood shoulder to shoulder on both floors of Texas Live! in Arlington on Wednesday, their eyes fixed on giant screens as the World Cup match between the two countries got underway. Flags of England were...

Tickets, please

Imagine spending nearly $2,000 on World Cup tickets seven months ago, being told you won’t have the tickets until game day and then, three days before the match, being told the tickets do not exist. That’s the fate of Austin’s Majda Praiz, whose...

Trump arrives at G7 summit

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — President Donald Trump started his visit to the G7 summit of leading industrialized nations on Monday by declaring his agreement aimed at ending the U.S. war with Iran is a potential breakthrough for global security and a...

Oranje invasion

ARLINGTON — Three hours of what amounted to a joyous pre-match party crescendoed as Dutch and Japanese counted down the seconds to kickoff: 3… 2… 1. With a simultaneous roar and the referee’s whistle, the first World Cup game in North Texas in 31...

Upholding a family legacy

FRISCO — For nearly two decades, Clark and Dan Hunt have carried, for moments like this, a wry brother-to-brother motto. Usually, one Hunt invokes the phrase when the other is about to give a speech or interview. But now they’re being interviewed...

Sleeping-in-public citations surge

Less than a mile from where thousands of soccer fans will gather this summer for Dallas’ FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, Zonia Draught lives in a tent and hauls her belongings through the city in a blue wagon. The 53-year-old says when she leaves South...

Vamos Mexico!

Mexican fans in Dallas rang in the start of the 2026 World Cup with explosive, jubilant and deeply emotional celebrations. Surrounded by ice-cold buckets of beer, guacamole the same bright green as the Mexican national team’s jersey, and carne asada...

Soccer epicenter

ARLINGTON – Metaphorically, the clock ticks more loudly by the hour, with a mounting blend of urgency and excitement. For the first time since 1994, the outer band of the monthlong World Cup cyclone has arrived in North Texas, with preparations and...

Anthony declines to testify

MCKINNEY — Karmelo Anthony, the teen whose lawyers insist he was defending himself when he fatally stabbed a fellow student-athlete at a high school track meet last year, chose not to testify during his murder trial. Anthony’s attorneys rested Monday...

First Baptist Dallas breaks ground

Nearly two years ago, First Baptist Dallas senior pastor Robert Jeffress was driving home from Vacation Bible School when he got a call: A fire raged at the church’s 134-year-old historic sanctuary. Recounting the story Sunday during his sermon,...

Getting ready for FIFA fever

Workers covered the AT&T Stadium sign atop the stadium’s roof Thursday in Arlington in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. The home of the Dallas Cowboys will be referred to as Dallas Stadium for the duration of the international soccer tournament to...

Mavs choose Valley View

After more than a year of analyzing Dallas sites for their planned multi-billion-dollar arena and entertainment district, the Mavericks have chosen Valley View, dealing a major setback to efforts to bring the project downtown. The Mavericks on Monday...

Vigil honors mother, son killed in blaze

Calls, texts and prayers all went unanswered Thursday afternoon — the day Marisol Pérez and her 18month-old son’s Oak Cliff apartment was demolished by an explosion that sparked a five-alarm fire. Nora Carmona and Maria Lopez, Pérez’s sisters, were...

Fire results in injuries, fatalities

They heard what they thought was a bomb, a plane crash, a big kaboom. By the time residents of the Oak Cliff apartment complex registered the building had exploded, their homes were engulfed in roaring flames. At an 8 p.m. news conference, city...

City at policy crossroads

Dallas zoning regulations for data centers lack rules tailored to their growing demand for power and infrastructure. That could soon change, as the city is in the midst of a zoning reform project. As demand for data centers and supporting...

Paxton topples Cornyn

WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans on Tuesday chose Attorney General Ken Paxton’s hard-charging MAGA style over Sen. John Cornyn’s seasoned establishment conservatism after one of the state’s most bruising races in years. Paxton’s commanding win reflected...

Honoring the fallen

Above: U.S. Air Force Korean War veteran Randy Dellis, 92, of Fort Worth, saluted as members of the U.S. Navy color guard held the flags during the national anthem in the 97th annual Fort Worth Memorial Day service, on Monday, at Mount Olivet Cemetery...

Carry the load

Hundreds of participants gathered Sunday at Reverchon Park for Carry The Load’s annual Dallas Memorial March, walking past rows of flags and story boards bearing the names and faces of fallen service members, veterans and first responders. Many...

Gambling or skill?

For decades, Texas’ gambling opponents have demanded strict enforcement of the state’s gaming laws, prompting local prosecutors to crack down on the spread of slot machines known as eight-liners. Now, a new generation of bellringing slots are popping...

Pedaling to Messi

For nine months, the road has been their home. Three heavily loaded bicycles have carried them across mountains, jungles, deserts and borders in pursuit of a dream most people would never dare attempt. Their mission sounds almost impossible: ride...

Finding the T. rex of the sea

As the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas — it just so happens that applies to ancient marine lizards, too. On Thursday, researchers at the American Museum of Natural History, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Southern Methodist...

Meeting draws lively crowd

Just three months after a council meeting where activists and residents alleged rampant H-1B fraud and an ‘Indian takeover,’ Frisco City Hall once again became a packed house for people to air their views on the city’s changing demographics. More than...

Rattled by shooting

Outside the tinted windows of Omi Korean Grill in Carrollton, Danny Shin sees a few scattered shoppers make their way in and out of H Mart. Employees are preparing booths and setting up tables. Upbeat music turns on, filling the space. His restaurant...

A celebration of life, liberty

Standing in front of a full-length mirror in the living room of his Dallas apartment Saturday, Chris Young readied himself for a reunion. He fastened silver cuff links and a crimson tie to a crisp white button-down, and while he wouldn’t take the...

The women of Route 237

Araceli Campos says bye to a friend and hops off the bus on Route 237, colorful purse in hand and blue sneakers on her feet. She starts her walk through the tree-lined streets of Highland Park, past historic estates and designer stores. It’s been...

HVAC upgrade becomes symbol of mistrust

On any given day at Dallas City Hall, it’s hard to dress for the job. Complaints roll in regularly from employees in the summer as they reach for jackets in a freezing City Council chamber. When temperatures drop, space heaters hum under desks, even...

$10M boost for college access

A $10 million investment into a Dallas nonprofit aims to expand college and career guidance for tens of thousands of students across southern Dallas County. Education is Freedom, a nonprofit that advises Dallas County students on college and career...

Under the lights

The pink glow of specialized LED grow lights illuminated freshly laid sod inside AT&T Stadium on Thursday. The lights, designed to stimulate photosynthesis and accelerate turf growth, are being used on the pitch ahead of FIFA World Cup matches at the...

Farmersville ISD rethinks lunch

When lunch hour rolled around, Farmersville High School junior Deborah Azubike snatched her usual table, settling between two friends with her tray. She poked her spoon into a medley of fragrant Spanish rice, juicy diced tomato and creamy cheese...

Red Oak approves 830 acres to be rezoned for latest data center build

RED OAK — The tension between preserving a slower, quieter way of life and embracing a high-tech future with promises of economic prosperity was on full display Monday night in a City Council meeting about 20 miles south of Dallas. For now, the latter...

Trump rejects Tehran’s proposal

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump on Monday said the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal, which officials said included some nuclear concessions. Trump also proposed suspending the federal gas...