Dallas News

A blue port-a-potty without soap, toilet paper or hand sanitizer stands in the sun near a South Dallas homeless camp with its door propped open. Next to it, a portable sink awaits use — its soap dispenser empty. They sit on the corner of Gould Street and Al Lipscomb Way in the Cedars area of South Dallas, in view of …

Rochelle Garza made her case for why she could be the first Latina and the first Democrat in over 30 years to hold the office of Texas attorney general. Garza, speaking Friday during the Texas Democratic Convention in Dallas, touted her record defending abortion rights. The former ACLU attorney from Brownsville sued the Trump Administration in 2017 on behalf of a teenage immigrant …

The national hotline for mental health crises changes its number to just three digits, 988, beginning Saturday, in an effort to make the system more accessible. Currently known as the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Hotline, the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects people experiencing a mental health crisis with a mental health professional and localized mental health resources. While the new …

Mike Collier, the Democrat challenging Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November, came out swinging at his opponent in his speech at the Texas Democratic Convention late Friday. “Dan Patrick wants you to hate your fellow Texan,” Collier said. “Dan Patrick wants you to turn your back on your fellow neighbor, instead of having their back. Dan Patrick says what’s wrong with Texas …

Luci Baines Johnson delivered impassioned remarks on voting rights and the legacy of her father, former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, on Friday at the Texas Democratic Convention in Dallas. Johnson, 75, presented the Lyndon B. Johnson Lifetime Service award to members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, who broke quorum last year to block an elections bill they said would make …

Buoyed by stout fundraising and a large grassroots team, Beto O’Rourke on Friday sought to energize Democrats for his marquee race to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. “We’ve got to bring everything that we have to this fight, because we’re fighting for the people of Texas,” O’Rourke told The Dallas Morning News before his speech. “I’m encouraged by the energy here, by the number of …

AUSTIN — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced Friday he is in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. Miller’s announcement makes him the highest-ranking Texas Republican to endorse legalizing the drug for medicinal purposes. “It is time for all of us, including the Governor, members of the Texas Legislature and others to come together and set aside our political differences to …

Ricoe Gatson was at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on Thursday reading a book in the library, where many people go to escape the heat. Gatson works at the convention center and due to the high costs of rent, said he is “in transition,” that is, homeless. When he can’t find a place to stay with people he …

U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson received a fond farewell at her final Texas Democratic Convention representing Dallas’ 30th Congressional District. Johnson, who is retiring from the House at the end of her term, received a standing ovation as she took the stage. “I’m retiring from Congress in January, but if the Lord lets me live, I’m not retiring from the Democratic Party,” …

A 24-year-old Dallas man is in custody after police say he had a sexual relationship with a minor and set fire to her garage after an argument. Alexsi Lopez Hernandez is facing charges of arson and sexual assault of a child. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney. Police say early July 4, Lopez set a fire in the garage …