Texas’ Blue Bell Creameries has been ordered to pay $17.25 million in criminal fines for sending out shipments of contaminated ice cream linked to a fatal 2015 listeria outbreak, federal authorities announced Thursday. The amount is the largest-ever criminal penalty handed down in a food safety case, the U.S. Department of Justice said. In May, Blue Bell — based in Brenham, about …

Garland Independent School District has confirmed dozens of COVID-19 cases among students and staff members since Aug. 3. As of Sept. 18, Garland ISD had recorded 100 student cases and 40 cases among staff members, according to the district’s website. Of those, 46 student cases and 16 staff cases are considered active, while 54 students and 24 staff members have recovered. …

Dallas County reported 355 more coronavirus cases and four COVID-19 deaths on Friday. Twenty-six of the cases are from previous months: one from June, 18 from July and seven from August. The remaining 329 cases are from September and are considered new. The county said that 101 cases came from the state’s reporting system, while the rest were reported directly …

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87. Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said. Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle …

AUSTIN — Texas Democrats and women’s rights advocates late Friday mourned Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as their lost champion — and pop culture icon — even as state Republicans and social conservatives remained mostly circumspect, offering polite tributes before what’s likely to be a ferocious battle over her successor, capping an already turbulent year. “These are scary times,” said Amy …

One man was killed and two others were wounded when a shooting broke out after an argument during a dice game in South Dallas on Friday afternoon, police say. Officers were called to the scene of the shooting in the 2400 block of Robert B. Cullum Boulevard, near Fair Park, about 5:45 p.m. and found three victims. One of the …

Health authorities are closely watching an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19. Here are the answers to key questions about the outbreak: What is the new virus? Scientists have identified the virus as a novel, or new, coronavirus. The name comes from the Latin word for crowns or halos, which coronaviruses resemble …

Lady Gaga is facing her inner demons and getting candid about her newly-released single 911. The songstress recently revealed the meaning of the track and its video, stating that she is detailing her mental state through it. Gaga explained on Instagram, “This short film is very personal to me, my experience with mental health and the way reality and dreams …

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt sent the entire world into a meltdown after they reunited virtually for a charity table read. The former lovers sparked frenzy amongst fans who were waiting – to see their favourite couple together on the screen – with bated breath. Jen and Brad were seen reading a steamy scene with each other making their fans …

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are going through a rocky road during quarantine. According to a source cited by Us Weekly, Gwen and Blake “feel suffocated and stressed,” and are “both stretched to the limit.” Most of their problems stem from moving to a new house located in an upscale locality of Los Angeles. The two dropped a whopping  $13.2 million on …