The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday accepted PML-N leader Miftah Ismail’s application for a recount in the NA-249 Karachi by-election, ordering that recounting of the votes be done on May 6. It directed leaders of political parties who had contested the by-election to reach the office of the returning officer (RO) at 9am on May 6 (Thursday) for the recount. …

After nearly four months on the job, Dallas police Chief Eddie García on Wednesday plans to brief the city’s elected leaders on his strategy to cut crime. His plan, which outlines short-, medium- and long-term goals, will focus on hot spot policing, deterring violent people, disrupting problem places, and improving the community. The plan, which is laid out in a …

It’s one thing to lose in politics, as Mayor Eric Johnson did spectacularly Saturday. Serious politics requires risk, and if you’re going to be in it, you’ve got to roll the dice at some point. Johnson’s problem, though, is that he took a huge political risk this year with a low-to-nil probability of success. Anyone with any sense of the …

SHERMAN — An Austin lawyer known as the “DWI Dude” for his area of practice was sentenced on Monday to about 15 1/2 years in federal prison for shaking down Colombian drug traffickers for over $1 million on the false promise of being able to make their charges go away. Jamie Balagia, 65, was convicted by a jury in October …

Dallas County reported eight more COVID-19 deaths and 455 new coronavirus cases Monday. The latest victims were four Dallas residents, a man in his 60s, two women in their 80s and a woman in her 90s; two Mesquite men in their 50s; an Irving woman in her 80s; and a Richardson woman in her 80s. All eight had underlying high-risk …

Incumbents Chad West and Casey Thomas will continue serving their respective districts after defeating their opponents in the race for Dallas City Council on Saturday. Eleven total candidates ran for three seats in districts serving Oak Cliff and South Dallas. Fourteen of the Dallas City Council’s 15 seats were up for election this cycle and all were contested, with 56 candidates total in the …

AUSTIN — Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Monday issued a revised revenue estimate that gives lawmakers several billion more dollars to spend as they wrap up the next state budget this month. Hegar cited improved performance of the state economy, as COVID-19 restrictions began to be lifted over the past two months and immunizations improved consumer confidence. “There’s a lot of …

Dallas County Commissioner J.J. Koch is set to ask his colleagues Tuesday to position the local government as a leader in closing one of the worst digital divides in the nation. Koch, a Republican who represents northern Dallas County, will make his opening pitch with a report he commissioned that shows access to high-speed internet is far worse than imagined. …

AUSTIN — The House on Monday advanced legislation that would let Texas voters decide this fall whether to create a low-interest loan fund to encourage electricity and natural gas companies to weatherize their plants, wires, compressors and pipelines. While it’s unclear if the Senate will buy into the idea, the legislation is part of the response to February’s winter storm …

Hit by hail in recent storms? Remember there’s no roofer license in Texas, so you’re on your own. Here are tips from The Watchdog about how to hire the right contractor. Texas also doesn’t require that contractors and roofers provide workers’ compensation for employees or general liability insurance. Reputable companies do. If they don’t, that’s a warning sign. The Watchdog’s …