Investigators have identified more than $1 million in past losses, overpayments, and pay subject to further analysis since January, according to Dallas’ Office of Inspector General. They are also reviewing more than $1.7 million in other city spending or potential financial exposure.

Baron Eliason, Dallas’ interim inspector general, presented the figures to the Dallas City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics on Thursday, according to video of the meeting.

The briefing covered vendor overbilling, dual employment, a payroll error, a fraudulent invoice, possible time theft and other uses of public resources.

A $1 million figure with a caveat

About $379,000 is expressly classified as past loss: $227,000 in vendor overcharges, $134,000 in an employee overpayment and $18,000 from an invoice labeled fraudulent, according to the memo. The overall figure in the executive summary exceeds $1 million, but the detailed breakdown places another $692,000 in a separate category.

The additional $692,000 represents city compensation paid during four periods of alleged dual employment and remains subject to loss analysis. “The precise amount attributable to time not actually worked for the City cannot be reliably quantified,” the office wrote.

The distinction matters because Dallas has not established that the full $692,000 was unearned. The four employment arrangements ended during the investigations, interrupting about $368,000 in annual payroll exposure, the memo states.

Alleged overlapping employment involving Dallas drew scrutiny in Austin, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. An August report from the Austin City Auditor substantiated violations against one employee but found no material City Code violation by another person named in the allegation. None of the four Dallas dual-employment subjects is identified or linked to the Austin case in the new memo.

Vendor case exposes failed payment control

The completed vendor case involved one vendor and one complaint, Eliason told the committee. Dallas paid about $227,000 above contracted amounts. Another $579,000 in projected overpayments during the remaining contract term was classified as future loss avoided, according to the memo.

A separate employee overpayment cost about $134,000 before the payment arrangement stopped. The discontinued arrangement created an estimated $179,000 in annual exposure.

The city lost about $18,000 through an invoice labeled fraudulent, and the matter was referred to law enforcement, according to the memo. About $250,000 in proposed city funding tied to that matter is under review. Investigators are separately reviewing about $30,000 in potentially unsupported compensation in one potential time-theft case and more than $500,000 in other public-resource spending.

Those listed cases account for more than $780,000 of the more than $1.7 million under review. The remainder is not itemized in the memo.

Council members press for stronger controls

Dallas City Council Member Kathy Stewart (District 10) asked whether data analysis could flag suspicious patterns before complaints. The OIG is developing dashboards with the city’s data team, Eliason said. Council Member Lorie Blair (District 8) questioned procurement safeguards, while Council Member Laura Cadena (District 6) urged officials to use real cases in ethics training.

The committee took no vote. City officials announced no recoveries, restitution, vendor identities or discipline. Several employees retired or separated while investigations were pending, and some matters were referred to law enforcement, the memo states. Neither an employment departure nor a referral establishes criminal liability or a final ethics violation.

“These amounts should not be combined into a single ‘savings’ figure,” the OIG wrote. “The objective is not to produce the largest possible number; it is to provide the Council and the public with a reliable picture of how independent oversight protects City resources.”

Provided by Dallas Express

A wildfire that spread rapidly along State Highway 64 south of Wills Point, east of Dallas, has burned approximately 659 acres but is now 100% contained, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

The blaze, known as the Corky fire, began Thursday in the 3400 block of State Highway 64 amid heavy grass and brush fuels. The Wills Point Fire Department arrived to find the blaze spreading quickly, with multiple fires also reported along the highway.

The size and rapid spread of the fire prompted an extensive mutual-aid response involving fire departments and emergency agencies from across Van Zandt County, Kaufman County, and surrounding areas.

Firefighters Treated for Injuries

Five firefighters received medical treatment during the incident and were transported to a local hospital by Christus Mother Frances EMS.

The Sheriff’s Office said all five have either been released or are expected to be released. One firefighter suffered a heat-related injury overnight and remained in stable condition at a local Canton hospital as of Friday morning.

Additional crews from Wood County and Henderson County assisted with firefighting operations overnight, including departments from Winnsboro, Yantis, Quitman and Prairieville, along with the North 19 Volunteer Fire Department.

Their assistance allowed some departments that responded to the initial call to leave the scene.

Residents Allowed To Return

Residents who had previously been asked to evacuate were notified that they could return to their homes.

As of 7:15 a.m. Friday, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported that approximately 659 acres had burned and the wildfire was fully contained.

Around 9 a.m., six fire engines and one dozer remained at the scene for mop-up operations and to reinforce containment lines.

An Emergency Medical Task Force deployment team was also assigned to the operation. The team includes a unit from the Longview Fire Department equipped with quick-response vehicles and an ambulance.

The medical task force will remain in place while the Texas A&M Forest Service continues its work.

Cause of Fire Remains Under Investigation

Investigators have not determined a confirmed cause of the wildfire.

Officials believe the fire originated along the roadside of State Highway 64. The Texas A&M Forest Service is sending an investigator to assist the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal’s Office with determining the fire’s origin and cause.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Officials Thank Responders and Community

The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office credited the coordinated response of local departments, neighboring agencies and state partners with helping protect residents and property.

The response included assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Van Zandt County Emergency Management and numerous fire departments and emergency personnel.

The Sheriff’s Office also thanked Van Zandt County residents and businesses for supporting emergency services and providing donations and other assistance during the incident.

Officials said additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Meanwhile, the Ross fire in Palo Pinto County, located west of Fort Worth, continues to burn, with more than 85,000 acres scorched. The most recent update from the Texas A&M Forest Service showed that the fire was 26% contained as of Friday morning.

Provided by Dallas Express

Americans who strongly endorsed positions drawn from major medical groups’ “gender-affirming” guidance also showed higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism and greater willingness to justify political violence, according to a new HHS-commissioned study.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the preregistered report Wednesday. Researchers affiliated with Rutgers University, the Manhattan Institute and the Network Contagion Research Institute surveyed 1,208 U.S. adults recruited through CloudResearch Connect.

The report found associations, not proof that the beliefs caused authoritarianism or violence. It measured whether respondents considered six acts justified, not whether they committed or intended to commit violence. It also did not examine whether people who identify as “transgender” commit violence.

Study tested six violent scenarios

Researchers built a five-item Clinical Gender Affirmation Scale from positions in guidance issued by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, World Professional Association for “Transgender” Health and American Academy of Pediatrics.

Respondents rated statements about asserted identities, names, pronouns and parental support, including “Parents should support their children’s transgender exploration.”

The study separately used a 13-item Brief Left-Wing Authoritarianism Scale. It includes statements favoring top-down censorship and rejecting conventional values, along with, “We need to replace the established order by any means necessary,” and a statement about enjoying seeing perceived oppressors suffer violence.

Respondents then rated how justified they considered six acts: killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, killing President Donald Trump, killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, setting fire to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings, damaging wealthy people’s property and committing violence against police.

Those scenarios overlap with recent political violence and property attacks previously covered by The Dallas Express, including Kirk’s assassination, attempts on Trump’s life, Thompson’s killing and the Antifa ambush at an ICE facility near Fort Worth.

DX covered attacks, plots and property damage

The report did not analyze individual crimes or determine whether people who identify as “transgender” commit violence at higher rates. Its release nevertheless follows several cases previously covered by The Dallas Express involving defendants or assailants who identified as “transgender,” including political attacks and plots.

Federal prosecutors charged Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, over a series of alleged attacks at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado. Authorities reported finding a Molotov cocktail near a Cybertruck, graffiti and broken bottles consistent with incendiary devices. At Nelson’s arrest, investigators said a vehicle contained gasoline, bottles and wick material. DX previously identified Nelson as a “trans” woman.

In Buffalo Grove, Illinois, prosecutors charged Erin L. White with felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanor trespass after graffiti opposing Trump and Musk and supporting “transgender” rights caused about $9,000 in damage at a Tesla center. DX previously reported that White identifies as “transgender.” DX also covered a separate Molotov cocktail and gunfire case at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, while noting that authorities had not confirmed online claims that the defendant identified as “transgender.”

The North Texas case produced nine convictions. Eight defendants later received a combined 450 years in federal prison for the July 4, 2025, attack at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado. DX previously identified two of those defendants, Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill, and Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris, as “transgender.” Each was convicted of riot, providing material support to terrorists and explosives offenses and received 50 years. Benjamin Song, a separate defendant, was the only person convicted of attempted murder and firing the shots that wounded an Alvarado police officer.

Other DX reporting has examined the bombing of the Alabama attorney general’s office, an alleged knife attack on ICE agents in Portland, the 2023 Covenant School killings, the 2025 Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an attack on Turning Point USA students at UT Dallas, thwarted school shooting plots, the Zizian network and a 2026 school shooting in British Columbia. The cases differ substantially in facts, motives and legal posture. They do not establish a population-level rate of violence, and the HHS study did not use them as evidence.

Associations remained after political controls

Endorsement of the clinical scale correlated at 0.56 with left-wing authoritarianism, and the full set of gender-belief measures produced correlations ranging from 0.44 to 0.59. The clinical scale accounted for 31.5% of the variation in authoritarianism scores.

Support for the clinical positions also correlated with justification of all six violent acts, with coefficients ranging from 0.23 to 0.35. Left-wing authoritarianism produced stronger correlations, ranging from 0.47 to 0.54. The relationships remained statistically significant when researchers controlled for respondents’ left-right political identity.

When researchers modeled left-wing authoritarianism and political identity together, authoritarianism predicted willingness to justify all six acts. Political identity predicted four. When researchers modeled the clinical scale and political identity together, both predicted all six.

The sample leaned Democratic: 55% identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party, 27.2% identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party, 15.1% were independents without a lean and 2.7% reported another or no affiliation.

“This study raises important questions about what happens when ideology is given the authority of medicine,” Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brian Christine said in an HHS release. He said the associations among sex-rejecting clinical beliefs, authoritarian attitudes and justification of political violence warrant serious scientific scrutiny.

Study does not establish causation

The authors wrote that gender ideology “may function as an ideological accelerant” for people already disposed toward force. However, they said the cross-sectional design could not determine whether gender beliefs influence authoritarianism, whether authoritarians gravitate toward those beliefs or whether another factor drives both.

Researchers are designing a second preregistered experiment to test causation.

The Human Rights Campaign called the report “junk” in a Thursday statement and accused HHS and the researchers of beginning with a predetermined result. It described the Manhattan Institute and NCRI as aligned with right-wing positions but did not identify a specific statistical calculation it disputed. “Political violence is not, and must never become, acceptable in our society,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said.

The findings also follow separate 2026 research published in Archives of Sexual Behavior. Two preregistered studies of 1,431 U.S. adults and 1,390 adults in the United Kingdom found that nonbinary or changeable sex/gender beliefs were strongly associated with left-wing authoritarian anti-conventionalism.

Provided by Dallas Express

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday creating a presidential commission to develop plans for a new United States Space Academy, a proposed federal institution designed to train future leaders in space-related fields.

The commission will advise the President on how to establish the NASA-led academy, which would combine technical education with leadership development, discipline and public service. The initiative is intended to strengthen the U.S. space workforce as the administration seeks to maintain American leadership in space exploration, technology, commerce and national security.

The proclamation, signed on August 28, establishes the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy. NASA’s administrator will serve as the commission’s chair, while the assistant to the President for science and technology and the assistant to the President for economic policy will serve as vice chairs.

The deputy administrator of NASA will serve as executive director.

What the Space Academy Would Do

The proposed academy would prepare students for careers supporting the nation’s military, civilian and commercial space activities.

According to the White House, the institution would focus on developing astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and warfighters capable of advancing U.S. interests in space.

The academy’s proposed mission would extend beyond traditional technical education. The administration said it would seek to develop graduates with leadership skills, discipline and a commitment to public service.

The proclamation also calls for the commission to examine whether graduates should have service obligations, including potential service in the Armed Forces or civilian federal government.

Commission Has 120 Days To Make Recommendations

The commission has 120 days from the date of the order to submit a report to Trump outlining how the Space Academy could be established.

Among the issues the commission must examine are the academy’s governance structure, organizational authorities, and accreditation. It will also consider whether the academy should be established within NASA.

The report is expected to address potential degree programs, experiential training and leadership development, as well as requirements for applicants. Those requirements could include citizenship, security clearances, and government or military status.

The commission also must recommend a process for choosing a permanent location for the academy.

Other areas of review include potential pilot programs and partnerships, coordination with existing federal education programs, and legislation that may be required to establish the institution.

After the President approves the recommendations and any necessary legislation is enacted, the NASA administrator would implement the plan in coordination with other federal agencies and subject to available funding.

Space Workforce a National Security Priority

The administration’s fact sheet describes space as a critical domain for national security, economic growth, scientific discovery and technological innovation.

The White House said maintaining U.S. leadership will require recruiting and retaining highly skilled workers capable of supporting an increasingly competitive space environment.

The proposed academy is intended to help address that need by encouraging Americans to pursue technical fields that the administration says do not currently have enough educational programs and graduates to sustain U.S. space capabilities.

Trump’s fact sheet also points to actions taken during his administration and first term involving space policy, including the creation of the U.S. Space Force and policies supporting NASA’s Artemis program and commercial space development.

The White House cited the April 2026 Artemis II mission, which sent American astronauts into lunar orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, as an example of the nation’s continuing space ambitions.

Academy Still Requires Further Steps

Friday’s order does not immediately establish a functioning university or academy. Instead, it creates the commission that will develop recommendations for how such an institution could be structured and operated.

The order states that implementation must comply with existing law and depends on available appropriations. Any recommendations requiring new legislation would also have to go through Congress.

For now, the commission’s work will determine key details, including the academy’s location, curriculum, admissions requirements, potential service commitments, and organizational structure.

Provided by Dallas Express

President Donald Trump directed his administration Friday to prepare legal documents intended to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to process and sell their own meat, two days after Glenn Beck raised the issue during an interview with the President.

The proposal could expand local processing capacity and give producers alternatives to the country’s dominant beef packers. However, Trump did not sign a final order Friday, and existing federal inspection and sales restrictions remain in effect.

Trump Directs Administration to Draft Plan

Trump announced the move in a Friday post on Truth Social, saying farmers and ranchers have faced longstanding difficulties dealing with large processors.

“There are, essentially, 4 of them, a very non competitive number, and they make life miserable for our wonderful Farmers and Ranchers,” Trump wrote. “So, in order to break this powerful monopoly, with much of its ownership based outside of the U.S., I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD,” Trump added. “This should move quickly.”

The wording is important: Trump authorized the preparation of legal documents but did not immediately change federal law or USDA regulations.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on X that the administration expects “big announcements” beginning Monday. She listed reduced processing red tape, expanded interstate sales for ranchers, additional support for smaller processors, and the rescission of outdated guidance among the forthcoming steps, Reuters reported.

We are on it Mr. President!

Our great AMERICAN ranchers produce the highest-quality, most incredible beef in the world AND it is a matter of national security that we be able to feed and fuel ourselves.

Big announcements starting Monday — including:

waiving red tape in… https://t.co/dDSHH3dnFV

— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) August 28, 2026

The administration had not disclosed whether the plan would take the form of an executive order, agency directive, proposed regulation, or combination of measures.

Beck Raised Processing Barriers Wednesday

The announcement followed Trump’s Wednesday appearance on The Glenn Beck Program.

Beck, who owns a ranch, urged the President to examine what he called the “meat processing cartel.” He argued that USDA regulations make it difficult for ranchers and independent businesses to establish smaller processing plants.

“This could be a very good call for ranchers,” Trump responded during the interview. “I’ve been hearing only bad about—it’s four places, and it’s a monopoly.”

The industry is highly concentrated, although concentration alone does not establish the existence of an illegal monopoly.

The four largest meatpackers handle approximately 85% of U.S. steer and heifer purchases, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The dominant beef packers are Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS USA, and National Beef.

The Justice Department is investigating possible collusion and price manipulation among major beef processors, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. No charges have been announced, and an investigation does not establish wrongdoing.

Farmers Can Process Meat, but Sales Are Restricted

Farmers and ranchers are not completely prohibited from processing their own animals.

Current federal law includes personal-use and custom-slaughter exemptions. Meat processed under those exemptions may generally be consumed by the animal’s owner, members of the owner’s household, nonpaying guests, and employees, but it cannot ordinarily be sold to the public, according to Section 623 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

Meat sold commercially generally must come from an inspected facility. State-inspected meat can ordinarily be sold only within that state. Qualifying small state-inspected processors participating in USDA’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program may sell across state lines.

Trump’s plan could expand an exemption, make it easier for small facilities to qualify for inspection, broaden interstate sales, or combine those approaches. The administration has not released sufficient details to determine which rules will change.

Congress has also considered the bipartisan PRIME Act. A modified version included in the House-passed 2026 Farm Bill would allow states to establish pilot programs permitting certain custom-processed meat to be sold directly to consumers within the state.

Products would have to carry labels identifying the processor, animal owner, place where the animal was raised, and slaughter date, along with notice that the meat was not federally inspected, according to Rep. Thomas Massie’s office. The legislation has not become law.

Lower Prices Are Possible but Not Guaranteed

Expanded local processing could give ranchers more buyers, reduce transportation distances, shorten processing wait times, and create additional opportunities for producers to sell directly to consumers.

USDA has already committed up to $500 million through its Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers program to support federally inspected small and midsize beef facilities. The program does not authorize uninspected retail sales.

Lower consumer prices are possible but not guaranteed. Small processors face equipment, labor, sanitation, refrigeration, inspection, packaging, and distribution expenses. Large plants benefit from economies of scale that can reduce processing costs.

USDA economists have described the tradeoff: large plants can lower per-unit processing costs and wholesale meat prices, while having fewer packers can reduce competition for livestock and depress prices paid to producers, according to the agency’s Allowing more local meat processing would not automatically result in fewer fillers or additives.

Ingredients are determined by the individual product and processor. Federal rules require ingredients in processed meat products to appear on the label in descending order by weight, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Direct sales could give consumers greater access to ranchers and more information about how animals were raised and processed, but the forthcoming policy does not itself establish new ingredient restrictions.

Industry Raises Food-Safety Concerns

The Meat Institute, which represents meatpacking companies, has previously cautioned against allowing meat processed without inspection to enter commercial markets.

Trump did not say that sanitation, labeling, or food-safety requirements would be eliminated.

The practical consequences will depend on the legal documents Trump ordered and the USDA policies expected Monday. Until those measures are released and take effect, farmers and ranchers must continue following existing federal and state inspection requirements.

Provided by Dallas Express

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed judges to six new Texas district courts scheduled to open September 1, along with a new judge for an existing Williamson County court.

The appointments were included in a slate released Friday. All seven judges will take office Tuesday and serve terms expiring December 31, 2028, or until their elected successors qualify.

New Courts Created in Five Counties

The six new courts were created under House Bill 16, a judicial administration measure approved during the Texas Legislature’s second called session in 2025.

The new courts will serve Brazoria, Colorado, Lavaca, Harris, and Montgomery counties. Three are directed to prioritize civil cases, while one will give preference to criminal matters.

Abbott signed the legislation on September 17, 2025, according to its official legislative history. Different portions of the law took effect on staggered dates, with the provisions creating the six courts becoming effective September 1, 2026.

Brazoria and Rural Counties Gain Judges

Cindy Bridges will lead the new 490th Judicial District Court in Brazoria County.

Bridges is a private-practice trial attorney certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She previously served as chief prosecutor for Internet Crimes Against Children in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and as a prosecutor with the Special Prosecution Unit in the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, according to her official appointment biography.

Leonard Peters will become judge of the new 492nd Judicial District Court, which covers Colorado and Lavaca counties.

Peters is a Columbus municipal judge and an attorney with Peters and Peters Law Firm. He holds a Texas peace officer’s license and has served as president of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, according to the governor’s office.

Harris County Adds Three Civil Courts

Abbott appointed judges to three new Harris County courts required by HB 16 to give preference to civil cases.

Jacqueline Franklin will preside over the 513th Judicial District Court. Franklin is an attorney with Fanaff, Gonzales, Baldwin & Cunningham and previously served as an assistant district attorney in Nueces County, according to her appointment announcement.

Michael Landrum will lead the 514th Judicial District Court. Landrum is an attorney and arbitrator who previously served as judge of Harris County’s 113th and 164th district courts. He is a member of the Federalist Society, Houston Bar Association, and Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, according to his official biography.

Former state Rep. Shawn Nicole Thierry will become judge of the 515th Judicial District Court.

Thierry represented Texas House District 146 and currently serves as executive director of policy in the Office of General Counsel at Texas Southern University. She has nearly three decades of legal experience and was appointed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board in 2025, according to the governor’s office.

HB 16 also creates two additional civil district courts in Harris County—the 516th and 517th—on October 1.

Montgomery County Court Will Prioritize Criminal Cases

Donna Hansen will lead the new 523rd Judicial District Court in Montgomery County. State law directs the court to give preference to criminal cases.

Hansen is a division chief and assistant district attorney in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. She previously worked as a Harris County assistant district attorney and serves on the State Child Fatality Review Team Committee and the Children’s Safe Harbor board, according to her appointment announcement.

Governor’s Attorney Named to Existing Court

Abbott also appointed Jason Bramow to the existing 425th Judicial District Court in Williamson County.

Bramow serves as deputy general counsel in the governor’s office. He previously worked as general counsel for Texas Sen. Phil King, an assistant Texas attorney general, and an assistant district attorney in Lubbock County.

“Jason Bramow has served Texas with distinction as deputy general counsel in my office,” Abbott said in the appointment announcement. “His steadfast commitment to the rule of law makes him an excellent choice to uphold justice with fairness and integrity as judge of the 425th Judicial District Court.”

The six new courts and all seven judicial appointments take effect Tuesday.

Provided by Dallas Express

Two men have been arrested after Fort Worth police say a series of Facebook Marketplace transactions turned into armed robberies.

Officers responded to multiple reported robberies tied to online marketplace deals Saturday, August 15, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

Investigators used a coordinated effort involving Central Patrol, the Real Time Crime Center, the Directed Response Unit, FLOCK technology and robbery detectives to identify a silver Honda sedan that matched the description of a vehicle connected to the robberies.

Later that day, officers detained 21-year-old Jeremiah Ross after police said they saw him running with a firearm. A second suspect, 20-year-old Davontate Ashley, was detained during a high-risk traffic stop, according to police.

Investigators determined Ross and Ashley were involved in the robberies, authorities said. Stolen property was recovered during the execution of a search warrant.

Both suspects were arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated robbery and 1 count of evading arrest. Ross was also charged with resisting arrest, failure to identify/fugitive from justice, and escape from custody.

Police also released video showing portions of the pursuit and arrests. The footage includes officers apprehending the suspects and finding a firearm inside a suspect’s backpack.

Police Offer Marketplace Safety Tips

Fort Worth police are reminding residents to take precautions when buying or selling items through online marketplaces.

Police recommend meeting in a public location during daylight hours and bringing another person along when possible. Residents are also encouraged to use designated safe exchange locations when they are available.

If something about a transaction or meeting does not feel right, police advise leaving the area and contacting authorities.

“Trust your instincts and remember, no sale is worth putting yourself in danger,” police said.

Provided by Dallas Express

Dolly Parton spent more than three decades placing books in the hands of children. Following her death Tuesday at age 80, her family is asking mourners to help that work continue.

“In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” the family said in an announcement posted on Parton’s official website.

The literacy program she founded in one Tennessee county now mails more than 3 million free books each month to children across five countries.

A Gift Inspired by Her Father

Parton died peacefully in Nashville on August 25 at age 80, her family announced. Representatives later said she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center after a brief battle with cancer; the type of cancer was not specified. At Parton’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family.

The country music star founded the Imagination Library in 1995 through the Dollywood Foundation. The program was inspired by her father, Robert Lee Parton Sr., who could not read or write.

Parton initially created the program for children in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up as one of 12 children. Her goal was to encourage families to read together by mailing every enrolled child a free, age-appropriate book each month.

The program expanded nationally in 2000. It subsequently reached Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, according to the organization’s official history.

The Imagination Library has now distributed more than 300 million books worldwide. It currently mails more than 3 million books each month directly to children’s homes.

Texas Invests $4 Million in Book Delivery

Parton’s literacy initiative was already poised for additional growth in Texas before her death.

The Texas Legislature appropriated $4 million for fiscal year 2026 to fund Community Literacy Support Grants administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The grants help public libraries partner with nonprofit organizations to enroll children in monthly mail-order book programs. The appropriation was included in the state’s General Appropriations Act, according to commission meeting records.

More than 80 nonprofit organizations operating in Texas were enrolling children in the Imagination Library as of August 2025. The state commission said it had begun working with Dollywood Foundation representatives and Texas nonprofit organizations to develop the grant initiative.

An invitation-only pilot began in October 2025 with approximately seven library-nonprofit partnerships. The Imagination Library was selected as the pilot’s book-delivery program, according to a subsequent commission update.

Participating children receive one book at home every month. Nonprofit partners, rather than the state agency, oversee enrollment and delivery.

Books Provided Regardless of Income

The Imagination Library serves eligible children from birth to age 5 without requiring families to demonstrate financial need.

Funding is shared by the Dollywood Foundation and local community partners, which may include libraries, school systems, civic organizations, businesses, and nonprofit groups. Families are not charged for the books or postage.

The first book sent to participating children in the United States is traditionally The Little Engine That Could. Subsequent selections are based on the child’s age, with an emphasis on early literacy, vocabulary development, and interaction between children and caregivers.

In 2024, approximately one in seven children younger than 5 in the United States received an Imagination Library book each month, according to the program’s published milestones.

Parents can check the organization’s online availability tool to determine whether enrollment is offered in their community.

Flags Lowered in Parton’s Memory

President Donald Trump ordered American flags lowered to half-staff following Parton’s death.

The order applies to the White House, federal buildings, military installations, naval vessels, and U.S. facilities overseas through sunset on September 1, according to a presidential proclamation published Friday in the Federal Register.

Provided by Dallas Express

A Plano, Texas, couple is among the Americans still unaccounted for after catastrophic flash floods and mudslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border, killing hundreds and leaving thousands missing.

Madhu and Deepak Ahuja, who have lived and worked in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for more than 30 years, were traveling home from a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when the disaster struck on Wednesday. The trip was planned to celebrate Deepak’s 60th birthday and fulfill a long-held goal of visiting the sacred site.

Their daughters, Ashna and Shreya, told media outlets that they last spoke with their parents about 90 minutes before the flooding. The couple was reportedly at the Gyirong Port immigration center near the Nepal-China border when a massive wall of water and mud swept through the area.

Their phones have since been unreachable, with the last known location reportedly near Gyirong.

The family learned the couple was missing through members of the travel group with whom they had been traveling. Relatives are now working with authorities and preparing to travel to Nepal, while some family members are already on the ground trying to find information.

Family Holding on to Hope

The Ahujas are well known in the North Texas community. Originally from India, both have operated businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Madhu is a longtime CPA, while Deepak is an architectural engineer.

The couple has two daughters, who had expected to reunite with their parents in Dallas this weekend.

“It’s a whirlwind of emotion,” Deepak’s brother, Sushil Ahuja, told CBS Texas, describing the family’s efforts to find information.

Despite the uncertainty, relatives remain hopeful.

“We truly believe that they will be fine,” Sushil said. “Miracles happen and we truly believe they will be OK.”

Death Toll and Missing Persons Rise

The flooding and mudslides followed what scientists described as a massive glacier collapse in the Himalayas. The collapse sent water, ice, rocks and debris down river valleys in Tibet and Nepal, destroying buildings, bridges and roads.

Nepal’s disaster-management authorities reported hundreds of deaths, while the number of people unaccounted for in Nepal rose to nearly 2,000 as additional reports were added. China previously reported hundreds missing on its side of the border.

More than 3,700 people had been rescued in Nepal, with thousands evacuated or airlifted from affected areas. Rescue operations have been complicated by thick layers of mud and damage to roads leading to the hardest-hit border region.

Authorities have also warned about the possibility of additional flooding from a newly formed high-altitude lake created after the glacier collapse.

Dozens Of Americans Unaccounted For

The Ahujas are among dozens of Americans affected by the disaster. The U.S. State Department has said it is aware of approximately 90 Americans who may have been affected and has not reported any confirmed U.S. deaths.

Nepal’s tourism authorities have separately reported that more than 60 U.S. nationals were among those missing in the country.

Many foreign visitors were in the region for trekking, work, or, like the Ahuja family, pilgrimages to Mount Kailash, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists and others.

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is working with local authorities and has pledged $500,000 in emergency assistance. Americans seeking information about family members in the region can contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747.

The embassy is also urging U.S. citizens in Nepal to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and contact KathmanduACS@state.gov for urgent assistance.

For the Ahuja family, the search remains intensely personal as rescue crews continue working through the devastation.

“We just love them a lot, and want them to come home,” their daughters said, asking for continued hope as efforts to locate their parents continue.

Provided by Dallas Express

The War Department announced $135.6 million in equity investments Friday to protect U.S. access to alumina and critical minerals used in military systems, electrical infrastructure, electronics, and manufacturing.

The department will make a $100 million follow-on investment in the country’s sole remaining alumina refinery and complete a previously announced $35.6 million investment that gives the federal government an ownership interest in Trilogy Metals, a company developing mineral deposits in northwest Alaska.

Government Investment in Refinery Reaches $400 Million

The larger investment will go to Atlantic Alumina Company, known as Atalco, which operates the nation’s only alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana.

Alumina is produced from bauxite ore and processed into aluminum. The finished metal is used in military aircraft, vehicles, weapons, electronics, and other defense systems, as well as civilian manufacturing and infrastructure.

Friday’s $100 million preferred-equity investment brings the War Department’s total commitment to Atalco to $400 million, according to the department’s announcement.

Atalco’s existing investors have committed another $350 million, with an additional $50 million expected within 75 days. If completed, government and private investments would total $800 million.

The money will support continuing operations and capital improvements intended to return the refinery to its nameplate capacity of 1.2 million metric tons of alumina annually.

Louisiana Refinery Supplies Texas Manufacturers

The Gramercy facility converts imported bauxite into domestically refined alumina and accounts for approximately 55% of U.S. alumina demand, according to the War Department.

It supplies aluminum smelters in Kentucky and South Carolina, as well as major manufacturing operations in Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and Mississippi.

The War Department requires approximately 200,000 metric tons of metallurgical aluminum annually. Officials said Atalco currently provides sufficient alumina to support approximately 60% of that demand.

The department projects that planned production increases will allow the refinery to support aluminum production equivalent to 142% of its projected demand by 2029.

Approximately 99.3% of the refinery’s output goes to industries classified as national-security subsectors, according to the department.

The investment is expected to preserve approximately 875 jobs associated with refining, mining, shipping, and port operations. That figure includes about 530 refinery workers in Gramercy.

War Department officials said financial and operational pressures would likely force the refinery and affiliated mining operations to close without the near-term investment.

Federal Government Receives Stake in Trilogy Metals

The department separately announced an executed $35.6 million investment agreement with Trilogy Metals, a publicly traded mineral exploration company.

The transaction gives the federal government a 10% direct ownership stake in Trilogy, along with penny warrants representing an additional 7.5%. The department described the government’s combined economic position as 17.5%.

The money will support exploration, engineering, and infrastructure development at the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in northwest Alaska.

Those projects are managed by Ambler Metals, a 50-50 joint venture between Trilogy and Australian mining company South32. The mineral district contains copper, cobalt, germanium, and other materials used in defense systems, data centers, electronics, and electrical infrastructure.

The district includes the Arctic deposit, which the War Department describes as one of the world’s highest-grade undeveloped copper deposits. The nearby Bornite project contains additional copper, cobalt, and germanium resources.

Investment Follows Ambler Road Approval

Development of the remote mineral district depends on the proposed Ambler Road, a 211-mile industrial route connecting the area to Alaska’s Dalton Highway.

President Donald Trump approved an appeal supporting the road in October 2025 and directed federal agencies to issue the necessary authorizations. The Bureau of Land Management subsequently reissued a 50-year right-of-way grant, according to the agency’s project record.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the decision reversed the Biden administration’s rejection of the project over concerns involving wildlife, waterways, and Alaska Native subsistence resources.

The federal investment in Trilogy was initially disclosed when Trump revived the road project. Friday’s announcement confirmed the executed agreement and the government’s ownership terms.

The War Department projects that development of the Ambler district and road could create more than 2,730 construction jobs and 500 long-term mining jobs. It also estimates the projects could generate more than $1.1 billion in Alaska state revenue.

Officials said downstream processing and manufacturing could occur in Texas, Arizona, Utah, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Deals Give Government Ownership Interests

The transactions differ from conventional federal grants or procurement contracts because the government receives preferred ownership units, common shares, or warrants in exchange for its money.

Officials said the approach is intended to protect taxpayer capital while directing funding toward industrial facilities and mineral projects considered important to national security.

The investments also extend the federal government’s use of direct ownership positions to support domestic production of materials vulnerable to overseas supply disruptions.

Provided by Dallas Express