David Brooks has an essay in The New York Times this week called “The Next Culture War” in which he quotes former Dallas Morning News editorial writer Rod Dreher as saying that, in the wake of the Supreme Court gay marriage decision, now is time for Christians to take what Dreher…
Somewhere in the midst of his presidential campaign, Texas’ junior senator and Simpsons fan Ted Cruz took the time to audition for the Simpson’s roles vacated by the recently retired Harry Shearer for Buzzfeed. The results are equal turns amusing and horrifying. Amusing, because Cruz as Mr. Burns is just…
A government agency has two basic ways to slow down or avoid a legitimate public information request. It can either refer the request to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, forcing Ken Paxton’s employees to issue an opinion as to the request’s validity and potentially pushing the date the request is…
The town of Mansfield has at least 200 gas wells, some of which are dangerously far away from any serene neighborhoods with nice houses and cute children playing in the backyard. Luckily, some home developers are ready to change that. Locals have spotted a few signs lately advertising planned housing developments…
The Preston Center skybridge that would connect the shopping center’s aging city-owned garage to a potential Tom Thumb remains but a twinkle in developer Harlan Crow’s eye. The Dallas City Council agreed Wednesday to delay a final vote on the bridge until at least November, heeding the request of council member…
Plano knocked over its old water tower today “to make room for Legacy West, an exciting new development, which will include shops, restaurants, residential living, a high-rise hotel and the Liberty Mutual Insurance campus,” according to a city news release. Crews from a Michigan company, Iseler Demolition, cut the base…
Dallas renters rate the city as one of the worst in Texas in which to live, according to a new survey from Apartment List. Among Texas cities, only Houston ranks lower among the 100 cities surveyed. Apartment List talked to a bunch of renters — more than 18,000 nationwide —…
This is a thing: The Observer has ended its relationship with LiveFyre, the commenting platform our readers have been dutifully using and bitching about for a while now. We’re searching for a new platform to spark and support the debate that occurs beneath many of our stories, which is great news…
Hey, let’s take this new web site’s block-quote function for a spin. Here’s a memo I sent to the staff a short while ago. If you have any ideas about what we should look for in the next Dallas Observer editor, leave them in the comments. If you suggest fictional…
A little news: On Monday, we will unveil a new and much-improved website that we feel strongly will improve your experience as readers and viewers and admirers and begrudging admirers and straight-up haters. The best way to preview it is to take a spin around the site for our awesome…
Richardson’s City Council election is over. Come Monday when the council meets to canvass the results, Mayor Laura Maczka will no longer be mayor if, as she previously announced, she declines the second term voters had no choice but to elect her to. Surely it’s past time to shut up…
DFW home prices are almost 9 percent higher than this time last year, Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. That’s more than double the average 4.2 percent growth across the country. Dallas is one of just two metro areas where home buyers face prices higher than they were in 2006…
One of The Dallas Morning News’ resident scolds, editorial board member Tod Robberson, is fixated on a hookup-website billboard that was erected over Interstate 345 in Deep Ellum a couple of weeks ago. It’s not so much the implication of hot, dude-on-dude action that bothers Robberson, he tells us, but…
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the pros and cons of building the skybridge Crow Holdings wants to put in Preston Center: Pro: Preston Center is essentially frozen in the 1980s. See also: Preston Center Is Getting a Skybridge, and Maybe a Tom Thumb Con: So are skybridges!…
There was a palpable lethargy around the Observer offices yesterday. Not exactly atypical for Monday, but the fluorescent lights seemed especially harsh because not all quite regained the hour of sleep we lost over the weekend. If state Representative Dan Flynn gets his way, it might be the last time…
The Continental pedestrian bridge was one of Dallas’ best additions in 2014. It has great views, water features and play equipment for kids and the occasional food truck. Strolling the bridge, assuming the weather isn’t too hot, is genuinely pleasant. Building the Trinity toll road would seriously screw it up…
With the closing of Urban Orchard last August, downtown Dallas was left without a grocery store. Downtown residents with empty pantries are faced with heading to Uptown of Cityplace still, but a requested change in the development agreement between the city and Olympic Property Partners — the firm rehabbing 1401…
Texas Central High-Speed Railway, the private company backing high-speed rail that, potentially, would provide service from DFW to Houston in 90 minutes, announced two preferred sites for its Dallas hub as well as a development partnership Friday morning. The preferred station sites, part of a list of seven submitted to…
As the East Village Association awaits the latest turn in its court fight to keep Trammell Crow from building a Sam’s Club discount store near the intersection of Haskell Avenue and U.S. 75, the developer sent the group, along with the rest of the property’s neighbors, notice of its intent…
WFAA “share” is a community engagement tool that allows users of the ABC affiliate’s website to upload their photos and videos to potentially be featured on an image carousel on the station’s homepage. Typically it features things like cute pictures of dogs and kids in Cowboys gear or user photos…
As Unfair Park looks back and counts the many blessings we’ve received in 2014, one thing we’re especially thankful for is that Glenn Beck, dadaist performance artist extraordinaire, chooses to make his home — and film all the programs for his TV network, The Blaze — in the Dallas area…
Mike Wilson, the managing editor of Nate Silver’s ESPN-owned data journalism project, FiveThirtyEight, will take the reins as The Dallas Morning News’ new editor-in-chief on February 16. He replaces Bob Mong, who is retiring after 13 years at the helm. Wilson is a former managing editor at the Tampa Bay…
