Zeke's suspension, disaster relief, Dallas Animal Services improvements: Your Thursday evening roundup

Good evening. Here are some stories you may have missed today. [Good evening. Here are some stories you may have missed today.] October 12,  2017 By Holly Rusak Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott takes a quiet moment before the opening kickoff, as wide receiver Dez Bryant appeals to the crowd before the game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. (Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer) Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott's suspension could go into effect as court rules in favor of NFL The 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans has [ruled to vacate Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's preliminary injunction](. The court ruling came out Thursday afternoon, following arguments in New Orleans on Monday, Oct. 2. The vacated ruling means Elliott's suspension could go into effect immediately, though Elliott's team and the NFLPA will file for an injunction in the Southern District of New York in hopes the running back can keep playing. The Cowboys have a bye week this week before returning to the field at San Francisco on Oct. 22. Without another injunction, Elliott's suspension can go into effect for that game. This is a developing story. For the latest updates, visit [sportsday.dallasnews.com](. special offer After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott blamed Texas lawmakers for a disaster relief bill that omitted special Harvey aid, rattled members sought help from above: Speaker Paul Ryan. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman; Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times) Politics House passes $36.5B disaster relief bill that Greg Abbott blasted for lack of Harvey aid The House easily passed a [$36.5 billion emergency disaster relief bill on Thursday, but not before a flare-up between Gov. Greg Abbott]( and members of the Texas delegation that prompted House Speaker Paul Ryan to intervene. Six Texas Republicans voted against the measure, arguing it will add to the debt and fails to include needed changes to a beleaguered federal flood insurance program. On Wednesday, Abbott popped off at Texas lawmakers, accusing them of lacking a "stiff spine" in negotiations over the latest round of relief funding, which omitted his recent $18.7 billion request for Harvey-specific aid. At the Texans' request, Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry phoned the governor late Wednesday. Harvey's wake: [Texas rice farmers had to combat flooding]( — and the government. 'Daunting, but full of opportunity:' Hurricane Harvey [evacuees are making Dallas home](. In this 2016 file photo, Teri Williams, an employee of Dallas Animal Services, is licked by Titan as he prepares to leave with his adoptive owners. (G.J. McCarthy/Staff Photographer) City Hall Dallas Animal Services collected more dogs and cats but killed fewer in the last year New Dallas Animal Services statistics show the [beleaguered department made progress in the past year after an overhaul by police officials](. In the 2017 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, Dallas Animal Services impounded more than 5,000 more dogs from the field than the previous fiscal year. And the department did so without killing more animals. Adoptions for cats, dogs and other animals increased about 20 percent vs. the previous fiscal year. Euthanasia was down nearly 22 percent among all animals. The live-release rate rose to 73 percent from 61 percent year over year and hit 81.5 percent in September. The department also stepped up enforcement, increasing citations by 60 percent in fiscal 2017. DCH to DMZ: Dallas Mayor [Mike Rawlings promises no tweets on his trip to the demilitarized zone]( that divides North and South Korea. And the DSO: The Dallas Symphony [may be closer than we thought]( to naming a new music director. DirecTV Now has multiple tiers with bundles of channels. AT&T Imagine losing a cable customer base the size of Arlington. That's what AT&T expects As more customers cut their cable and turn to streaming services, [Dallas-based AT&T says it expects to lose about 390,000 traditional pay-TV subscribers this quarter](, according to financial documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That drop is roughly equivalent to every Arlington citizen cutting cable or satellite TV. It is a sharper decline than the 351,000 pay-TV subscribers AT&T lost in the second quarter. In the filing, however, the Dallas-based telecom company pointed to a silver lining. It said it's stemmed  losses with its own cable alternative: online streaming service, DirecTV Now. AT&T anticipates DirecTV Now will gain nearly 300,000 new customers during the third quarter, which would cut the company's video net losses to 90,000. AT&T attributed the decline in video subscriptions to increased competition from both traditional pay-TV providers and streaming services, hurricanes and its stricter credit standards, according to the SEC filing. Knowing is half the battle: What to know about [2017-18 open enrollment on healthcare.gov](. Health care and politics: President Donald [Trump directed his administration to rewrite some federal insurance rules]( as a beginning of renewed efforts to undermine "Obamacare." [Sign up for breaking news alerts]( (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Day It's Fair Park After Dark as the moon rises behind rides on the midway at the State Fair of Texas in the early Wednesday morning hours. There's plenty of fun still to had at the fair, and [we know just where to go and what to do](. Around The Site - Commentary: [Donald Trump's latest attack on the media crosses a line](, and it deserves the push-back it's getting, writes Editorial Writer Jay Caruso. - Texas Tech shooting: The student accused of killing a campus police officer was [searched when he was taken into custody but still managed to have a gun on him](, Lubbock Police Chief Greg Stevens said. - Commentary: UT's first black football player is [taking the NCAA to court for a healthier future](, writes his sister, Mildred Whittier. - Missing person: A Houston mother fears that her [missing 15-year-old daughter was lured by sex traffickers](. Finally... It's a good idea to grab tissues before hitting play on [a video George Strait recently recorded for one of his biggest little fans](. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the country music legend sent well-wishes and love this week to Bella, a 10-year-old from Midland, who was reportedly given two weeks left to live. According to an Oct. 5 Facebook video posted by Damon Cole, a Fort Worth police officer behind the organization Heroes & Cops Against Childhood Cancer, Bella has undergone numerous surgeries in her lifetime due to a host of health problems. Advertisement 👋 That's all for this evening! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please [check out our other newsletters here](. 📧 Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=Evening%20Roundup%20Feedback).[Dennis Jansen](mailto:djansen@dallasnews.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) STAY CONNECTED WITH US  [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Tumblr]( [Google]( [Reddit](  [OTHER NEWSLETTERS]( [SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS]( [Unsubscribe](  |  [Manage Preferences](  |  [Privacy Policy](  |  [Contact](  |  [Advertise]( You received this message because you signed up for this Dallas Morning News newsletter or it was forwarded to you. Copyright 2017 - [The Dallas Morning News]( | [508 Young St., Dallas, TX 75202](#)