Texas Abuse Hotline, Dallas County conservative candidates, restaurant owner responds to Trump Jr.: Your Tuesday morning roundup

December 19,  2017 By Nicholas Friedman Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌦️ Weather: Cloudy with rain and scattered thunderstorms. High: 58 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? [It's here.]( Candace Mosely, who wants to be an "intake specialist" at the Texas Abuse Hotline, takes calls during a hands-on training session at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services' Statewide Intake Division in Austin. (Thao Nguyen/Special Contributor) Texas State hotline for reporting child, elder abuse wins praise but could use more help One of the few bright spots in Texas' protective services bureaucracy [may be a victim of its own success.]( The Texas Abuse Hotline, which gathers and evaluates the public's tips about suspected maltreatment of very vulnerable residents, has won awards in competitions among call centers and as a pioneer of online training for telecommuters. But while lawmakers have faced recurring crises at sister agencies Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services in the past 12 years, they ignored this year's pleas by the Statewide Intake division for more call center operators. Statewide Intake, a division of the Department of Family and Protective Services, requested money to hire 44 "intake specialists" -- in addition to more than 300 already on the state payroll. And: A Dallas County judge reduced the bail Monday for a Dallas mother accused of subjecting her 8-year-old son [to hundreds of unnecessary visits to doctors and more than a dozen surgeries.]( Also: The case against a former Farmers Branch police officer accused of murder is "embarrassing and pathetic," [a defense attorney told jurors before they began deliberations]( Monday. Advertisement [Communities Foundation of Texas]( The Dallas County Commissioners Court in session in May. (Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer) dallas county elections Candidates announce bids for Dallas County judge, commissioner in Republican precinct Four candidates have filed [to run for county commissioner in Dallas County's northern, Republican-leaning Precinct 2](. It's a seat that, with the retirement of longtime Commissioner Mike Cantrell, will become vacant for the first time since 1994. Meanwhile, Todd Gottell, the Republican former mayor of Rowlett, announced Monday he will seek to unseat County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat. Gottell said he believes he has a shot at winning, despite the fact that countywide races have largely favored Democrats in recent years. "This race is really not about Democratic versus Republican," Gottell said. "I believe in conservative values ... That doesn't mean turn the knob all the way to the right." 'Lamby lives!' Dallas agrees to [send Deep Ellum dog on death row to Austin animal rescue.]( Commentary: Tax-reform bill [would hurt Texas universities and students.]( (Instagram) chip off the old block Dallas restaurant owner 'betrayed and sad' after Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz photographed with Barack Obama cookie cake President Donald Trump's oldest son lit up the Internet with an Instagram post [that seemed to mock former president Barack Obama.]( The talked-about photos were taken during a private birthday party at a restaurant called Le Bilboquet in Dallas on Sunday, and the owner of the restaurant has said he feels "betrayed and sad" after the photos were published. The trio of photos included Texas senator Ted Cruz posing with Donald Trump Jr. and the cookie cake with Obama's face made out of frosting. In other photos, Trump, Jr. looks disapprovingly at the cake. The younger Trump was in Dallas to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, he said on Instagram. The Obama cake was a gift because his own 40th birthday is coming up on New Year's Eve. Commentary: In the age of Trump, [Americans are becoming more pro-immigration.]( Commentary: Discouraging words at the CDC as science [takes another political beating.]( Advertisement [Communities Foundation of Texas]( (David Woo/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Morning Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott arrives Monday at The Star in Frisco for the first time since his suspension six weeks ago. Elliott and the Cowboys [have something to play for after Dallas' wacky, to-the-wire 20-17 win]( Sunday night over the Oakland Raiders keeps the playoffs at least a possibility. Around The Site - Crime: A Fort Worth man [has been sentenced to one year in state jail]( after he left his dog to starve to death when he moved out of his apartment last year. - Energy: Texas electricity bills could increase next summer [as shrinking supply meets record use.]( - Health-care: Millions of patients like Fowler [are on the receiving end of the health-care industry's collections machine.]( - Real estate: U.S. homebuilders [are feeling more optimistic than they have in nearly two decades.]( - Texana: This Selena Christmas light show [is a Texas family's tribute to the singer.]( - To know: How Dallasites [can get a free (and safe) ride]( on New Year's Eve. A view from the DFW Hub Control Center at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. (2017 File Photo/Jae S. Lee) Finally... DFW International Airport has redundant electrical utility systems in place in case of a major power outage, officials said Monday, [a day after an outage threw Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport into chaos.]( The Atlanta airport cancelled more than 1,600 flights over the last two days due to a Sunday electrical outage that stretched for nearly ten hours, stranding tens of thousands of passengers in dark terminals or in planes waiting on the tarmac. DFW Airport officials provided limited details about their backup electrical systems beyond that they exist, in part due to security concerns. AdVERTISEMENT [Communities Foundation of Texas]( 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. 📧 Do you have feedback? 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