Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. [Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day.]
January 30, Â 2018
By Tara Bryant
Good morning!
Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day.
ð Weather: Sunny and mild. High: 64 degrees. Wind: S 10-20 mph. The [fire danger will be elevated]( through Wednesday because of the gusty winds and very low humidity.
ð Prefer the online view? It's [here](.
[President Donald Trump speaks during the swearing-in ceremony for Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at the White House, in Washington, Jan. 29, 2018. (TOM BRENNER/The New York Times)](
President Donald Trump will give his first official State of the Union address Tuesday night. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times)
Politics
Will State of the Union address be the real starting line for Trump's infrastructure push?
Look for President Donald Trump to keep all lanes open when [he pitches a $1 trillion infrastructure plan]( in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Thatâs because the proposal remains glittered with generalities, even though the White House has for months teased the imminent release of a detailed blueprint for everything from fixing a crumbling roadway system to building more pipelines to boosting rural broadband service.
Rather than fretting over the lack of specifics â which could prove big in infrastructure-hungry Texas â the administration has almost relished in taking an open-ended approach.
âWe are very open to ideas on how to accomplish those goals,â D.J. Gribbin, Trumpâs top infrastructure adviser, told a group of U.S. mayors gathered in Washington last week.
Courts:Â A federal judge on Monday [blocked a controversial state law]( that requires miscarried or aborted fetuses to be cremated or buried.
Texas Legislature: Gov. Greg Abbott has named a new chairman [to oversee the board of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department](, his latest move to revamp the agency after the latest abuse scandal involving kids in state lockup.
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Dallas County Schools
School districts ready to seize bus service centers sold by Dallas County Schools in land deal
School districts in Dallas and Lancaster are [threatening to seize bus barns and bus lots]( that were controversially sold by busing operator Dallas County Schools.
Trustees for both districts recently approved resolutions to begin eminent domain proceedings on four service centers â three in Dallas ISD and one in Lancaster ISD â used by the soon-to-be-dismantled agency if the new owners donât agree to sell on the districtsâ terms.
In 2015, Dallas County Schools sold the centers for $25 million, then immediately began leasing the same lots in a transaction called a leaseback. The leasing arrangements, revealed in a months-long investigation by Scott Friedman at KXAS-TV (NBC5), gave Dallas County Schools a much-needed cash infusion at the time, but would have cost taxpayers $47 million over the next 20 years from the leases.
Education:Â Greg Abbott's [simple tax reform plan]( isn't so simple after all for Texas school districts.
Gardening: A new seedling farm and the Dallas Public Library have teamed up for [a seed swap this weekend](.
Customer Teresita Potts shops for jerseys of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott at the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop at Galleria Dallas. (Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer)
Cowboys
Despite disappointing 2017 season, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott rule NFL in merchandise sales
Behold the power of the Cowboys brand.
Dak Prescott's struggles during his up-and-down second NFL season, in which Dallas missed the playoffs, didn't hurt his selling power. Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension by the NFL for alleged domestic violence didn't keep fans from scooping up his products, either.
The Cowboys' quarterback and running back [are Nos. 1 and 2 on the top-50 sales list]( the NFL Players Association announces quarterly. It's compiled based on total sales of all officially licensed NFL player merchandise. This is the first list of the year that includes sales during the regular season, tracking results from March 1-Nov. 30, 2017.
Mavericks:Â Tanking? That's a strong word, but the Mavs must find [their next great big man]( in the upcoming draft, writes staff writer Brad Townsend.
College sports:Â With national signing day fast approaching, where does [your school's recruiting class currently rank](?
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[Monty Miller, communications manager at Texas Central, explains details about a model of a $15 billion Dallas to Houston high-speed rail line during an open house for people to view plans and talk to company and corporate officials on Monday, January 29, 2018 at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas. Texas Central is the builder for the project. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News) ](
(Ashley Landis/Staff Photographer)Â Â
Photo of the Morning
Monty Miller, communications manager at Texas Central, explains details about a model of [a $15 billion Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line]( during an open house for people to view plans and talk to company and corporate officials on Monday at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas.Â
Around The Site
- Courts:Â The 8-year-old boy subjected to more than a dozen major surgeries that he did not need [is thriving in his father's care](, child welfare workers told a judge Monday.
- MLB: The Chief Wahoo logo is being [removed from the Cleveland Indians' uniform]( next year.
- Perspective:Â Contributor Joyce King told her sons about her rape so they could be aware of [what black women face](.
- Environment:Â Texas climate change [skeptics can be "part of the solution,"]( a Canadian official said during a visit to the Lone Star State last week.
Finally...
A [pilot from Fort Worth ended his 33-year career]( with American Airlines when he touched down at DFW International Airport on Sunday.
After 10,000 flights and 30 million gallons of jet fuel, Capt. Jeff Rowland had prepared a typed note to thank his last round of passengers.
In the note, which Los Angeles Times reporter Sam Farmer shared on Twitter, Rowland reflected on a long career in the pilot's seat. He said he'd certainly miss flying the $200 million Boeing 787 plane, but he'd miss his passengers most.
"Transporting you to destinations all over the world, while you graciously endured my lame PA's, critiqued every single landing and thanked me for safe flying, provided purpose for this lifelong endeavor," he wrote.
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