Austin's shattered sense of security, AT&T merger trial, Dallas' new plan: Your Tuesday morning roundup

March 20,  2018 By Nicholas Friedman Good morning! Sorry we're a bit late today. Even newsletters struggle to wake up sometimes. Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌤️ Weather: Mostly sunny and cooler with a high of 66 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. A bicycle remains in the middle of the street on Dawn Song Drive as investigators work at the scene of a bombing in the Travis Country neighborhood on Monday March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman) austin In one of nation's safest cities, unprecedented serial bomber shatters Austin's sense of security For the first time in modern history, Texas is [facing the threat of a serial bomber.]( Two more people were injured this weekend by an improvised explosive device left in an Austin residential neighborhood, the fourth such attack here in a month. With no suspects or motives yet named in the deadly crimes, police said they could not conclude the bombs were made by the same person. But the devices are similar enough to convince investigators of one thing, Austin Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said Monday. “We are clearly dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point.” The crime is unprecedented in the Lone Star State, said Shannon Edmonds, a staff attorney with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. The fear gripping Austin, one of the safest cities in the nation, is deepened by the unusual nature of this crime in American history. Breaking this morning: No one was injured when a package destined for Austin [exploded in a FedEx warehouse]( near San Antonio early Tuesday in what could be the latest incident connected to a string of bombings in the capital city. Editorial: The bombings in Austin look a lot like terrorism, [and they require us to be Texas Tough](. Breaking this morning: The latest Austin bomb was personal — just like every other bomb in the world, [writes columnist Jacquielynn Floyd](. Outside of the Time Warner Building in New York, July 20, 2017. (An Rong Xu/The New York Times) courts What's in the emails? Justice Department wants to show AT&T internal communication in merger trial Attorneys from Dallas-based AT&T and the Justice Department volleyed back and forth Monday, arguing whether the government [should be permitted to use boxes of AT&T internal emails and documents about other major mergers]( to build its case. The debate over the potential court exhibits kicked off a pivotal week for AT&T, which is seeking to buy Time Warner Inc. and become a media and entertainment powerhouse. The antitrust trial drew dozens of reporters, law students and antitrust attorneys who waited for hours to pack into rows of seats in a wood-paneled courtroom. Opening arguments will begin Wednesday. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. The arguments on Monday indicate that the Justice Department's case will hinge, at least in part, on AT&T's own emails and that they may include some illuminating or explosive information. Meanwhile: A California judge has "dismissed with prejudice" a [lawsuit by 7-Eleven franchisees against the parent company.]( Editorial: GOP leaders [must be firm in warning Trump not to undermine Mueller.]( Big data: A new data center in the works in Richardson [will be one of the largest in North Texas.]( And: More than $1 million worth of gene sequencing technology has made its way to North Texas, which researchers hope will [boost the region as a hub for understanding our genetic material.]( Stacked lumber sits on the sidewalk as construction workers frame out a new home along Malcolm X Blvd in South Dallas, Monday, July 10, 2017. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) housing Takeaways from Dallas' new plan to add 20,000 homes and bring back the middle class Dallas City Hall's affordable housing strategies would be overhauled under a new proposal unveiled Monday after months of anticipation from the City Council. The new comprehensive housing policy, a top priority for the council and major undertaking for City Hall, is based on a recent market-value analysis of Dallas neighborhoods. In a city of both great wealth and large concentrations of poverty, the goals include a huge boost to housing development and attempts to bring back middle-class residents who have been priced out of Dallas. Economic Development and Neighborhood Services Chief Raquel Favela said a dearth of housing for the middle class is "an economic problem that the city cannot afford to ignore." [Here are five takeaways from the policy.]( Meanwhile: Dallas County district attorney candidate Elizabeth Davis Frizell said Monday that [she would not seek a recount in the Democratic primary,]( despite saying she would after her loss by a razor-thin margin. And: State Rep. Eric Johnson on Monday asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that would [kick him and other Democrats off the November general election ballot.]( Advertisement (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)  Photo of the Morning Roxie Murillo (left) of Dallas and Julian Ruiz feed the American Coots and Mallard ducks along the Bachman Lake shoreline near Love Field on Monday. Feeding the birds at Bachman Lake could soon become illegal. [On paper, anyway.]( Around The Site - Crime: Ethan Couch, who as a teen killed four people in a drunken-driving crash, is [scheduled to be released from the Tarrant County jail in two weeks.]( - Courts: An [execution date has been set for a 66-year-old man]( who used an ice pick to stab a Houston woman to death after she asked to use the telephone at his house in 1979. - Lawsuit: A Utah man is suing the Irving-based Boy Scouts of America after the organization voided every merit badge his son — who has Down syndrome — has earned, [blocking the 15-year-old's path to becoming an Eagle Scout.]( - Commentary: Hate politicians? [All the more reason to vote for them.]( - Money: Dallas-based Lantern Capital Partners has [agreed to purchase The Weinstein Co. as part of the movie studio's bankruptcy filing]( late Monday. - Airlines: With Warren Buffett reportedly on the lookout for his next major acquisition and U.S. airlines among the possible targets, one Wall Street analyst has [identified a North Texas carrier as a possible fit.]( - Sports: Ever wondered what really happens at Rangers spring training? [We went behind the scenes to find out.]( - Food: Lupe Tortilla restaurants [are moving into the Dallas area.]( Olivia Tomaselli, 9, left, scrolls down the screen as Aliyah Cahill, 9, reads a letter from her pen pal, Pam Davidson, a senior resident at Presbyterian Village North in Dallas (David Woo/The Dallas Morning News) Finally... When a teacher realized her students couldn't read cursive, she found a solution: senior pen pals When third grade teacher Karen Gunter displayed the Declaration of Independence in her classroom at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, her students were struggling. They couldn't read it. Cursive writing is taught at Good Shepherd, but reading it is a whole different story. That gave her the idea to partner with Presbyterian Village North, a senior living community in Dallas. The third graders would [write the seniors in cursive, and the seniors would respond, also in cursive.Â]( When the letters from the senior center arrive, they are scanned and displayed on the projector. The recipient then reads their letter to the entire class. The third graders take a few extra seconds as they decipher the odd looking tails and curly q's. With 20 letters from 20 seniors, the variance in cursive writing differs greatly. AdVERTISEMENT 👋 That's all for this morning! 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