Fetal remains law blocked, electric scooter death investigation: Your Thursday morning roundup

September 06,  2018 By Nataly Keomoungkhoun Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Mostly cloudy with possible stray showers or thunderstorm. High of 92 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. A federal judge ruled a Texas law requiring fetal remains from abortions and miscarriages to be cremated or buried to be unconstitutional. (File Photo/The New York Times) Politics Judge: Texas' fetal burial law restricts abortion rights, would be 'catastrophic' to health care system U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled Wednesday that [the Texas law requiring burial or cremation of the remains violates the due process and equal protection clauses]( of the 14th Amendment. “The facts as I have found them, and it was not even a close call, show that this law would cause a violation of a woman’s right to obtain a legal abortion,” Ezra said. “If the law were to go into effect now, it would cause significant, if not catastrophic, disruptions to the health care system.” The law would also have a dramatic impact on women who have miscarriages, who outnumber the Texas women who seek abortions, he said. The state has 30 days to appeal, which would send the case to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Obamacare: Lawyers with the state of Texas urged a federal judge to immediately overturn the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, a request the federal government warned could [create chaos in state health insurance markets](. Elections 2018:  [Beto O'Rourke and Ellen DeGeneres trade praise]( as Senate hopeful appears on her show. Dallas Was scooter death a hit-and-run? Dallas man's family insists a fall 'doesn't make sense' The family of a 24-year-old man who died after a scooter crash believe he was hit by a car last weekend in Old East Dallas. Investigators, however, say the evidence doesn't support that conclusion and that it's more likely that Jacoby Stoneking fell to his death. Stoneking died Sunday, a day after the rental scooter accident early Saturday on South Munger Boulevard. His brother, Chris Phillips, said [his family can't accept that Stoneking fell.]( They believe a car was involved because his injuries were so severe. Police said Tuesday that there was no evidence to suggest any other vehicles were involved in the scooter accident, but an investigator was following up with witnesses to learn more. The Dallas County medical examiner's office said Tuesday that a cause of death for Stoneking wouldn't be available for weeks. Plano: The physician who came under fire for comments published in the Dallas Medical Journal has [stepped down from his leadership roles at Texas Health Plano](. Highway 380: Absent new information about a divisive plan to relieve traffic "hell" on U.S. Highway 380, [tensions and name-calling have ratcheted up in Collin County](. Business Why American Airlines 'loves' its DFW Airport hub As American Airlines tweaks its network in search of profits at a time of rising fuel costs, it plans to “play to our strengths” by [focusing at DFW International Airport and two other major hubs](, company president Robert Isom told investors Wednesday. DFW and Charlotte's Douglas International Airport are American’s two largest hubs and frequently discussed as core to its network strategy, but Washington’s Reagan National Airport hadn’t received the same level of attention in previous public comments by American executives. The airports also offer American the best growth opportunities, with DFW Airport set to add 15 regional gates next year that American says will allow it to operate as many as 100 additional daily flights on top of its current 800. Retail: H-E-B leased an 81,000-square-foot building in East Austin to be the headquarters for [its on-demand business, Favor,]( and its H-E-B digital team. No more rats: A Kroger in Denton has[reopened a day after health inspectors closed the grocery store]( over "rodent issues." EDITORS' PICKS - Courts: A former Frisco ISD middle school teacher received probation last week after [pleading guilty to indecency with a 14-year-old student]( who told police about their "intense makeout session" at a park. - Supreme Court: In confirmation hearings [Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz asked easy questions of President Donald Trump’s nominee Brett Kavanaugh](, saving verbal barbs for Senate Democrats. - State Fair of Texas: Can you use old coupons at the State Fair of Texas in 2018? [GuideLive investigates](. - Weather: Cloudy skies stifle Dallas' monthly bad-weather test,[but what does a silent siren sound like](? - Opinion: Cornyn and Cruz: [Stop the trash talk against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh](. - Crime: A man [shot his 25-year-old granddaughter]( at a home in southern Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon, leaving the woman in critical condition. Texas educators and experts say it needs to be easier for students to transfer from a community college like El Centro College in downtown Dallas to a four-year university. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)  Finally... How tough is it to transfer college credits in Texas? Harder than it should be, experts tell lawmakers Many Texas students enroll in community colleges hoping to eventually transfer to a university,[but only about 20 percent of them end up doing it](. And each year, students spend nearly $60 million in tuition, fees and other costs on excess courses that won't help them earn a bachelor's degree. "What's going on here is a bit of social Darwinism," said Raymund Paredes, the Texas Commissioner of Higher Education. "The only students that transfer are the fittest, are the best prepared. Consequently, the other 80 percent that don't transfer simply don't make it that far." A major part of the problem is that students take too many classes or ones that aren't needed as prerequisites for their majors. While core courses taken at community colleges are required to transfer to a public university, they don't have to count toward a degree plan. 👋 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? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). 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