Cruz and O'Rourke debate in Dallas, Rangers fire manager Banister: Your Friday evening roundup

September 21,  2018 By Wayne Carter Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Special edition: Texas senate showdown Cruz, O'Rourke meet in first debate Dear subscribers, We're sending this evening's roundup early due to this evening's debate between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Houston) and his challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-El Paso). The debate at 6 p.m. tonight at SMU is the first of three leading up to the Nov. 6 general election. Hosted by KXAS-TV and The Dallas Morning News, the debate is airing on Channel 5 and streaming live on [nbcdfw.com]( and [dallasnews.com](, but you can also join [partisan and nonpartisan watching parties]( around the area. DMN Washington bureau chief Todd J. Gillman has a breakdown of [what to watch for in the debate]( between the two candidates in a race that's rated a "toss-up" by independent analyst Cook Political Report. For more information on the election, you can check out our [Editorial Board recommendations]( and [use our Voter Guide to compare candidates]( in key contested North Texas races. Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister was fired by the club on Friday. (2018 File Photo/Smiley N. Pool) Texas Rangers Manager Jeff Banister fired Headed for a last-place finish and the team's second consecutive losing season, [the Texas Rangers on Friday fired manager Jeff Banister.]( Banister, 54, is due $950,000 for 2019, according to a salary survey from USA Today earlier this season. This will be the first time since 2007-08 the Rangers have had consecutive losing seasons. Banister was 325-313 as the Rangers manager. While Banister is not to blame for the team's fortunes this season, there was an ongoing issue of communication, especially with staff and players. It was something Banister and Daniels both discussed briefly after last season. It was the last time before Friday that either spoke of the manager's job publicly. Breaking down Banister: Kevin Sherrington explains [what Jeff Banister got wrong]( as Rangers manager. Next man up: Who will follow Banister as Rangers' manager? [We break down 9 potential candidates.]( Homers and whiffs: Jeff Banister's tenure as Rangers manager had its highs and lows, [from reviving Jurickson Profar to strikeout infestations.]( business D-FW's closing argument on Amazon HQ2: We’ve done this before — at Alliance in Fort Worth From business columnist Mitchell Schnurman: With decision day approaching on Amazon HQ2, here’s a closing argument for North Texas: We’ve done this before — and in a way few can match. AllianceTexas, the giant development north of Fort Worth, was little more than a grand idea and great expanse of empty land 30 years ago. Today, the 26,000-acre project has nearly 50,000 workers, 44 million square feet of development and over $8 billion in private investment. Those numbers rival (and some even surpass) Amazon’s ambitious goals for a second headquarters. Lots of metros have fast-growing areas. [But how many have an origin story like Alliance?]( Retail: Dallas-based home furnishings retailer Wisteria [has been sold by its founders]( to a similar London brand. Economy: Texas added 32,000 more jobs in August, [marking a 26th straight month of growth.]( Opinion A rape in Arlington — a girl’s life ruined and her name trashed — should leave us all ashamed From Metro columnist Sharon Grigsby: The story of Amber Wyatt haunted Elizabeth Bruenig for more than a decade. Thankfully, Bruenig grew up to become a talented Washington Post columnist, and her telling of Wyatt’s story can now haunt us all. Bruenig and Wyatt both attended James Martin High School in Arlington. And the crime Wyatt endured — the story Bruenig tells — [forces each of us to ask questions not only about what happened 12 years ago in Arlington, but about our own experiences, our own younger selves.]( Police and medical records uncovered by Bruenig leave little doubt: On the night of Aug. 11, 2006, 16-year-old Amber Wyatt was raped in a back-roads storage shed. Wyatt has maintained ever since that her two attackers were older athletes who also attended James Martin. The power in [Bruenig’s narrative, published Thursday](, is not just the harrowing details she uncovered but her unflinching examination of the universal, if indirect, culpability — including her own — in ostracizing, even condemning, Wyatt. Commentary: [#MeToo must dare to ask hard questions]( if it is to save America's soul, writes Joshua J. Whitfield. (Ryan Michalesko/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Day People work on their Sukkahs during [the inaugural presentation by The Texas Jewish Arts Association of The Sukkah Project: Dwell in Design]( on Sept. 20 at The Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas. Sukkahs are temporary, hut-like structures erected during the one-week period of Sukkot. The tradition highlights the importance of a safe refuge against the elements. editors' picks - Weather: Get ready for [heavy rain for Friday evening rush hour and flooding this weekend]( in Dallas-Fort Worth. - Courts: A man [received four life sentences Friday]( in the kidnapping and sexual assault of Fort Worth child - Obituary: Rev. Stephen Swann, founder of Episcopal School of Dallas, [died Monday at age 73.]( - Assessment: Better teacher pay, a boost in pre-K and other [takeaways on the state of public education in Texas.]( - Outpouring of generosity: North Texas Giving Day [brings in a mind-boggling $47 million for charities.]( - Fun and games: [How to play "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" early]( in Dallas-Fort Worth. - Books:The Real Lolita peels back [the horrific true story that inspired a towering novel.]( - Crime: Fake police scams demanding money for warrants [have hit Cedar Hill and Duncanville.]( Finally... Warrants in Amber Guyger case seek video from Ring doorbells near Botham Jean's home Investigators [have sought doorbell camera footage from homes near the Cedars apartment complex where Botham Jean was shot and killed]( in his home by an off-duty Dallas police officer. The newly released documents reveal that the Dallas County district attorney's office requested the records from Ring, a home-security company owned by Amazon. The search warrants target luxury townhouses on Arch Place, about a block east of the South Side Flats, just north of Dallas police headquarters. The footage sought spans a time period between 8 a.m. and midnight Sept. 6. [Subscribe to our Real Estate newsletter]( 👋 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 2018 - [The Dallas Morning News]( | [1954 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75201](#)