We investigated Atmos Energy, Cowboys lose to Seahawks: Your Monday morning roundup

September 24,  2018 By Carla Solórzano and Tommy Cummings Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Morning clouds, light fog and patchy drizzle. Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance for a stray shower in the afternoon. High of 82 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. After getting home from his overnight job, Domingo Mendez holds his infant son, Mateo. In the background, his wife, Juliana, prepares breakfast for their older son, Pablo, in their Dallas kitchen. Domingo, Juliana and Pablo were badly burned in 2011 when their home exploded after a gas leak. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer) Investigations How Atmos Energy’s natural gas keeps blowing up Texas homes More than two dozen [homes across North and Central Texas have blown up since 2006 because of leaking natural gas](, an investigation by The Dallas Morning News found. Nine people died; more than 22 others were badly injured. These explosions all happened along a massive network of pipelines owned and operated by Atmos Energy Corp. It’s one of country’s largest natural gas companies. The story behind the story: How [our reporters dug up the details of natural gas explosions and the wreckage]( they left behind. Want more local investigative journalism? [Subscribe for free to The Big Story newsletter]( and have it delivered directly to your inbox. Advertisement [ TED CRUZ-BETO O'ROURKE DEBATE Trump factor loomed large in debate, and both were 'true to form' in stoking base A funny thing happened during the first clash between Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Beto O’Rourke. [Rivals who could barely conceal their animosity toward each other tacitly joined forces]( to ensure that the Texas election becomes a referendum on a divisive president. If Cruz is willing to forget about the President Donald Trump belittling him as “Lyin’ Ted,” that’s his business, O’Rourke said, but “when the president attacks our institutions, this country, allows a foreign power to invade our democracy, that is our business. We need a U.S. senator who will stand up to this president.” Cruz was unabashed about his embrace of Trump, despite past friction and insults, the turmoil of his administration — and the threat he presents to trade, an economic lifeblood for Texas. “Over and over again I’ve worked hand in hand with the president on policy wins for the people of Texas,” he said. In case you missed it: The Ted Cruz-Beto O’Rourke debate was punctuated by clashes on immigrants, Kavanaugh and NFL protests. [Here's a recap](. Fact check: We checked [Ted Cruz's and Beto O’Rourke’s statements during the Senate debate](. cowboys Earl Thomas time? No, loss to Seahawks looked like beginning of the end for the Cowboys The original plan at CenturyLink Field on a spectacular afternoon, before it all went to hell, was to write, for the seventh and possibly world-record time, "Why Earl Thomas Should Be a Cowboy." Then came a vision, and, lo, it was terrible. [Even Earl Thomas couldn't fix what's the matter with this team](, every flaw of which was on full display in a 24-13 loss to the Seahawks before 69,047. This looked like more than just another bad loss. It looked like the beginning of the end. Now, you may be thinking: Typical overreaction. Every team has this kind of game. Just Sunday, the Vikings lost at home to the Bills, a 17-point underdog, in the biggest NFL upset in 23 years. In other freakish news Sunday, the Redskins stomped the Packers, the Titans beat the Jaguars in a game where no one scored a touchdown and Eli Manning rose from the dead in Houston. The problem is, [this pitiful performance by the Cowboys wasn't an anomaly](. We saw essentially the same thing in Carolina, and it's been a recurring symptom since last year. And: [Here are Jon Machota's thoughts]( on the Cowboys falling to 1-2 after a 24-13 loss to the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Meanwhile: What Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said about Cowboys coaches asking '[You ready for the trade tomorrow](?' Advertisement [ EDITORS' PICKS - Update: The man at the center of the debate over 3-D printed guns [was brought back to the U.S. from Taiwan and jailed in Harris County]( after being accused of paying an underage girl to have sex. - Commentary: Here are 10 steps the Mavs should take [to guard against sexual harassment](. - Education: This school year is the first time the Texas Education Agency has issued grades to school districts in an A-F system based on how well they're educating kids. [See how your district is doing](. - Red Bird: Two men who robbed a Wing Stop on Sunday have been apprehended — [one of them shot in the arm by a security guard.]( - North Dallas: A man was arrested after telling police that he started the [fire that forced residents out of their apartment complex]( early Sunday. - Review: Ruth Reinhardt led a great Dallas Symphony Orchestra ReMix concert, [but Moody Performance Hall acoustics were misjudged.]( Thanks to online shopping, business is booming at Pollock, run by CEO Lonnie Pollock III (right). He followed his grandfather (seen in the portrait) into the business. His son Lonnie Pollock IV (left) is director of sourcing and supplies. (Ben Torres/Special Contributor) Finally ... Amazon and 'unboxing' breathe new life into century-old Pollock business From Cheryl Hall, business columnist: Pollock, the Grand Prairie-based maker of millions upon millions of corrugated boxes, is celebrating its 100th anniversary with renewed vigor thanks to the “Amazon effect” — [where every sort of product is being bought online and shipped to people’s doorsteps in those lowly, ubiquitous containers.]( Pollock’s two Grand Prairie plants churn out nearly 2 million square feet of corrugated products every day — about 450 million square feet a year. The centenarian company is also getting a New Age boost from the latest thing in marketing — the “unboxing experience.” You may have seen the YouTube videos of people showing delight as they find out what’s inside a box they’ve received as a gift or of companies explaining and demonstrating their products by unboxing them. “Companies measure themselves on the reaction of people opening their boxes,” CEO Lonnie Pollock III says. “Three years ago, we never sold anything for the interior of a box. [Now it’s not just a box. It’s the box and the stuff inside it.”]( 👋 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=). 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](#)