Cruz and O'Rourke campaign, Longhorns and Ags win nail-biters: Your weekend roundup

October 14,  2018 By Tommy Cummings and Wayne Carter Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌧️ Weather: Mostly cloudy and mild, with additional showers and storms developing after 2 p.m. High of 77. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Beto O'Rourke put Rep. Joe Kennedy III behind the wheel Saturday when O'Rourke and his wife, Amy, (back right) went to pick up Kennedy and his wife, Lauren, at the Corpus Christi airport. (Facebook Live screengrab) POLITICS Texans get close-up comparison as Beto O'Rourke stumps with Joe Kennedy III The Kennedy name has been popular for generations in South Texas and on Saturday, Rep. Beto O'Rourke became the latest Democrat to tap that deep well of goodwill, [stumping with Rep. Joe Kennedy III in his bid to oust Sen. Ted Cruz.]( Out-of-state news outlets have breathlessly cited O'Rourke's "Kennedyesque" looks and manner, a fact at which Cruz has long bristled. Stumping with an actual Kennedy ensured the comparisons, for better or worse. It also drew crowds as O'Rourke sharpened his attacks, [shifting from a strictly upbeat and inclusive message to a more explicit contrast with the conservative incumbent.]( Campaign trail: Ted Cruz warns that behind Beto O’Rourke and his cash [is a rash of "radical" stands.]( Q&A: Here are [Beto O'Rourke's five most interesting answers]( from his interview with The Dallas Morning News editorial board. sports Meet the first-year Texas A&M TE who's gone from unheralded HS recruit to one of the nation's best at his position After Faye Garrison got home from church on most Sundays last year, she went into the kitchen and started prepping a big meal for one of her favorite guests. Roughly 40 minutes from her home in Oolagah, Okla., her grandson, Jace Sternberger, played football at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. On most nights during his stint in junior college, he was eating takeout or cereal. But when he arrived at his grandmother's house, it was a chance for him to eat some chicken fried steak and potatoes or fried zucchini, get some laundry done and decompress while he spent time trying to find his way back to the FBS level. These days, Sternberger's eating options at school are a little better. While he's enjoyed Texas A&M's athletic cafeteria and the other benefits that come with playing in the SEC, [he's already becoming one of the best tight ends in school history.]( Gig 'em: Texas A&M [breathed a sigh of relief]( after a scare at South Carolina. Hook 'em: An "antsy" Shane Buechele [got Texas over the hump — just barely — against Baylor.]( Cowboys-Jaguars: Key matchups include [a dangerous Blake Bortles ability that's rarely talked about.]( NEWS Skeptics don’t have faith in plan to name clergy ‘credibly accused’ of sex abuse With a stated goal of restoring trust, all Catholic dioceses in Texas announced [plans to release names of clergy who have been "credibly accused" of sexual abuse of children since 1950.]( But the announcement, billed as a unique transparency measure, raised further questions about the possible legal implications, the independence of the investigation and the meaning of the phrase “credibly accused.” Victims’ advocates say they've heard it all before. Catholic dioceses in Texas, including Dallas, have been rocked for years by allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-ups. And the advocates don't have faith that the dioceses will come completely clean. “It’s pretty much obvious that the Catholic Church cannot be trusted to police themselves,” said Tahira Khan Merritt, a [Dallas-based lawyer who has represented plaintiffs in lawsuits against the church in Texas]( for more than 20 years. Fatal shooting: Dallas police are investigating the [death of a man found shot and lying in the street]( late Friday. Two die in plane crash: The pilot of a single-engine plane and a passenger were [killed Friday afternoon when the aircraft crashed in Parker County.]( (Carly Geraci/Staff Photographer) Photo of the WEEKEND Paul Yu of Annapolis, Md. (left) and Kevin Liang of Dallas ride electric scooters Saturday in high water beneath the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. The rainy weekend is expected to usher in a ["miserable start to the week" in Dallas-Fort Worth](, forecasters say. Around The Site - Child death: A toddler [was mauled to death Friday]( by the family dog in southeast Texas. - Essay: Assisted death is illegal in Texas, and as a result, [we had no way to actuate my mother's last request, a grieving daughter writes.]( - Editorial: Four white supremacists are [about to learn that violence is not free speech.]( - Review: Dallas Opera's Flying Dutchman is sometimes perplexing — [but dramatically sung and played.]( - Author tours in D-FW: It will be a [big week for fans of sports and YA books as authors stop]( in Dallas-Fort Worth bookstores. Finally ... New Dallas-to-Taos flights will make hitting the ski slopes easier this winter North Texans looking to hit the ski slopes near Taos, N.M., will have [a new, convenient option to get there this winter with the introduction of nonstop charter service]( from Dallas Love Field. It’s the latest step to revitalize the iconic destination famed for its steep peaks and technical runs after it was bought in 2014 by the hedge fund billionaire and conservationist Louis Bacon. Since then, the Taos Ski Valley resort has undergone a $300 million renovation, [getting new ski lifts, a new luxury hotel and other renovations to bring the historic destination into the 21st centur](y after years of declining visitor levels. 👋 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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