Home sales slide, Mayor warns Trump rules harm Dallas immigrants: Your Tuesday morning roundup

December 11, 2018 By Dom DiFurio and Nataly Keomoungkhoun Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 61. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. A for sale sign marked as under contract is seen in the front yard of a house in Dallas. (Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer) Real Estate North Texas home sales see biggest slide in seven years North Texas home sales fell 8 percent in November — [the biggest year-over-year sales decline in more than seven years.]( Real estate agents sold 7,502 preowned single-family homes in the area last month, according to preliminary data from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and North Texas Real Estate Information Systems. "The year-to-date sales numbers are not nearly as bad" as November's, said Dr. James Gaines, chief economist with the Real Estate Center. "Once we get December numbers, the year might be down 1 or 2 percent from last year. "The level of activity is still very much robust," Gaines said. "We don't see the sky falling at all." With November's sales decline, total purchases of properties through the real estate agents' multiple listing service are down 1 percent for the first 11 months of 2018. That's the first dip in local home sales since the Great Recession. Design upgrades: A Dallas developer hopes Dallas' Design District[isn't the next Uptown.]( Growing in tech: Plano-based Tyler Technologies is making [its fifth acquisition]( of the year. ADVERTISEMENT [ Immigration Dallas mayor says Trump administration's proposed 'public charge' rules would harm city's immigrants, economy The city of Dallas is taking a stand against the Trump administration’s proposed changes that could make it more difficult for some immigrants to obtain some visas or green cards. The proposed changes would redefine how the government determines whether an immigrant is deemed likely to need public assistance, such as food stamps and Medicaid. In public comments submitted to the federal government on behalf of the city, Mayor Mike Rawlings argued an overhaul of the so-called “public charge” test [could have a “deleterious impact” on Dallas’ immigrant community, economy]([and]([public health.]( The result of the rules, the mayor wrote, is that local groups could “be forced to shoulder the cost of addressing the harm caused by this rule and of its negative economic and public health impacts on Dallas residents.” Holiday cheer: Glenn Beck [pays off $27,000 worth of strangers' layaway items]( at a North Richland Hills Walmart. Might as well Jump: Uber wants to roll [2,000 electric bikes](into Dallas. Courts Former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent not sure how many drinks he had before he killed best friend in Irving crash Former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent [spoke publicly for the first time Monday]( about the December 2012 night he drove drunk and crashed his Mercedes, killing teammate and best friend Jerry Brown. Brent's account of events came as he took the witness stand in the Dallas County courtroom where he, the Irving bar that served him and its management company are being sued by Brown's mother, Stacey Jackson. It was the first day of the trial, which started last week, that Brent was in court. The focus has been on the now-defunct bar, Beamers, and the management company. Brent did not testify at his criminal trial, where he was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 percent — more than twice the legal driving limit — and was driving at least 110 mph in a 45-mph zone when he flipped his Mercedes in Irving. A toxicologist testified at the criminal trial that Brent, a defensive tackle who weighed 320 pounds at the time of the crash, would have had to drink 17 standard alcoholic drinks to have a blood alcohol level that high. Neither man was wearing a seat belt, and Brown, 25, was thrown on top of Brent, cushioning Brent from serious injury. Health on wheels: CDC will head to Austin [to study scooter injuries]( in the U.S. Extra security: The State Fair of Texas soon could be required to [pay for the full cost of security]( provided by the Dallas Police Department. EDITORS' PICKS - Weather: Lubbock has [seen more snow so far this season]( than Denver, Salt Lake City and Milwaukee. - Holiday spirit: Did you know there are 5 types of living Christmas trees [that actually grow well in North Texas](? - Ramen: Dallas has a secret ramen shop, [hidden inside another ramen shop](. - Sports: Cowboys [owe no apologies for their good fortune](, and they appear to have the right coach for the position they're in. - Commentary: How government causes poverty and [how government can fix it](. Matthew Wolf, 6, of Watauga, who is blind, asked to feel Santa James Langley's twinkling eyes during a recent visit to Cabela's in Fort Worth. (Courtesy of Shane Wolf) Finally... North Texas boy, who is blind and autistic, got to 'see' Santa's eyes twinkle in Fort Worth Proud parents across North Texas will send Christmas cards to friends and family this holiday season, but one local family's photo with [Santa has traveled much farther than expected.]( Last week, Misty Wolf of Watauga posted photos on social media of her son, Matthew, 6, who is blind and autistic, meeting an especially caring Claus at the Fort Worth location of hunting and fishing retailer Cabela's. Her record of their encounter has since been "liked" more than 182,000 times on Facebook. And, it has been shared by supporters from around the world. "Matthew rarely has a real conversation," Wolf said in a phone interview. "Most people can't get through to him, but Santa gained his trust right away." Santa -- who goes by James Langley and lives in McAlester, Okla., most of the year -- has been donning a red suit off-and-on for 48 years. He immediately struck up a rapport with Matthew and suggested he touch his soft coat, describing that they were both wearing red. He asked if there were anything else Matthew wanted to feel, and the boy said, "Your eyes that twinkle," a reference to Clement Clarke Moore's poem. 👋 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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