Free speech, Trump on Confederate statues, Texas takes a loan: Your Thursday evening news roundup

Good evening. Here are some stories you may have missed today. [Good evening. Here are some stories you may have missed today.] August 17,  2017 By Wayne Carter Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? [It's here.]( [Event organizer Preston Wiginton speaks to the media before Richard Spencer addressed a press conference before his scheduled speech at Texas A&M University on Dec. 6, 2016, in College Station. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)]( Event organizer Preston Wiginton speaks to the media before Richard Spencer addressed a press conference before his scheduled speech at Texas A&M University on Dec. 6, 2016, in College Station. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer) Courts Organizer of white supremacist rally at Texas A&M says he's delaying event to give America 'time to heal' Preston Wiginton, a former Texas A&M University student who had planned a white supremacist rally on campus on Sept. 11, [said Thursday that he is postponing the event](. The announcement is an about-face from his declaration earlier this week that he might still lead a campus gathering on his chosen date, despite the fact that the university had canceled his event in light of the deadly white supremacist demonstration in Virginia. Wiginton said at a news conference at the state Capitol that America needs "time to heal," the Houston Chronicle reported. But he also told reporters he's pursuing legal action and hopes to have his White Lives Matter rally at a later date. Commentary: When does our [moral outrage about racism finally lead to change](? Commentary: When will the U.S. transcend white supremacy? [Never](. Advertisement President Donald Trump speaks to the press about protests in Charlottesville after his statement on the infrastructure discussion in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York on Wednesday. (Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse) Politics Defiant, Trump laments removal of Confederate statues and lashes at critics Defiant after six days of controversy over a neo-Nazi rally and his insistence that "both sides" bear equal blame for violence that ensued, [President Trump dug in on Thursday]( with a lament over the push to remove Confederate symbols from public sites. He also lashed out at fellow Republicans who have distanced themselves over his refusal to squarely denounce white supremacists without simultaneously taking digs at those who oppose them. "Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments," he tweeted. Black Americans, including some black Republicans, quickly pointed out that the Confederacy fought to defend and prolong slavery, making that history anything but beautiful for their ancestors. Cruz weighs in: The Texas senator says Americans should not ['sanitize history' by taking down Confederate monuments](. And: Trump critics [vow 'hot Texas welcome']( for Dallas fund-raising visit next month. Commentary: Three more months of conversation on Dallas' Confederate statues [isn't good enough](. In this January 2017 file photo, Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar speaks during a news conference where he released his biennial revenue estimate that will be used to set Texas budget for the upcoming legislative session. (Eric Gay/The Associated Press) Politics Texas goes to Wall Street for a short-term loan of $5.4B Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Thursday announced he's [sold $5.4 billion in short-term IOUs]( to help manage the state's cash flow in the next few months. Hegar issued "tax and revenue anticipation notes," known as TRANs, for the first time in three years. A slide in prices of oil and natural gas, a state shift of nearly $5 billion of general-purpose revenues to roads and a nearly $2 billion Medicaid shortfall are part of why the state is in a pinch, said Dale Craymer, president of the business-backed Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. "Our economy is stable. We're seeing — if not a rebound in oil and gas — at least some stability there," explained Craymer, a budget watcher who advised Govs. Ann Richards and George W. Bush. Commentary: Austin, [how about a refund]( for that $1M in tax dollars you just wasted? Advertisement (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Day Benjamin Hernandez sits in his car outside the Dallas Love Field terminal where he circled in vain in January 2015, looking for his brother Elijah, who was expected to arrive home from a long-term mission trip to Mexico. Two-and-a-half years later, Elijah’s whereabouts remain unknown. Official investigations to find him have failed time and time again with dead ends to local, national and international inquiries. In cases like this, where jurisdiction is disputed and physical evidence is scarce, unresolved investigations leave families lost. The strange circumstances of Elijah’s disappearance have left his family in Dallas [with more questions than answers](. Around The Site - Tollway tie-ups: Construction for new U-turn is bringing a [second weekend of closures and delays]( on the Dallas North Tollway. - Dead giveaway: A vanity license plate [helped cops nab a doctor accused of flashing women]( in Deep Ellum and Cityplace. - Still growing: A busy Plano tollway corner [is getting a huge mixed-use development]( south of Legacy. - Scoop of the day: [Blue Bell blasts into orbit in trip to International Space Station](. - Watchdog: Meet the new little black box that promises to [block almost all your stupid robocalls](. Finally... Starfest, the "pop-up" festival that's become recently infamous in North Texas' music community, has lost its venue. The event was slated to take place Sept. 8-9 at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in Plano, but the city announced Thursday morning [it has pulled out of its agreement to host](. "The city of Plano has decided to terminate our contract with the promoters of the Starfest Music Festival," reads a statement. "We believe the cancellation of this contract is in the best interest of the city and our community." Since being announced, Starfest has raised eyebrows for its lofty ambitions. It announced its existence and first headliner, Lil Wayne, just five weeks before the scheduled festival dates and promised an additional 60 bands. Advertisement 👋 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]( [Ello]( [Ello](  [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 2017 - [The Dallas Morning News]( | [508 Young St., Dallas, TX 75202](#)