Local Confederate monuments under fire, Republicans brace for midterm elections, Cowboys camp awards: Your Friday morning roundup

August 18,  2017 By Tara Bryant Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌤️ Weather: Partly cloudy and hot, with a [20 percent chance for isolated thunderstorms](. High: 97. 🔎 Prefer the online view? [It's here.]( A  statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee  stands in Lee Park in the Oak Lawn neighborhood of Dallas. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings called for a task force to study the issue of whether or not to remove the city's Confederate monuments in Lee Park and Pioneer Plaza. The task force has 90 days to report their findings. The statue was unveiled by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 12, 1936. (Andy Jacobsohn/Staff Photographer) Confederate monuments 5 Texas lawmakers tell Dallas mayor they want Confederate monuments removed Confederate monuments in Dallas are "offensive, hurtful and repugnant," [five state lawmakers wrote Thursday]( in a letter to Mayor Mike Rawlings. The Dallas Democrats — State Sen. Royce West and Reps. Rafael Anchia, Helen Giddings, Toni Rose and Roberto Alonzo — said they support Rawlings' plan to have a task force look at what to do with monuments near City Hall and in Oak Lawn. The future of Confederate monuments have been at the center of national rancor in recent days, especially after white supremacist protesters and counterprotesters  clashed violently in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend. The demonstrations resulted in the deaths of two police officers and a counterprotester. In Denton: Donald Trump Jr. [will speak at a UNT event]( this fall. In Fort Worth: A search was underway Thursday evening for [a teenager who went missing in the Trinity River]( after a rainstorm. Advertisement Texas Gov. Greg Abbott displays Senate Bill 339 after signing it into law in 2015.  (2015 File Photo/Bob Daemmrich/For The Texas Tribune) 2018 elections Legislative battles behind, Republican leaders brace for political war ahead Twenty-nine days and about $1 million later, the Republican-dominated Legislature ended the special legislative session this week just as deeply divided as when the regular legislative session flamed out in a flurry of threats and unfinished business. Only now, [both sides have more ammunition as they turn their attention to the coming election]( battles. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered lawmakers back to Austin for a special session after the regular session ended in May with the failure of two of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's top priorities: a bill that would limit local property tax increases and one that would restrict where transgender Texans can use the bathroom. Those measures had fizzled amid a growing feud between Patrick, the ultraconservative Senate leader, and House Speaker Joe Straus, a more moderate Republican. When the special session ended Tuesday, both bills had failed again, and Abbott had placed himself squarely on the side of Patrick and against Straus. With the lawmaking in the rear view — for now — and primary elections less than seven months away, [here's a look at where each of the state's top three political leaders stand](. Watchdog: With no Texas property tax fix, here's another [way to monitor and stop higher taxes](. More from the legislature: In the controversial special session, [little attention was paid to ethics reform](. New law: [North Texas police leaders are trying to ease fear]( among immigrant communities over a tough new law scheduled to take effect Sept. 1. Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers (80) catches a pass over Dallas Cowboys strong safety Kavon Frazier (35) during a one on one drill during the afternoon practice at training camp Monday in Oxnard, Calif. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer) sports Dallas Cowboys camp awards: Top surprises, most improved, biggest disappointment and more The [Cowboys ended their final practice Thursday in California]( in similar fashion to recent training camps. Three players were given an opportunity to cancel team meetings, the afternoon walk-through and the evening curfew. All three succeeded. Quarterback-turned-safety Jameill Showers hit the star on the midfield tower with a throw from roughly 30 yards away, erasing team meetings. The Cowboys celebrated by lifting Showers on their shoulders. Safety Jeff Heath then made a 25-yard field goal to get rid of the walk-through. Offensive lineman Dan Skipper ended the trio of challenges by catching a Chris Jones punt. The Cowboys had 16 practices, 14 in pads, during their four-week stay. They head back to North Texas on Friday. To wrap things up, [here are 10 camp awards](. Rangers: Jake Diekman's journey back to the mound [brought tears, joy and laughter]( from his most special teammate. Advertisement Former Carter High School football standout Derric Evans (left) of Houston is greeted by old friends before the premiere of "What Carter Lost," an ESPN documentary about the 1988 Carter football team screened Wednesday at the Texas Theatre in Dallas. (Tom Fox/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Morning For nearly two riveting hours Wednesday night, a full house in the historic Texas Theatre was transported nearly 30 years back in time, reliving the triumphs and tribulations of the 1988 Carter High School football team. This was the premiere of [What Carter Lost, an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary that will air nationally on August 24](. Around The Site Quick links - Crime: A pimp who sold a UNT freshman for sex and sent clients to her parents' house was [sentenced to 13 years in prison](. - Hotels: Why did CNN go all the way to Singapore to find [a hotel robot]( when the network could have come to Texas? - Commentary: The emotion surrounding the death penalty is [a compelling argument against its use](, writes columnist Jacquielynn Floyd. - Cheers: A new growler bar and a restaurant with 90 beer taps [fill Frisco with more drink options](. Ashley Jones began blogging and making YouTube videos as a sophomore in college at Texas Woman's University. (Ashley D. Jones) Finally... There's virtually nothing Ashley Devonna Jones hides from her followers. So when she decided to get the breast augmentation she's always wanted, the 24-year-old Fort Worth woman felt she needed to share that journey online through YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. On Friday morning, [she will be livestreaming her surgery]( on Facebook and making an Instagram story out of the experience. "Let me preface this by saying I am welcoming everyone's opinion," she said to her more than 220,000 subscribers on YouTube. "However, this is set in stone." Advertisement 👋 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]( [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](#)