Texas and Obamacare, McKinney council and recalls, white pastors and Botham Jean's death: Your Monday evening roundup

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said the state would prioritize creating an Affordable Care Act replacement should the law ultimately be struck down in court.  [Evening roundup]( 12/17/2018 By Wayne Carter Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to supporters at the Texas GOP Election Night party on Nov. 6 in Austin. Abbott said Monday that the state would work to pass its own health care law if the Affordable Care Act is ultimately struck down in the courts. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman) AFFORDABLE CARE ACT [Gov. Abbott says Texas will prioritize Obamacare replacement as health care lawsuit continues]( Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas [will work to pass its own health care law to replace the Affordable Care Act]( if it's ultimately struck down in the courts. In the wake of a Friday ruling that struck down the federal health care law, Abbott said he will consult with the Trump administration on immediate next steps while state lawmakers and regulators fashion their own plan to succeed the ACA. [Abbott tweeted]( that Texas would "be ready with replacement health care insurance that includes coverage for preexisting conditions." U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor [struck down the Affordable Care Act]( also known as Obamacare, late Friday. He ruled that without the individual mandate, which last year's federal tax law repealed, the health care law is unconstitutional. Editorial: Judicial activism can be a right-wing problem, too, [as the Texas Obamacare ruling clearly shows.]( Market effect: [Dallas-based Tenet, other health care stocks fal]( as Obamacare ruling jolts investors. ADVERTISEMENT COLLIN COUNTY [McKinney Council to discuss changing recall election requirements after council member charged with family violence]( The McKinney City Council will discuss this week [making it easier for voters to remove elected officials from office.]( The discussions at Monday's work session and Tuesday's regular meeting come after council member La'Shadion Shemwell — only the second African-American elected in city history — was arrested on a felony charge of continuous violence against the family. Residents and city leaders have said that though Shemwell's arrests sparked a discussion about what some have called practically impossible recall requirements set by the city charter, the talk isn't focused on removing him from office. Editorial: Frisco was right [to chase an electric scooter company out of town.]( Wildlife warning: [An aggressive coyote injured two joggers]( in the latest attack along a popular route in Frisco. OPINION [Moving Dallas elections to November won't improve voter turnout in December runoffs near Christmas]( From political columnist Gromer Jeffers Jr.: At first glance it looks like a good idea to move Dallas municipal elections to November, when more people participate in a myriad of contests on local ballots. This year's special election for Dallas Council District 4 was an interesting test case. On Nov. 6 — with a hot U.S. Senate race on the ballot between Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke — more than 14,300 voters picked between 13 candidates running to replaced disgraced council member Dwaine Caraway. It was an extraordinary number, given that May city elections generate a fraction of that total. Then came reality, as the Dec. 11 runoff [was no Christmas present to city leaders looking to improve voter participation.]( Commentary: How France's Yellow Vest protests [could influence the U.S.]( Commentary: Growing up in South Dallas, [Christmas became a metaphor for justice and hope.]( (Ashley Landis/Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE DAY Buche de noel, also known as a yule log, is a traditional Christmas dessert in France, often served on Christmas Eve or after Christmas Day dinner. It's a roulade, or rolled cake, filled and iced with buttercream to resemble a log and decorated with meringue mushrooms, fresh flowers or fondant holly. Dallas pastry chef Kristen Massad tells you how to make this decadent version, [made with devil's food cake and chocolate espresso Italian buttercream frosting.]( EDITORS' PICKS - Patient safety: A new ranking [awards 27 Dallas-Fort Worth hospitals A grades.]( The Leapfrog Group assigns A-F letter grades based on hospitals' ability to protect patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. - Healthy holidays: The average weight gain during the holidays is about one pound, maybe a teeny bit more. The big problem is that the pesky pound doesn't tend to go away. Thus, along with other pesky pounds throughout the year and from previous years, that adds up. Here are 9 ways to [avoid holiday weight gain while eating and drinking merrily.]( - Accumulated wisdom: Did you know that Texas is windier than Chicago, The Windy City? That's one of the Top 10 things we learned this year [via questions submitted to our Curious Texas project.]( FINALLY... [Botham Jean’s killing woke Dallas’ white pastors to urgent need to shut up and listen]( From Metro columnist Sharon Grigsby: As Dallas pastors write their Christmas sermons, many of the white men who occupy the city’s most prominent pulpits are doing so from a humbler perspective. "In Dallas, people who look like me always think we are supposed to lead," Wilshire Baptist Church senior pastor George Mason, who is white, told me last week. "But what we’re beginning to learn is that we need to try to listen." Mason, who is also active in the multi-faith, racially diverse Faith Forward Dallas, told me he sees 2018 as a turning point for this city’s religious institutions. White Christian pastors increasingly understand what minority leaders — whether racial minorities or religious minorities — have been trying to bang into their head for years: The urgent need is not charity, but justice. Tragically, it took the September death of Botham Jean — the 26-year-old St. Lucia native who was killed in his apartment by a Dallas police officer — to fully wake up many church leaders.[But Mason now sees pastors showing more courage and seeking to speak with one voice](. 👋 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 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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