President Donald Trump will dramatize his demands for a massive barrier in the Southwest with a visit Thursday to the U.S.-Mexico border, as he ramps up pressure on Congress to fund the project. He also plans a rare prime time address to the nation at 8 p.m. Central time on Tuesday.
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[Evening roundup](
01/07/2019
By Wayne Carter
Good Evening!
Here is a look at the top headlines of the day.
🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.](
The Estadio OlÃmpico Benito Juárez in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico is visible over an 18-foot Ballard-style wall under construction along the Rio Grande River in El Paso. (2018 File Photo/Tom Fox)
POLITICS
[Trump sets prime time address Tuesday to pitch border wall, and border visit Thursday](
President Donald Trump will dramatize his demands for a massive barrier in the Southwest with a visit Thursday to the U.S.-Mexico border, in a bid to pressure Congress to fund the project.
He also plans [a rare prime time address to the nation at 8 p.m. Central time on Tuesday]( on what he called the "Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border."
The announcements came on Monday -- Day 17 of a partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22 over Trump's demands for a wall.
It's unclear whether he will visit Texas or another border state, though the FAA on Monday posted a flight restriction notice for McAllen, suggesting that's where Air Force One is heading.
Politics in 2019: Get ready for [Donald Trump, Beto O'Rourke, the Dallas mayor's race and the Texas Legislature]( writes political columnist Gromer Jeffers Jr.
Political Points: We're introducing a newsletter for North Texans [about Austin, Dallas and Washington politics.](
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TEXAS
[Texas abortion providers' suit over 'medically unnecessary' requirements goes to trial](
A federal judge in Austin began hearing a case Monday [that challenges several of Texasâ restrictive abortion laws.](
In June, more than a dozen Texas abortion providers sued the state, calling for several anti-abortion laws to be repealed, including the mandatory 24-hour waiting period and parental consent for minors.
Abortion-rights advocates have dubbed the suit "the Peopleâs Lawsuit," a reference to what they called "the People's Filibuster," former state Sen. Wendy Davis' 13-hour attempt to prevent an anti-abortion bill from passing. The suit was filed in the same month as the five-year anniversary of Davis' filibuster.
The abortion-rights groups involved in the suit include Whole Womanâs Health, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Davisâ Deeds Not Words and The Afiya Center, a Dallas-based organization that advocates for the reproductive rights of women of color.
CPRIT watch: Texas' cancer-fighting agency [faces an uncertain future]( as state lawmakers prepare for a new session.
Positive outlook: Texas' economy is "robust," [giving lawmakers $9 billion more for the next budget]( state Comptroller Glenn Hegar says.
SPORTS
[Still doubting Dak? Cowboys QB provided more evidence this weekend that you shouldn't](
From SportsDay's Tim Cowlishaw:
We could have learned this almost 2 1/2 years ago, a warm August night in the LA Coliseum when a young Dak Prescott completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in his opening warm-up act as an NFL quarterback.
If that was expecting too much of our foresight, then maybe the Cowboys' team-record 11-game win streak that season, the one that earned him Rookie of the Year honors and sent Tony Romo into retirement, should have told the tale.
But if none of that worked and we reserved our doubts about a fourth-round pick all the way into this year's playoffs, consider what took place over the weekend. It was just another feather in the cap of Dakota Rayne Prescott.
If Prescott's lying on the canvas and the referee is at nine, [be careful about counting him out.](
In demand: Will Cowboys be able to keep defensive assistant Kris Richard after head coaching interviews? [Here's what Stephen Jones thinks.](
All-time greats: Texas' Vince Young, Texas A&M's Jacob Green and Oklahoma's Rickey Dixon [are in the College Football Hall of Fame's 2019 induction class.](
(Brandon Wade/Special Contributor)
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Bebe, a Pit bull, gets an up-close look at the camera while waiting in line with his owners Mike and Chenoa Newman for low-cost vaccinations on Saturday at the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center.
COWBOYS SWEEPSTAKES
Cowboys nation,
We won our wildcard game! As a result, we have re-opened the Cowboys Coins Sweepstakes. Enter to win collectible Cowboys prizes during this playoffs season and show off your Cowboys pride! [Click here to enter to win.](
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â Your friends at The Dallas Morning News
EDITORS' PICKS
- DMN cutbacks: The Dallas Morning News on Monday [announced that it was laying off 43 employees]( as the company struggles with revenue declines. The cuts affected the newsroom and other parts of the company.
- Freeway shooting: A woman driving on I-35E in Dallas early Monday was shot by her ex-boyfriend, [who had followed her and her friends from a club]( police say.
- Nuggets news: Two new Buc-ee's travel centers [are expected to open in North Texas in 2019]( joining to the company's D-FW locations in Fort Worth, Terrell and Denton.
FINALLY...
[Even in bright and shiny Frisco, kids go hungry â this group is trying to change that](
From Metro columnist Sharon Grigsby:
Looking at Friscoâs relentless winning streak, itâs tempting to christen it utopia on the tollway.
Most folks are sucked into the North Texas boomtown by word of mouth -- about its schools, its housing options, its sports opportunities and its neighborliness.
Everything looks bright and shiny in Frisco. As demographics expert Pat Guseman recently told The Dallas Morning News, Frisco and Disney World have a lot in common â each element new and perfectly planned.
That picture-perfect milieu [makes Heather Canterburyâs job all the more difficult.](
Canterbury is the executive director of Frisco Fastpacs, a nonprofit that provides weekend meals to Frisco ISD students in need. Even after five years of operation, Canterbury told me, "I still have people come up to me every day and say, âWhat? Hungry kids in Frisco? No way.â"
👋 That's all for this afternoon! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](.
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