Toll-free HOVs, political spending at AT&T, fresh fish for Texans: Your Thursday evening roundup

Commuters who use U.S. Highway 75 in Collin County may get some relief soon thanks to a  [Evening roundup]( 03/21/2019 By Wayne Carter Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Traffic stacks up along Highway 75 near the President George Bush Turnpike in Plano. The North Central Texas Council of Governments has decided to remove tolls from the HOV lanes on 75 in Collin County. (2018 File Photo/Staff) TRANSPORTATION [Highway 75's HOV lanes will soon be free for all through Collin County, with 1 catch]( Commuters who use U.S. Highway 75 in Collin County may get some relief soon thanks to a "breakthrough agreement" to make the highway’s HOV lanes a free-for-all — most of the time, anyway. Deeming the HOV lanes between Sam Rayburn Tollway and LBJ Freeway "under-used and ineffective," [the North Central Texas Council of Governments said it will open both lanes, one in each direction, for anyone to use.]( "The goal of this project is to increase the capacity of US 75 in order to make the fast-growing corridor more efficient for commuters, residents and businesses in the area," Allen Mayor Steve Terrell said in a news release Wednesday. "Lanes that remain toll-free most of the time was a fair and equitable way to improve reliability." The transition will begin this year, though the exact timeline remains unclear — and even after the changes there will be brief times when the lanes are still tolled. Public health: A measles case in Tarrant County [is the fourth in Dallas-Fort Worth and the thirteenth across Texas]( this year. ADVERTISEMENT BUSINESS [AT&T peels off layer of political spending secrecy — thanks to pushy investors and the Michael Cohen fiasco]( AT&T is bowing to activist shareholders calling for more transparency about the company's political spending, agreeing to disclose millions of dollars in previously untraceable contributions after last year's embarrassment over payments to President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen. For the first time, AT&T is divulging some contributions to outside groups that keep their donors secret, providing a fuller, if still incomplete, picture of the Dallas-based telecom giant's vast spending on state and federal politics. A new report released by the company [details payments totaling about $4.2 million to industry groups and think tanks that was used for lobbying during a portion of last year.]( But even with the additional information, the public still would not have known about AT&T's relationship with Cohen — Trump's longtime fixer — who was paid $600,000 by the company to advise on various matters, including its then-pending mega-merger with Time Warner. AT&T said Cohen did no lobbying on its behalf. Digital deception: The founder of Dallas cryptocurrency firm AriseCoin [has pleaded guilty to scamming investors out of $4.2 million.]( Young buyers: [Dallas ranks as the hottest spot for millennial homebuying]( according to a new report from a California research firm. POLITICS [John Cornyn, Joaquin Castro clash in preview of potential 2020 Senate contest]( John Cornyn and Joaquin Castro clashed this week, giving Texas voters a preview of a potential 2020 match-up for Senate, [a contest that could be one of the marquee match-ups in the country.]( The sniping between the campaigns comes as Castro, a San Antonio congressman, is nearing an announcement about a potential challenge of Cornyn, the incumbent who is stockpiling cash and interacting with his base to prepare for Castro — or any Democrat that may emerge as his rival. "They're getting warmed up. They're shadow boxing," said Republican political consultant Bill Miller. "Both sides are dead serious. It's game on and the stakes are high and you can expect haymakers to be thrown by both sides." "The opening salvos have been quite enjoyable," said Democratic political consultant Harold Cook. "All indications are that Castro is going to run and it will be a helluva race." Commentary: In Democratic primary bracketology, [centrism and youth usually win]( writes Carl P. Leubsdorf. Texan welcomed: At a New Hampshire eatery where voters once heckled Rick Perry, [Beto O'Rourke got a warm reception.]( ADVERTISEMENT (Shaban Athuman/Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE DAY Rex's Seafood owner Beau Bellomy holds a filleted red snapper in the kitchen of his Dallas restaurant. There's no fishy smell at Rex's. Glass-fronted cases are full of the freshest seafood that Bellomy can get his hands on. "Local" seafood may sound like an oxymoron in North Texas, [but harvesters and sellers would like to change consumer thinking.]( How well do you know Texas' two presidential candidates? [Take this quiz to find out.]( This quiz was created and sponsored by the [Political Points]( newsletter. Fans and friends, Want to win tickets to see Dirk's last home game? Witness history! Enter the Mavs Tickets sweepstakes to win two tickets and a parking pass to see Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns on April 9! Game starts at 7:30 P.M. [Click here to enter to win]( — Your friends at The Dallas Morning News EDITORS' PICKS - Traffic tie-up: A four-vehicle crash late Wednesday night kept the northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway [shut down through Thursday morning rush hour in Plano.]( - Missing person: Skeletal remains found at DFW Airport [have been identified as a man missing since 2016.]( - Tour stop: Pop star Pink [posted pictures while shopping in Buc-ee's]( en route to San Antonio for Thursday's show on her Beautiful Trauma tour. FINALLY... [For public trust, we need to finally know what happened when Tony Timpa died in Dallas police custody]( From The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board: To all the frustrating turns that have prevented us from learning exactly what happened to Tony Timpa — a handcuffed man who died in police custody almost three years ago — comes yet another setback this week. We’re troubled that Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has dropped the misdemeanor deadly conduct charges against  Dallas police officers Kevin Mansell, Danny Vasquez and Dustin Dillard. Creuzot said he made the decision "following a lengthy investigation and determination as to the official cause of death." The Dallas Police Department has refused to release information — withholding the police bodycam video, the 911 call Timpa made seeking help, and autopsy results — citing the ongoing investigation. [It’s past time to release all the records in this case.]( Now that the Dallas County charges against the officers have been dropped, there should no longer be any excuse to withhold them.  This is a matter of restoring public trust and accountability. 👋 That's all for this afternoon! 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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