Amber Guyger murder trial, immigration officials 'overwhelmed' at border: Your Thursday morning roundup

Amber Guyger’s murder trial is set for September, a year after she shot Botham Jean to death in his Dallas apartment. But will the jury deciding the former police officer's fate be seated in Dallas or some other Texas county?  [Morning roundup]( 05/09/2019 By Nataly Keomoungkhoun and Mallorie Sullivan Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Partly cloudy and breezy. High of 75 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( Former Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger appeared at a hearing  at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas in March. Guyger is charged with murder in the Sept. 6 shooting death of Botham Jean in his own apartment. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer) CRIME [Can Amber Guyger get a fair murder trial in Dallas for the shooting of Botham Jean?]( Amber Guyger’s [murder trial]( is set for September, a year after she shot Botham Jean to death in his Dallas apartment. But will the jury deciding the former police officer's fate be seated in Dallas or some other Texas county? State District Judge Tammy Kemp issued a gag order to stop attorneys involved in the criminal case from speaking about the case outside the courtroom. But news coverage has persisted ever since Guyger shot Jean on Sept. 6. Guyger, who was off-duty but still in uniform, said she confused his apartment for her own and thought he was a burglar. As the trial approaches, Dallas attorneys say, the defense will likely file a motion asking the judge for a change of venue, [saying Guyger can’t have a fair trial in Dallas.]( not about whether potential jurors have heard details of the case. It’s whether they already have an opinion about her guilt or innocence.  Bad educator: A Denton High School assistant principal [accused of using a racial slur in conversation with a student]( won't return to his job, officials say.   Guilty plea: An Arlington 18-year-old pleaded guilty to a federal terrorism charge after he was [accused of grooming a would-be recruit to join a terrorist group]( and arranging to get him to Pakistan.  ADVERTISEMENT IMMIGRATION Border agents['overwhelmed' as apprehensions spike]( officials tell Congress WASHINGTON — Top U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Wednesday told Congress that they are "overwhelmed" amid a continued surge of Central American migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The number of migrants apprehended by U.S. authorities along the southwestern border [topped 100,000 for the second month in a row]( officials said. April's tally of 109,144 apprehended border-crossers — many of them families and children — is the highest monthly total since 2007, and it means apprehensions so far this fiscal year have already outpaced the full-year totals for each fiscal year since 2009, officials said.  Local politics: [Big endorsements keep coming for state Rep. Eric Johnson in his Dallas mayoral bid.](   State politics: One of Texas' most enduring political partnerships - that between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Paul Bettencourt - [is showing signs of wear and tear](.  DALLAS [Dallas City Council rejects Atmos' request for $10.1 million in rate hikes]( The acrimonious rate-hike dance between Dallas City Hall and natural gas provider Atmos Energy is underway again. On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council [voted 13-1 to deny Atmos’ recent Mid-Tex Dallas Annual Rate Review (DARR) filing,]( requested $10.1 million in rate increases from Dallas customers over the next year. The City Council’s denial merely starts a battle over the rates. Atmos — which has come under increasing scrutiny after a deadly gas explosion exposed issues in the city — ended up supporting the denial absent a negotiated agreement, said Celina Cardenas, a company spokeswoman. And city officials said the company didn’t seem particularly interested in a lower negotiated rate increase. With the denial, Atmos can appeal the city’s decision to the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates production and transportation of the state’s oil and natural gas. In the meantime, the requested rate increase will take effect June 1.  Also: ‘Atmos has an obligation’ to give customers gas detectors, says Russell McElyea, a [burn]( who's suing the company.](   And: On Wednesday, [the Salvation Army's 20-acre Northwest Dallas campus for the homeless won council's approval - and cheers]( writes city columnist Robert Wilonsky.  ADVERTISEMENT We've made it to the next round: the top 4. [Click here to see]( which four brunch spots are still in the running for the best brunch spot in D-FW. What's even better is when you vote for your favorite brunch spot, you'll automatically be entered to win the best brunch sweepstakes. 😍 Become a political insider. [Political Points]( keeps you updated on the latest political news delivered every Tuesday and Thursday to your inbox from Dallas Morning News reporters in Austin, Dallas and Washington, D.C. [SIGN UP HERE]( EDITORS' PICKS - Watch: Ten special-needs students participated in [the inaugural Suit Up Experience fashion show]( which donated custom-fitted suits to each participant. - Quick and healthy: [Design-your-own salad restaurant Mixt]( has opened in Uptown Dallas. - Built for fans: A new sports bar and restaurant called Hero by HG Sply Co. [has opened near American Airlines Center and it's big](. Really big. A red oak that fell as a tornado passed through Denton on April 30 crushed a pickup and punctured a hole in the roof of the house and a bedroom ceiling, letting rain pour in. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer) FINALLY... [Denton has a neighborhood called Idiot’s Hill. Why is it called that? Curious Texas investigates]( Denton’s first tornado in more than two years caused damage to several homes and vehicles when it touched down in late April. The National Weather Service confirmed the EF-1 tornado, which reached wind speeds of 90 mph, caused trees to fall, power outages and minor flooding in the Idiot’s Hill neighborhood. Aside from the impact made by the tornado, some of our readers and newsroom staff were [also interested in the Denton neighborhood’s name.]( That’s why Michael Hamtil, one of our photo editors, and reader Emily McPherson asked Curious Texas: How did Denton’s Idiot’s Hill neighborhood get its name?  👋 That's all for this morning! 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