Grand Prairie whistleblower sues, foster care mandates questioned: Your weekend roundup

The Cowboys' battle with the Patriots isn't the only exciting sports story this weekend.  [Morning roundup]( 11/24/2019 By Todd Davis Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌤️ Weather: Is it too early to start decorating for the holidays when it's 70 degrees outside? That's the expected high on Sunday with a low of 49 in the forecast. At least get the lights on the house, because the 10-day forecast shows rain from Thanksgiving into next weekend. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Texas' initial attempts to comply with orders from a federal judge in a class-action foster care lawsuit have been bumpy. Some worry that private providers again will grow frustrated and stop taking Child Protective Services' kids. (2016 File Photo/Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News) POLITICS [Nonprofit foster care providers push back against federal judge’s ‘one size fits all’ mandates]( [Texas foster-care providers are pushing back against a federal judge’s edicts]( warning that they’re knee-jerk and narrow in focus. The state’s main foster-care provider organization recently warned of "inflexible and one-size-fits-all mandates," such as a new requirement that Texas’ larger foster homes and facilities all have adult supervision at all times.  Questioner, aggressor, professor, and team player: How [Texas congressmen]( participated in the impeachment hearings.   Also: [Ted Cruz]( vowed that Congress will override President Trump if he vetoes a bill denouncing China’s crackdown in Hong Kong.  ADVERTISEMENT SPORTS [Baylor punches its Big 12 championship ticket, 24-10, but concern for Brewer looms]( While plenty of scenarios could have played out for other teams to make it to the Big 12 championship game, but for Baylor it was simple. Win and you’re in. [Thanks to an impressive outing by quarterback Charlie Brewer]( who finished with 221 passing yards and a touchdown to go with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown, the Bears ended their losing skid against the Longhorns and punched their ticket to the conference championship. But Brewer exited the game after a hard hit to the head and didn’t return. More college football: [Navy 35, SMU 28]( | [Georgia 19, Texas A&M 13](  Magical Mav: A deeper analysis shows [Luka Doncic’s recent triple-doubles]( are even more valuable for the Mavericks.   Cowboys at Patriots, 3:25 p.m.: Periods of dominance for the [Cowboys and Patriots]( over last 50 years are strikingly similar.  ADVERTISEMENT (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE WEEKEND [Lovejoy adds another state volleyball title, upping its total to seven]( From the season’s early days in August, Lovejoy volleyball coach Ryan Mitchell limited his team discussions about one subject in particular — winning state. A program that produced six state champions shortly after the school opened was, by its high standard, in a slump. The Lady Leopards came close, losing in the championship game in 2015 and again last year, yet it had not won the big prize since 2014. But it did not stop Mitchell from making a bet with a group of friends. If Lovejoy did win the state crown, the coach agreed to shave his head. [Now he will have to do just that](. More: [Find all our high school football and volleyball playoff coverage](. AROUND THE SITE - Crime: [A bomb-making suspect was arrested]( after Pilot Point police found his home booby-trapped. - Mesquite: [A loud ‘altercation’]( a panic at Town East Mall, police say. - We need your input: Looking for the right North Texas school for your child? [Take our short survey]( and help us help you. FINALLY... [A Grand Prairie ISD whistleblower who dished on poor spending practices lost his job]( A little more than a week before she died in a tragic motorcycle accident, former Grand Prairie ISD Superintendent Susan Simpson Hull fired a longtime district employee who told an investigator about financial improprieties in the district. The explosive allegation is made in a federal lawsuit filed by the ex-employee against the district. The hiding of certain purchases from school board members was allegedly pulled off by splitting invoices so they fell below a required minimum of $50,000 — an amount that under state law requires public notice and a vote by a school board to approve, [former school board president Steve Pryor tells The Watchdog](.  👋 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 [Unsubscribe]( | [Free newsletters]( | [Dallasnews.com]( | [Subscriber login]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact us]( Copyright 2019 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States](