Abbott won't attend national GOP convention, Cowboys address COVID-19 concerns: Your evening roundup

Also, restaurant workers are concerned by latest decision about unemployment in Washington.  [Morning roundup]( 08/02/2020 By Todd Davis Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌞 Weather: If you don't have a calendar, the thermometer should tell you August is here. A high of 96 is expected Sunday, which is also an Ozone Action Day. With lows in the low 70s Sunday and Monday, mornings should be comfortable, but 100-degree days are expected later this week. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (left) will lead a six-person Texas delegation to attend in person the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., later this month. (Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photographer) POLITICS [As Abbott tends to pandemic, Patrick will lead Texas GOP's Charlotte delegation]( Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will lead a scaled-back, six-person Texas delegation to attend the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in person later this month after Gov. Greg Abbott decided he needs to stay home to tend state residents' health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, [Abbott’s office released a letter]( in which he broke the news to Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel a day earlier.  Editorial: For the sake of public trust, [AG Ken Paxton’s criminal fraud case]( must be resolved soon.   Also: Texas Supreme Court lets [coronavirus orders]( stand, despite outcry by conservatives.  ADVERTISEMENT SPORTS [From Jerry Jones on down, rigorous COVID-19 protocols await Cowboys]( Ezekiel Elliott has a distinctive look. When he shows up at The Star there’s no doubt he belongs. But the Cowboys running back can’t even enter the facility these days before interacting with facial recognition technology. The touchless scanner verifies his identity, registers his temperature and determines if he can go any further. The same protocol awaits his teammates and coaches. [And Jerry Jones.](  And: [A year after the El Paso massacre]( Wings’ Kayla Thornton hopes her hometown’s response to tragedy can bring unity.   Also: [DeSoto native Errol Spence]( announces his return to the ring.  ADVERTISEMENT (Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photogrpher) PHOTO OF THE WEEKEND Feline draws line From left, Kylle Kirby, 11, takes a photo of her mother, Mia Kirby posing for a photo with Shamika Sullivan at the Hello Kitty Cafe truck in the parking lot of the Stonebriar Centre shopping mall in Frisco. Due to local health and safety precautions, [the truck event was drive-up only]( and dozens of cars lined up all morning to wait for a turn to visit the truck. Organizers are hoping the event in Fort Worth next Saturday includes "adequate open space for social distancing" at the outdoor plaza at the Shops at Clearfork. AROUND THE SITE - Business: Irving-based oil giant [Exxon]( reports $1 billion-plus quarterly loss. - Coronavirus: Clay Jenkins urges residents to continue taking health precautions as [Dallas County]( reports 614 new coronavirus cases Saturday. - Arts and entertainment: Legendary D-FW country DJ and songwriter [Bill Mack]( dies at 88 of COVID-19, other causes. FINALLY... [How a hatred of Hispanics and three minutes of gunfire in a crowded Walmart changed 23 families forever.]( There’s at least one thing Gilbert Anchondo, Will Englisbee and Dina Lizarde all have in common: They lost their loved ones after a gunman opened fire on Aug. 3 in El Paso at one of the busiest Walmarts in the country. Twenty-three people died as a result, making it the worst mass shooting of Hispanics in recent U.S. history. In the year following the Aug. 3 tragedy, [The Dallas Morning News interviewed family members of those slain]( about a dozen of the injured, other witnesses and multiple sources close to the investigation. We reviewed hundreds of pages of documents related to the massacre. Our reporting has brought the massacre’s details into sharper definition: The grim determination of the suspected gunman’s preparations and actions inside the store. The desperation of survivors hoping that their loved ones didn’t die. ADVERTISEMENT  👋 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 [the newsroom.]( STAY CONNECTED WITH US [Unsubscribe]( | [Free newsletters]( | [Dallasnews.com]( | [Subscriber login]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact us]( Copyright 2020 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States](