The many faces of Rickie Rush, Cowboys rally to shock Falcons: Your Monday morning roundup

For decades Renee Phillips rarely spoke of the abuse she said she experienced at the hands of Dallas evangelist Rickie Rush. Like many sex assault survivors who take years to speak out, she feared she wouldn’t be believed.  [Morning roundup]( 09/21/2020 By Todd Davis Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌧️ Weather: Monday starts a series of days with cooler temperatures and significant rain chances. Expect a high of 70 with an 80% chance of precipitation. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( ADVERTISEMENT [Refugee resettlement falls to historic lows under Trump]( [Far too many Texans don’t get immunized. That’s a problem with a COVID-19 vaccine]( [Blame the Pandemic: Latino voters in Dallas not showing up to get registered]( [Dallas County reports 771 more coronavirus cases, adds one death]( [In a surreal Cowboys home opener, Mike McCarthy simultaneously escaped with a win, stained his reputation]( [Ranking the top 20 Dallas-area 5A football teams heading into the 2020 season]( [Movie about a school shooting, filmed in Red Oak, hits the Venice Film Festival]( [Hockey capital of the South: Stars, Lightning are battling for more than a Stanley Cup win]( [Here’s where you can register to vote in Dallas. Plus, some early voting locations]( [Victory Park’s newest developments head for an opening next year]( Half sisters Donna Fields (left) and Renee Phillips, shown at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano, were close as youngsters, sharing a father who was a Baptist preacher and a grandmother who touched the TV to pray with televangelists. (Nitashia Johnson / Special Contributor) INVESTIGATION [Dallas pastor Rickie Rush cast himself as a warrior battling Satan. It was the perfect mask to abuse members, they say]( Note: The story contains depictions of sexual and physical abuse that may be disturbing. For decades Renee Phillips rarely spoke of the abuse she said she experienced at the hands of Dallas evangelist Rickie Rush. Like many sex assault survivors who take years to speak out, she feared she wouldn’t be believed. Until one day she was moved to tears by the story of #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke. Here was a Black woman bold enough to reveal her abuse. Renee decided it was her time. She started writing a book. And one night, she shared part of her story on Facebook. Later, she emailed The Dallas Morning News. Since then, The News has identified four others with abuse allegations against Rush, whose lawyer says the claims appear specious. Reporters reviewed hundreds of pages of documents, including court testimony, and interviewed more than 50 people. The accusers say they once stood by the pastor. [Now they want the public to know the many faces of Rickie Rush](. 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](