Judge Rules Abbott’s Mask Ban Cannot Be Enforced. A Dallas judge issued a temporary restraining order that will allow County Judge Clay Jenkins to begin issuing new mask requirements. “The citizens of Dallas County have and will continue to be damaged and injured by Governor Abbott’s conduct,” the order reads. Fort Worth ISD will also require returning students to wear masks, in defiance of the governor’s order.
Dallas County COVID Spread Is ‘Out of Control.’ The county reported five COVID deaths and 3,270 new cases Tuesday (a three-day total). There are 682 people hospitalized with the virus in Dallas County and only two pediatric ICU beds out of 285 available in the region. A UT Southwestern Medical Center forecast anticipates 2,000 cases a day and 1,500-plus hospitalized patients by late August. Healthcare workers testifying before a state Senate committee told lawmakers they are “frightened” by what’s coming.
House Speaker Signs Warrants for Self-Exiled Texas Dems. Dade Phelan signed civil arrest warrants for 52 absent Democrats after the Texas Supreme Court overturned a Travis County court ruling that protected the lawmakers from being arrested over breaking quorum. But the warrants don’t necessarily mean that anyone will be arrested, Gromer Jeffers writes, and the ongoing standoff puts Phelan in a tricky political situation. Rep. Lyle Larson of San Antonio was the only Republican who broke with the party to vote against the warrants. “Have we got to the point where we believe our own bull shizz so much that we arrest our own colleagues?” Larson tweeted.
Lawsuit Accuses Restaurants of Racial Discrimination. Former employees of the Vandelay Hospitality Group, which owns Drake’s Hollywood on West Lovers Lane, say the company fired employees who were Black, Latino, or deemed “ugly” and encouraged hostesses to turn away customers who did not “exude wealth.”
Frisco Woman Sues Ezekiel Elliott Over Dog Bite. The Cowboys running back’s Rottweiler got loose in May and attacked Jennifer Gampper, who says she was left with “severe and permanent injuries.” Elliott and teammate Dak Prescott have been involved in a number of dog bite incidents in recent years, but I’m not sure if that storyline featured in the season premiere of Hard Knocks because I wasn’t watching.
State Fair Plows Ahead. If COVID doesn’t kill you, these fried concoctions will (eventually).
