The Dallas Morning News

Retiring U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, has missed votes in Congress since the summer and her son said she has been “having some dementia issues late in the year.” The last time the 81-year-old congresswoman cast a vote on the House floor was the morning of July 24. In other news, Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with The Apprentice, is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration; Despite beating the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday night, the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoff race; And the Texas Rangers sent first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to Washington in exchange for lefty reliever Robert Garcia, the second lefty offspeed savant acquired by the club in a week. The 28-year old Garcia pitched 59 2/3 innings for Washington last year with a 4.22 ERA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clear skies and an abundance of sunshine today in Dallas with a high of 56. Clear tonight as well with a low of 34. Sunny and a little cooler tomorrow. Saturday’s high will be 53 with a low of 39. Some clouds will move in on Sunday with not much fluctuation between the high of 56 and the low of 50. President-elect Donald Trump lambasted U.S. Rep. Chip Roy after the Texas Republican pushed back on Trump’s call to suspend or abolish the debt ceiling. Trump posted criticism on social media Thursday that included an implicit political threat to the Austin congressman as he invoked the example of U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who lost in the primary this year after getting crosswise with Trump. In other news, two ministries that broadcast TV shows on Daystar Television Network have announced they are parting ways with the Bedford-based company, which has been rocked by a family rift over child abuse allegations. LoveIsrael, a Bible teaching ministry led by Baruch Korman, announced in a YouTube video Tuesday that the organization is taking its shows off Daystar’s network; imagine a second arena in downtown Dallas. Imagine a second convention center and tourist hub, except this one would include an opulent arena, multiple luxury hotels and abundant fine dining. And casino gambling. While pondering realistic, foreseeable-future scenarios for downtown Dallas, it’s hard to imagine one that would be more transformative. But would it be for the better? That is the deeply layered, multibillion-dollar question that must be answered — likely within the next five years — as the Mavericks and Stars weigh arena possibilities; Earlier this year, Housing Forward counted fewer people experiencing homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties compared to the year before in January. In September, city officials and Housing Forward partnered with a coalition of nonprofits to embark on operation Street to Home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Through the medium of a White Elephant party, The Dallas Morning News food team shares ideas for favorite foods to take to a holiday gathering. The team also discusses a new restaurant in Dallas' Bishop Arts neighborhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Texas Legislature is facing pressure to find creative ways to reform the state’s toll road system amid a growing chorus of vocal critics, including some Republican state lawmakers. From 2001 to 2021, Texas built more toll road miles than nearly all other states combined, according to the Dallas Morning News ongoing investigation, “Toll Trap.” In other news, Texas Republicans are demanding the Biden administration stop selling unused parts of the border wall that runs along the U.S.-Mexico divide; two malls in Dallas-Fort Worth are ready to help shoppers with a growing technology service: drone deliveries. Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth are rolling out deliveries through Wing drone service and DoorDash, the popular app for getting items to your door. Both malls are part of Brookfield Properties, which has shopping centers across the country. Over 50 merchants are available to folks within roughly 4 miles of the malls for deliveries from Wing, which is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet; And more people today may care about the future of downtown Dallas — but sometimes it feels like many of them have a different take on where the heart of the city is. With over 1 million people joining North Texas since 2010, many ideas are in flux about what sidewalks, buildings and parks are within downtown borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore discuss [4:27] the Cowboys’ third win in their last four games, even if it was just Carolina. David says it’s probably not enough to save Mike McCarthy’s job, but, with Bill Belichick off the market, the list of successors becomes problematic. [27:45] The guys make their CFP predictions about SMU (gonna be cold up there in Happy Valley) and Texas (hard to beat at home unless you’re Georgia). [48:49] Chris Young gets kudos for his excellent winter meetings performance, and Kevin tries to wish everyone well in the last podcast of 2024 but gets cut off by Evan, as usual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices