Dallas, TX
Letters to the Editor — Dallas Cultural Trail, John Cornyn’s vote, abortion, Texas Lottery
Trail may bring respect
Re: “Dallas Cultural Trail Gets Welcome Boost — Federal grant is first step toward celebration of what defines us,” Saturday editorial.
Finally, Fair Park and Deep Ellum are reaping deserved attention. The Arts District is of interest but rather nouveau, its antecedents being in Fair Park. Hopefully architectural jewels in Fair Park will merit more respect than has the Kalita Humphreys Theater — the only theater in the world designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and sentenced to persistent neglect.
Its carefully chosen park setting is threatened by that bane of Dallas — parking lots. Tourism could have been stimulated had its condition been improved and its existence promoted.
And, by the way, I wish someone would tell its history while some of the “originals” are still here to be interviewed.
Alison Wright, North Dallas
Writers also create beauty
Re: “To all the makers in our lives, thank you — Every object we touch was designed by someone with a sense of purpose,” by Christopher de Vinck, Saturday Opinion.
Again Mr. de Vinck reminds us of the beauty in our world. He didn’t mention one very important group — all the writers like himself who create beautiful books and stories.
Mary Spickler, Allen
Disappointed in Cornyn vote
Sen. John Cornyn, I watched Friday night with disappointment and dismay, but not surprise, as your vote advanced Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified candidate in history, to the post of secretary of defense. Your single vote represented your country’s and your constituents’ chance to support a different meritorious leader, a leader such as yourself, to this hugely consequential post. But you let this singular opportunity escape you. And you let us and yourself down.
Hegseth is a documented failed manager, having run one small organization into financial ruin through his mismanagement and having been removed by his own board for similar failures with a second. He’s an admitted philanderer and embarrassing public drunk. He suggests that he will restore “merit” to the armed services. Merit indeed! Can you put forth one, single meritorious action or recognition that qualifies Hegseth for this position? One?
When will you overcome your terror of the vindictive actions of the president and begin to listen to the wise counsel of your own good judgment and better angels? Your single vote could have shown courage and protected your legacy and reputation.
Ted M. Ingersoll, Dallas/Turtle Creek
U.S. looks cruel
Re: “GOP limits global abortion access — Rule forbids countries relying on U.S. funds from performing the procedure,” Sunday news story.
I guess I don’t understand the GOP’s obsession in making sure that women do not have any say on their health care. And after reading this story, the health of women not just in the U.S., but worldwide?
President Donald Trump just reinstated a policy that is known as the Global Gag Rule. The U.S., no matter who is the president, cannot fund abortions in another country. But the last time Trump decided to reinstate this, he took it a step further, so it didn’t just apply to family planning, but also agencies that were providing assistance to programs working on nutrition, malaria and HIV/AIDS. This caused many of the programs to close which impacted the poorest and hardest to reach populations in the world.
So, I guess, here are my questions: Do Trump and the GOP not want anyone in the world to have access to a safe abortion? Do they also not want them to have access to family planning (contraceptives, etc.) to eliminate the need for an abortion? And, to top it off, does it matter that they are cutting off funding to those in dire need of help to combat other health emergencies that affect mainly those who are poor, minorities and children?
The world is watching. The U.S. looks weak and cruel.
Nora Bollhagen, McKinney
About McKinley Tariff
Being a man of high curiosity but low creativity, I checked the Wikipedia page for “McKinley Tariff,” which was enacted when William McKinley was chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and Benjamin Harrison, not McKinley, was president.
I found the following, which brightened my mood: ”The tariff was not well received by Americans who suffered a steep increase in prices. In the 1890 election, Republicans lost their majority in the House with the number of seats they won reduced by nearly half, from 171 to 88. In the 1892 presidential election, Harrison was soundly defeated by Grover Cleveland, and the Senate, House, and presidency were all under Democratic control.”
William Carroll, Far North Dallas
Who’s watching lottery?
Re: “Report details Texas Lottery failures,” by Dave Lieber, Sunday Metro column.
Eleven million lottery tickets sold in three days from one store? Twenty-six million tickets purchased by a single syndicate? Our governor should be tweeting, “Aw, hell no!” Our attorney general, champion of the people, should be filing a lawsuit against the Texas Lottery. And our lieutenant governor should be proposing legislation to eliminate gray areas in lottery operations. Instead, crickets.
Steven Monserrate, Far North Dallas
Get this on record
I don’t know how sincere congressional Republicans were in taking exception to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons, but I know how to find out: Introduce a motion of censure and let them go on record.
Ken Duble, Dallas/The Cedars
Welcome, coach
Re: “Coordinator is new head coach — Schottenheimer signs 4-year deal to become franchise’s 10th leader,” Saturday news story.
I spent my junior year at Stanford University studying abroad in Germany, so I’m always interested in German names like Schottenheimer. It amused me to translate the Cowboy’s new Coach Brian Schottenheimer’s German name: it means a “person whose home is Scotland.” Welcome, coach!
Sharon Hockensmith, McKinney
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
FC Dallas returns home tonight to host Western Conference rivals Real Salt Lake.
Lineups are in from both sides. Let’s dive into what Eric Quill’s starting group looks like, who is on the bench, and who we believe will see minutes later on in this one.
What Changed From Last Match
If it ain’t broke, right? This is the same group as last week that picked up three points in New York.
FC Dallas Lineup Notes:
Starting XI
Formation: 3-4-3
Bench
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Who should come off the bench?
I almost think you roll out the same group of subs that worked last week in New York. That would be Chris Cappis, Logan Farrington, Sebastien Ibeagha, Sam Sarver and maybe more minutes for Caleb Swann. That, or give Nicholas Simmonds a few more minutes out there.
Key Question Heading Into Kickoff
After ending a couple of streaks last week, can FC Dallas finally put together a complete performance at home?
There is no getting around it: this is a big one for FC Dallas tonight. They need to figure out how to get the most out of their home games here this week (and next) before being gone for three and a half months. If they can replicate what they did last week in New York where the defense was stout, the attack was clinical, and everything else in between came together…there is no reason why they can’t string together a couple of wins in a row here starting tonight.
Suspended: none
International duty: none
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin (knee)
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
RSL Lineup Notes:
Formation: 5-4-1
Starting XI
How to watch
📅 Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
⚽️ Kickoff: 7:30 PM
🏟 Venue: Toyota Stadium
📺 Streaming: MLS Season Pass
💬 Gameday Social: #FCDvRSL
☀️ Weather: 87, sunny
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FC Dallas returns home this weekend looking to build off last week’s road result as Real Salt lake comes to town for another important Western Conference matchup. With the schedule beginning to pile up before the summer World Cup break in June, grabbing points at Toyota Stadium feels more important than ever right now.
RSL arrives with one of the more balanced attacks in the conference and enough pace to punish mistakes in transition. For Dallas, this one is about staying organized defensively, controlling the midfield battle, and continuing to find consistency in the final third. If those three items can be checked off this weekend, there’s a real opportunity to keep the momentum moving in the right direction before a long summer road trip.
Let’s dive into some notes, predictions, and more.
TL;DR: Match Preview
Quick hits before kickoff.
- Score prediction: FC Dallas 2 – 1 Real Salt Lake
- Key player to watch: Petar Musa – To make the World Cup roster later this month for Croatia, Musa has to continue scoring here and guide the team to a big home win.
- Why this game matters: The next two are at home and after that there are nine straight road games. Dallas has to bank some points at home while they can before the long summer road trip.
FC Dallas Notes:
All-time vs RSL: FC Dallas holds a 24-15-13 all-time regular-season record against RSL. Dallas has scored 79 goals against Salt Lake. RSL has scored 63.
Home record vs RSL: Dallas has a solid 14-2-8 at home against RSL in regular season meetings. Dallas has scored 44 home goals against RSL. Salt Lake has scored 23 goals at Toyota Stadium versus Dallas. Dallas last won at home versus RSL on April 16, 2023. Jesús Ferreira and Bernanrd Kamungo scored for Dallas that night.
Homegrown clock: Homegrown keeper Michael Collodi was the only HGP earning minutes this season until Nolan Norris joined him on the field. Collodi has played the full 90 in each match, while Norris has been in and out of the lineup. Norris also has one goal on the season. Caleb Swann also made his debut off the bench in New York. Together, they have played 1595 minutes. To add more perspective here, Dallas HGPs only accounted for 1683 minutes in 2025.
What to Watch For: FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake FC Dallas returns to Toyota Stadium riding momentum from a historic road win in New York, but RSL arrives with one of the most dangerous young attacks in MLS. Here’s what to watch when the Burn host the Claret-and-Cobalt on Saturday.
Notable season stats:
- FCD is 7th in crosses in MLS with 144.
- The Burn are 6th in total distance covered in MLS with 286.24 km (800 miles).
- FCD is third in MLS in aerial challenges won with 171.
- FC Dallas is 9th in MLS in xG with 18.81.
- FCD is 8th in MLS in shot efficiency with 1.19.
- Musa is 4th in MLS in xG with 7.77. He also ranks tied for 4th in MLS in shots with 40.
Potential FC Dallas Lineup:
With another three-games in seven days stretch coming up, Eric Quill will likely go with as strong of a lineup as possible in these next two home games.
Formation: 3-4-3
Projected Starting XI
Availability & Disciplinary Report
⚽
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended with next yellow card: none
Suspended with next two yellow cards: Osaze Urhoghide, Nolan Norris
🗒️
Availability Report
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
International duty: none
Real Salt Lake Notes:
Key player for RSL: Diego Luna
Scouting Real Salt Lake: What FC Dallas Needs to Know 🔎 A detailed scouting report on RSL ahead of FC Dallas’ 2026 showdown, breaking down formations, key players, tendencies, and tactical edges.
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended on next yellow card: none
Availability Report
Out: Jesus Barea (knee), Emeka Eneli (knee), Ari Piol (Achilles)
Questionable: Juan Jose Arias (groin), Justen Glad (groin), Lukas Engel (hip)
International duty: none
Big game this week for FC Dallas. Before we get into it, members have the full scouting report, projected lineups, and injury report. If you want to go into Matchday actually knowing what to watch for, now’s the time.
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A mystery trust bought one of the most expensive homes in Texas this week — just months after buying another multimillion dollar property nearby.
The Lost River Trust bought the mansion at 4815 Saint Johns Drive in Highland Park from Dallas entrepreneurs Melbourne and Jamie O’Banion on May 5, according to county records. The final sale price is undisclosed, but the sellers had the home listed for $24.9 million at the time.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home spans 11,433 square feet on a 0.6-acre lot, according to the listing. It was built by Mark Molthan and designed by Tom Weber. They listed the home on March 23 for about $2,200 per square foot.
Allie Beth Allman, founder of the eponymous brokerage, represented the sellers. Damon Williamson with The Agency represented the buyer, according to Redfin.
Just two Dallas homes last year sold with listing prices higher than $25 million, though both sold for well below what they asked. The trust of the late Fortress Investment Group CEO Josh Pack sold his former home at 6601 Hunters Glen Road for $30.5 million after asking $35 million, and manufacturer Guinn Crousen sold his home at 4000 Euclid Avenue for $25.5 million after asking $33 million.
Only six homes in Texas are asking a higher price, according to Zillow. Two effectively tie with the home on Saint Johns Drive: a spec mansion on Strait Lane that’s asking $25 million, and another new construction at 4 Lana Lane in Houston that’s asking $25.5 million.
The Lost River Trust bought another luxury home just six months ago. On Nov. 14, the trust purchased the home at 3709 Euclid Avenue, a four-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,845-square-foot house that was asking $14 million when it withdrew from the market in September. It’s about half a mile south of the home on Saint Johns Drive.
Melbourne O’Banion is the CEO of Dallas-based tech startup Bestow, which produces software for life insurance companies. His wife Jamie O’Banion is the founder of Dallas-based cosmetics company BeautyBio.
The Crespi Estate at 5619 Walnut Hill Lane, listed by the Cox Family for $64 million, remains the most expensive home on the market in Texas.
Read more
Dallas entrepreneurs Jamie and Melbourne O’Banion list Highland Park mansion for $25M
Estate of late Dallas plastic surgeon Sam Hamra sells historic Highland Park teardown to mystery buyer
Robert Vaughn buys University Park spec mansion that asked $26M
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