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Letters to the Editor — Dallas mayor, Prop U, DART, abortion care, political parties

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Letters to the Editor — Dallas mayor, Prop U, DART, abortion care, political parties


Dallas mayor invisible

Re: “Mayor Eric Johnson Let Dallas Down — We needed his leadership; we got an op-ed,” Sunday editorial.

I just finished reading your editorial concerning Mayor Eric Johnson. I agree wholeheartedly with this opinion. Johnson shows he has no concern for Dallas and its residents. He seems completely preoccupied with his next political move and position.

He has been invisible on so many issues involving the city. I was initially so excited about the prospect of Johnson and voted for him. Huge regret on my and my relatives’ decision to support him.

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He did not step up and speak up about these propositions. He actually hasn’t spoken up much about Dallas. He speaks about national issues. Good riddance!

Becky Autrey, Dallas

I voted for Proposition U

Your pages state that the passage of Proposition U is the result of poor leadership from Mayor Eric Johnson or an uninformed electorate. I disagree. I voted for Proposition U. I researched this issue in advance, read your coverage on the propositions and gave ample thought and reflection to my voting decision. I was not tricked or uninformed.

I have lived in Dallas for eight years and for the entirety of that time, the Dallas Police Department has struggled to be fully staffed, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund has been underfunded, and politicians and city officials have pledged to do better. Yet here we are.

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While violent crime statistics may show improvements, the reality is Dallas citizens do not feel safe. I know that the requirements of Proposition U will put enormous strain on the city, the city may fall short and the requirements of Proposition U may be unrealistic, but we have to start somewhere.

The vote for Proposition U is a statement by citizens that among the many vital functions that our city government must perform, keeping its citizens safe (and feeling safe) is paramount to all others rather than the result of an uninformed and gullible electorate.

Douglas MacMahon, Dallas/Bluffview

Addison paid plenty to DART

Re: “Suburbs miscalculate DART expenses — Cities get more for their money than they think,” by Patrick Kennedy, Sunday Opinion.

I see at least two things wrong with Kennedy’s column. If you go back nearly 40 years ago when Addison started paying into the contributions for DART, all they received in their decades and hundreds of millions of dollars or perhaps more, and amid myriad complaints was bus service from Preston Road to Marsh Lane along Belt Line Road.

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The mayor of Addison and many members of the City Council expressed disgust over the lack of better service and delay of the Silver line. Had it been started earlier, the costs would not have been anywhere near a billion dollars and not anywhere near the $2 billion that appears to be the final figure with many cost-saving “benefits” to the service removed by DART.

The other is that Kennedy is one board of directors member among the 15 members who easily spend millions of DART dollars, and what do they get in return?

Better service to Addison would have created more restaurants and entertainment, especially for conventions, and more tax revenue for DART. Hindsight is 20/20.

Kenneth D. McLintock, Dallas

Doctor sets record straight

Re: “Lifesaving care for women in Texas is perfectly legal — Scaremongering about state abortion ban isn’t helping patients — or doctors,” by Sudheer Jayaprabhu, Sunday Opinion.

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I was so glad to read this column on the legality of lifesaving care for women in Texas. Despite the lies in many political ads, pregnant women do legally receive treatment in problem pregnancies.

Two members of my family did — one after having a miscarriage and the other in the early delivery of a child after a health scare.

Thank you, doctor, for setting the record straight.

Julia Davis, Plano

Parties seal their fates

Re: “Here’s what makes America great — Rather than throw up your hands, marvel that our founders created a system that still works,” by Abby McCloskey, Nov. 3 Sunday Opinion.

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As I read McCloskey’s opinion piece, a recurring thought came back to me. We just went through a big election and now there is relief that it is over and hope that maybe things will be better.

But then reality will set in and we’ll discover the winners are not interested in making things better, just in pushing their agenda as far and as fast as they can. Doesn’t seem to matter which side wins, the result is the same.

So we swing back and forth, left then right and back again over and over. Neither side ever realizes that most of the populace doesn’t want to push that far or that fast.

People are willing to move but in smaller increments with time to digest if the changes make things better or worse. Then they will decide how to move the next time. But the parties keep pushing too far and the voters rebel again.

The parties seal their own fates.

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James C. Nolen, Terrell

Narrow election identity

McCloskey states that the prevailing identity of this election is that of traditional values, faith, marriage and family, and nationalism. If that was the case, the people wouldn’t have voted for Donald Trump. The only portion of the described identity that aligns with him is that of nationalism.

Victor Kaplan, Plano

Waiting on lottery suit

Re: “Lotto scheme games system,” by Dave Lieber, Sunday Metro column.

Regarding this column on lotto schemes, Attorney General Ken Paxton, do your job. Sue someone, anyone.

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Peter Lehmann, Euless

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



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Battery case against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale closed

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Battery case against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale closed


Arike Ogunbowale was arrested in March for allegedly punching a man outside a nightclub. Stacy Revere / Getty Images

A misdemeanor battery case against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale has been marked closed, according to court filings obtained by The Athletic on Wednesday.

Ogunbowale was arrested in March for allegedly punching a man outside a Miami nightclub just hours after winning an Unrivaled championship with Mist BC. According to the court documents, the case was dropped nolle pros, which means the prosecutor no longer wished to pursue criminal charges. The closing judge was Betsy Alvarez-Zane.

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The incident occurred at 4:22 a.m. on March 5 outside the nightclub E11even, according to the police report. Ogunbowale, a four-time WNBA All-Star, was being escorted out of the club as a result of an unrelated altercation when she allegedly punched a man with a closed fist, causing him to fall to the ground. She was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.

Police said footage captured at the scene confirmed the victim’s account. Ogunbowale was taken into custody without incident.

“We are pleased that the State Attorney’s Office has exercised its discretion and elected not to move forward with this matter,” Ogunbowale’s attorney, Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, said in a statement. “Ms. Ogunbowale is a person of outstanding character, and we are excited that these charges have been dismissed so she can resume her focus on her professional career.”

This was Ogunbowale’s second season with Unrivaled. She played in the 3-on-3 league’s inaugural season with Vinyl BC. She was selected with the fifth pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Wings. Ogunbowale re-signed with Dallas in April on a multiyear deal.

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Dallas Cowboys Might Be On List of Teams Interested in Jadeveon Clowney

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Dallas Cowboys Might Be On List of Teams Interested in Jadeveon Clowney


With the second wave of free agency underway, it’s just a matter of time before former Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney finds a new home.

Clowney is one of the most high-profile players left on the open market and easily the best free agent out of Dallas. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off a season in which he tallied 8.5 sacks, which was tops on the Cowboys.

When it comes to possible landing spots for Clowney, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports “some of his former teams” remain interested in Clowney, although he did not say which squads exactly, which means Dallas could be one of them.

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“I gather that some of (Clowney’s) former teams are interested in him, which is pretty easy when you’ve played for as many teams as he’s played for,” Garafolo said. “So, let’s see about Clowney here in the near future.”

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Clowney has played for seven different teams during his career, with the Cowboys, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans all on that list.

Would Cowboys re-sign Jadeveon Clowney?

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Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

We know Clowney liked his time in Dallas and he would be interested in coming back.

“Oh man, it was great. I enjoyed Dallas, playing on primetime every week. It was a great experience, man, and playing on Thanksgiving and Christmas was special for me. A lot of people watching, a lot of families showing up, and I had a great time playing for Dallas,” Clowney said.

We also know that, despite all the Cowboys’ additions at edge rusher, a team can never have too many. That’s especially true when Dallas has some question marks with their current ones.

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The jury is still out on what a rookie in Malachi Lawrence and a second-year player in Donovan Ezeiruaku will be in 2026, and Rashan Gary is no sure thing, either, after he didn’t sack any quarterbacks in the second half of last season.

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But owner Jerry Jones didn’t seem like he thought a Clowney return was in the cards after the NFL owners meetings.

“It’s real hard when you look at how Clowney came on last year in the snaps he gave us,” he said. “It’s real hard not to have a place there for Clowney, but you can’t have it all. You just can’t have it all. If things go right for us, we’ve already made a signing, we’ve made trades, we think that’s the better way to go. And, of course, we got the draft. It can very easily answer some of that question.”

There also seemed to be an indication that one of the reasons Clowney might not re-sign in Dallas is because he isn’t a good scheme fit in Christian Parker’s defense.

“He led the Cowboys in sacks last season and in January seemed like a prime candidate they would like to retain. But the move to a new scheme with DC Christian Parker seems like the Cowboys will look to other edge players first without completely shutting the door on Clowney’s return,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote.

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The veteran would definitely push back on that notion, though.

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“I walk in every year and play well on every scheme and every team I’ve been on,” Clowney said. “I want to continue to do that going into year 13. Showing people wrong and proving that I can still play at a high level. It don’t matter where I end up, where I play at, just know I’m coming to show you again and prove people wrong again.”

Whatever the case may be, it would appear based on Garafolo’s reporting that there is at least a chance Dallas might be a team interested in bringing Clowney back. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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The Strokes Aren’t Coming to Texas, but Cover Band Different Strokes is Playing Friday

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The Strokes Aren’t Coming to Texas, but Cover Band Different Strokes is Playing Friday


In perfect timing, now-retired Vandoliers member Corey Graves got The Strokes cover band back together.

Dylan Santos Green

The Strokes, the Grammy-winning band whose music dominated rock music in the early and mid-2000s (and likely still dominates your bad Hinge dates’ playlists), announced a world tour to pair with their forthcoming album, Reality Awaits. Strokers, as the band’s cult following calls itself, were disappointed when Texas was left off the map. The closest they’re coming is Manchester, Tennessee, for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival — 725 miles, or a 10-and-a-half-hour drive away, if you contemplated it. But Different Strokes, a local Strokes cover band, is playing a much closer and much more affordable show at Granada Theater on Friday, May 8.

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Different Strokes, comprised of Dallas musicians Cory Graves, Dev Wulf, Hunter Cannon, Eric Nichelson and Colin Beams, is breaking a two-year hiatus, returning to the stage ready to rip “Reptilia.” The band, which formed 10 years ago, was derailed by Graves’ frequent commitments to his full-time gig playing with the Vandoliers. But Graves left the cowpunk band earlier this year, meaning it was time to get the (cover) band back together. 

“I called all the guys back, and everyone was really excited,” Graves tells us. He says it took them little time to find a venue to host, but the timing of Granada adding them to the calendar was chismet.

“We booked this Granada show several months ago, and as soon as we posted, the Strokes announced a new album and tour, and we had no idea,” he says. “It’s just really good timing for us. There’s no dates anywhere around here, and all I see is people on [the Strokes] Facebook pages complaining.”

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Hopeful Strokers prayed the band might be announced as a headliner for Austin City Limits, though they topped the bill in 2025. To the dismay of leather jacket-wearing Texans, though, the lineup released this week does not include Julian Casablancas and company (though it does include Dallas’ own Cure for Paranoia). This leaves Different Strokes as the best available option for anybody in the Southwestern United States who wants to feel the rush of those opening chords on “What Ever Happened” live.

Casablancas must have a really severe aversion to good barbecue and a wide-brimmed hat, because the Strokes haven’t played in Dallas since a show at the Globe Life Field in 2022. Before that, it had been two decades since their last show in the region at the now-demolished Bronco Bowl in Oak Cliff in 2002, when the band only had one album out. 

Plus, Different Strokes won’t play any of the deep cuts you don’t like, and all the ones you do. 

“Their fans are so culty and rabid that we do get a lot of requests for super obscure deep cuts,” Graves says. “You never get that with another band.”

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They certainly won’t skip the 2000s radio hits that’ve been removed from the real Strokes arena tour setlist, either.

“This band already has a fan base, so you show up and everyone’s pleased to hear these things that they already love so much and just maybe don’t get to see all the time,” Graves says. “In the case of The Strokes, if you see [them], they’re going to play a stadium. You’re going to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket. You’re not going to be able to stand front row with The Strokes probably, but you can come right up to the stage for us.”

Ahead of the show, the cover band has added the latest Strokes’ release to their repertoire, rehearsing Reality Awaits’ lead single, “Going Shopping,” last week in preparation. It was their first rehearsal in years, but the dust brushed away easily, and they’d already played a secret and surprise set at the Seegars Deli opening a week before, with zero preparation. 

“We played 50 people or something, just to kind of shake off the nerves,” Graves says. “We didn’t rehearse for that one. We all just showed up and expected each other to know the part. It was good reassurance that we still had it.”

Graves and other members of Different Strokes have had run-ins with real members of the Strokes band, smoking cigarettes with drummer Fabrizio “Fab” Moretti outside a show in Deep Ellum for his side project, Little Joy, in 2008, and chatting with lead guitarist Nicholas Valensi after his solo show at Trees in 2016. The latter Strokes member jokingly recommended the guys of Different Strokes buy wigs to really sell it.

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And though cover bands get a bad rep, Graves, a seasoned, internationally touring musician who contributed to five Vandoliers albums, says they’re undeniably fun to play in. 

“Cover bands are kind of divisive. When musicians are young, they take themselves way too seriously,” he says. “You get to a certain point where you’re older, and you don’t care as much about the posturing. Cover bands are just really super fun. There’s no stress, there’s no pressure.”

Different Strokes will play at Granada Theater on May 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. The band will only be playing music by The Strokes, but they will not be wearing wigs.



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