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Letters to the Editor — Reading academies, striking dancers, Dallas Cowboys, health care

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Letters to the Editor — Reading academies, striking dancers, Dallas Cowboys, health care


Texas has reading program

Re: “Texas must invest in early reading,” by Bill Hammond, Monday Opinion.

Hammond, a former Texas state representative, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, writes about the need to bring reading academies to Texas. He based that on the miracle in Mississippi, where reading academies have helped elevate reading scores for the last several years.

In fact, Texas does have a Reading Academy requirement. House Bill 3, passed during the 86th Texas Legislature, established the requirement that all teacher candidates who teach students in grades pre-K-6 demonstrate proficiency in the science of teaching reading on a new, standalone certification exam.

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This includes principals and elementary math and science teachers as well. This requirement took effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Knowing this, I urge Mr. Hammond to ask a different question now. Has there been an impact on reading since the RA requirement was implemented? The “Mississippi Miracle” may be happening already in Texas.

Unfortunately, those of us in the education business know that any new curriculum takes more than a year or two to be fully embraced by teachers and then effectively implemented.

Rebecca Good, Allen

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Continue backing dancers

Re: “Backers rally for fired dancers,” Monday Metro story.

Elizabeth Myong did a fine job of covering the rally for the fired Dallas Black Dance Theatre dancers, and it was wonderful to see the solidarity from labor, retirees and the community at large. Labor and civil rights struggles are not won in a single day, though. All of us must continue backing the dancers until they prevail, and I’m sure we will.

Gene Lantz, Dallas

Believe the truth, too

Re: “Whatever happened to telling the truth? As King taught me, our nation must relearn the danger of lies,” by Peter Johnson, Sunday Opinion.

Johnson wrote about the importance of lies. And truth. I’d like to share another level of thought concerning the human condition. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck wrote: “An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie.” I offer this truth as an addendum to Johnson’s writing.

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Tom Agase, Highland Village

A dual stand on abortion

Re: “Many women oppose abortion,” by Keith Bernard Marx, Wednesday Letters.

You can be a woman who wants control over her own body and still be anti-abortion.

Mindy Vinton, Dallas/Oak Lawn

Substance behind dog whistle

Re: “There’s the dog whistle,” by Holly Skaggs, Sunday Letters.

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In response to this letter, it’s important to clarify that while the GOP campaigns may not explicitly use the term “Christian nationalism,” the ideology is evident in their rhetoric and policies. Donald Trump, for example, has made several statements that align with Christian nationalist themes, such as promising to combat anti-Christian bias with a federal task force and framing political struggles as spiritual battles.

Moreover, at the Texas GOP convention, leaders pushed for policies promoting Christian values, like mandatory Bible teachings in public schools, which is a clear example of Christian nationalism in practice, even if the term isn’t used directly.

Dismissing this as mere journalistic bias ignores the real connections between current GOP rhetoric and Christian nationalist ideology. The claim that “Christian nationalism” is simply a “dog whistle” accusation overlooks these substantive issues.

Alan D. Bryan, Richardson

Cowboys grow with mediocrity

Re: “Team is league’s 1st valued at over $10B — Franchise is worth over $2.5B more than Rams, No. 2 on Sportico list,” Aug. 14 news story.

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Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $150 million. Today, the franchise is worth more than $10 billion. Without a doubt, Jones is an amazing businessman. He had great success in the early years with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Since then, he has nothing to brag about. There is no incentive when your assets are growing exponentially with a mediocre product.

It is time for Jerry Jones to take a page from President Joe Biden’s book and get out of football management and player negotiations. He should hire a good general manager who can take us back to the glory days of Tex Schramm and Tom Landry. He should use his newfound wealth to pay top talent and bring back championships to our community.

Rudra Nadhan, Arlington

Financial lock on Arlington

Someone please, remind me why the Dallas Cowboys (and any other professional sports franchise) need taxpayer funding to build stadiums for a private entertainment business.

I believe the Dallas Cowboys’ financial lock on Arlington is so absolute that residents who front busy streets on game days are not allowed to park fans cars and receive a few bucks lest they endanger the Cowboy parking lot monopoly.

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It requires an ironic sense of humor to justify socialism for the rich and free enterprise for the poor.

Matt Wenthold, Denton

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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Dallas, TX

Top 10 Dallas Cowboys of 2026: Rashan Gary is Complete EDGE Dallas Needed

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Top 10 Dallas Cowboys of 2026: Rashan Gary is Complete EDGE Dallas Needed


In need of help on the edge, the Dallas Cowboys tried to make a huge move this offseason. They made multiple attempts to trade for Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby, but were never able to get a deal done.

Once that one was off the table, they decided to send a fourth round pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for veteran Rashan Gary. The move was criticized, which is rather confusing when you think about it. Dallas gave up a mid-round pick, and reworked his contract to where it hardly makes any impact on a salary cap. They also filled a position of a great need with a player who might not threaten to lead the league in sacks, but is well-rounded and can help against the run just as much as he does when rushing the passer.

Gary is entering his eighth season in the league and has 271 tackles and 46.5 sacks. He’s coming off another solid campaign, which is why he’s No. 9 on our list of top 10 players on the Cowboys’ roster.

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Rashan Gary 2025 review

Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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Gary’s numbers in 2025 were respectable, but could be misleading. He was on pace to record 18 sacks, as he had 7.5 through the first seven games of the year. He then disappeared for the final nine games, recording no sacks while struggling to generate pressure.

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That led to his season as a whole being considered rather disappointing, which is why the Packers were willing to move on. It’s also why Dallas was able to convince him to take a pay cut after he joined their team. What was most frustrating for Green Bay was the fact that they needed him to step up when Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL late in the year and Gary was unable to do so.

Rashan Gary 2026 prediction

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Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary celebrates during the season opener against the Detroit Lions. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One thing critics of the move are failing to see is the fact that Dallas doesn’t need Gary to record double-digit sacks. They need him to be the veteran voice for a group of young pass rushers who are trying to find their footing in the league.

Second year player, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and rookie Malachi Lawrence both have the talent to be game-changers off of the edge. What they don’t have, is the experience. That’s where Gary comes in.

As those two continue to develop, Gary will be the stabilizing veteran force who can make plays on early downs, while also being disruptive as a pass rusher. We can’t ignore the struggles that he had in 2025, but perhaps the change of scenery will give him some motivation to turn back the clock. And Dallas didn’t have to give up much to give him that opportunity.

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Former Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa runs for Dallas Mayor

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Former Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa runs for Dallas Mayor


Former Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced that he is running for Mayor of Dallas on Monday.

Hinojosa says the city needs experienced leadership to address the budget challenges and pro sports teams leaving Downtown Dallas.

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Addressing Dallas’ budget and pro sports team

Local perspective:

Michael Hinojosa served two stints as superintendent of Dallas ISD, totaling 13 years. He told FOX 4 that he officially filed paperwork to enter the race and plans to formally launch his campaign at a Tuesday morning news conference at Dallas City Hall.

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Hinojosa points to financial track record at Dallas ISD

What they’re saying:

Hinojosa cited his tenure leading Dallas ISD as evidence of his financial management experience, saying the district’s reserves grew from about $32 million when he took over in 2005 to nearly $1 billion in obligated and unobligated fund balances by the time he left.

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“I think that it’s really important for this community to know that we’re at an inflection point and that the city and the community need a strong, proven leader,” Hinojosa said.

He pointed to the city’s budget shortfall, employee furloughs and concerns over major sports franchises potentially leaving downtown as examples of challenges facing Dallas.

He said solving the city’s challenges would require coalition-building and pledged to focus on issues important to residents, taxpayers and businesses.

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“I believe that a vision is a dream with a deadline,” Hinojosa said, adding that if elected he would aim to address the city’s biggest challenges within two terms.

Campaign announcement at Dallas City Hall

What’s next:

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Hinojosa said he will outline his priorities during a 10 a.m. campaign announcement on Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas City Hall.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by an interview conducted by FOX 4’s Shaun Rabb.

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Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure

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Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure


Construction plans disrupt business in East Dallas. Just a few days ago, the owners of Juju’s Coffee off La Vista Drive in Dallas were informed by Oncor that the street on which their shop is located will be closed.

One of the owners, Nick Rocha, said the closure will last six weeks, but if there are any delays, it could be extended until October.

The coffee shop, which opened in 2023, has recently gained a lot of popularity. One of their drinks, called the “do-si-dos,” has gone viral, and now they have lines out the door on a regular basis.

“It’s a peanut butter milk latte… We probably doubled our sales or more if I had to be honest,” said Rocha.

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Since the drink’s release in April, the flow of customers has been nonstop.

“We were like, ‘We’ll go viral and then we’ll die out.’ Then we’re like, ‘Well, when is it going to be over, because we’re just getting slammed?’ We were both doing like 60- to 70-hour weeks… And it just kept going, and it turned from like, ‘Okay, we’re scared of it,’ to, ‘Okay, we can do this,’” said Rojas.

Rojas says that just as they were adjusting to the new normal, the notice from Oncor came.

“They were just like, ‘Yeah, so we’re going to close the street, sorry.’ That was tough… because we’re in the middle of dreaming and vision casting for what’s coming and what’s next,” said Rojas.

Starting July 20, La Vista Drive will be closed, sidewalk accessibility will be difficult, and street visibility will be too. Rojas believes the impact could drop their sales by about 50%. He says they’ve had meetings with the city and Oncor, but says there’s nothing they can do, and now their only plea is to their customers.

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“Anybody that comes in and supports, it’s a genuine gratitude from us,” said Rojas.



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