Texas
Dinner at Dallas restaurant becomes holiday tradition for North Texas families
Holiday traditions run the gamut in North Texas. For some, it means a yearly dinner at a popular Dallas Chinese restaurant. But not just any dinner. These are gatherings reserved months in advance. And Wednesday’s festivities just happened to fall on Christmas day and the start of Hanukkah.
Ask April Kao when they plan to close the Royal China restaurant for the night, and she’ll tell you simply whenever the last person leaves. It’s what she’s grown accustomed to. When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all its excitement and frenzy, comes breezing through the front door of the Royal China restaurant off Preston Road and Royal Lane.
Kao and her husband George, both owners of the restaurant, said opening on December 25 was never part of the original business plan.
“We didn’t used to open on Christmas day,” she said. “And in 2008 after the renovation, people begged and begged, ‘Please you have to open.’”
So, they did, and there’s been a massive turnout ever since. People from surrounding neighborhoods in North Dallas and people from different faith communities rely on Royal China.
“Before we open the door, we have lines outside and it’s getting busier and busier. So we take reservations a year before,” Kao said.
One Dallas family made reservations during the summer just to be sure their 15-year tradition wouldn’t miss a beat.
“My son-in-law, Berry, was the one who first suggested that we come to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas day,” said Lynn Harnden. “And we make our reservations like in July to be sure to come.”
As the years pass, seats are added to the reservation. This year, the Hardens occupied two tables with seventeen guests.
As for upholding family traditions, the Kaos have their own wall of memories at the restaurant. It’s a reminder of how far they’ve come from 1974, when George Kao’s father came from Taiwan with a dream and a plan.
“He is very proud,” he said. “He would smile. He’s smiling from above.”
Texas
Texas man admits embezzling $3.2 million to pay student loans, fuel online gambling, prosecutors say
A Texas man who siphoned off millions from his employer to wipe out tens of thousands in student loan debt and bankroll extensive online gambling has pleaded guilty to federal embezzlement charges, prosecutors said.
Mitchell David Slentz, 34, of Kyle, pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling more than $3.2 million from Austin Freight Systems, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Financial oversight role detailed
Prosecutors said Slentz held broad responsibility for Austin Freight Systems’ finances, managing accounting operations, overseeing financial reports and internal controls, and handling vendor payment requests submitted to JPMorgan Chase.
Between October 2023 and March 2025, Slentz executed 147 fraudulent payments, diverting $3,277,937.35 into his personal accounts via interstate wire transfers. He used part of the stolen money to make two student loan payments — $25,000 and $33,887. He also gambled heavily on an online platform, depositing and winning more than $1 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Charges and court proceedings
Slentz was charged on May 14, appeared on June 8, and pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived proceeds.
A federal judge will determine Slentz’s sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
Investigation led by the FBI task force
The FBI Austin White Collar Crime Task Force handled the investigation.
CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Tuesday morning is off to another warm start, with temperatures in the 70s. Expect another day with breezy winds, hot temperatures and Saharan dust in the sky. Most of the dust will move out of North Texas by Wednesday.
Temperatures on Tuesday afternoon will feel like triple digits, and this trend will continue into the Fourth of July weekend. Because dew points will drop slightly toward the end of the workweek, high temperatures should finally reach the 100° mark by Saturday.
There’s just a slim 10% chance of showers in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, with slightly better rain chances on Sunday and Monday at 20%. Until then, temperatures will continue to heat up, and the feel-like temperatures will be at 100°+ each day. Stay cool.
The Texas Longhorns are in a lull before firing on all cylinders ahead of the 2026 season, looking to once again handle expectations that are larger than most programs experience, for the season year in a row.
Ahead of the season, though, head coach Steve Sarkisian is already gaining victories on the road before even kicking off. After a slow start on the recruiting trail, the Longhorns are in full swing, stacking elite pieces for the 2027 cycle.
Now it is no different, as the program has landed a commitment from Jason Johnson, one of the most sought-after defensive line prospects in the country, and a big piece of the Longhorns recruiting class for the cycle.
Who is Johnson?
Johnson is widely viewed as one of the most slept on prospects in the class. He is ranked as the No. 42 defensive line prospect in the class and is a top 60 prospect in the state of Texas. Despite his star rating, though, he is one of the most sought-after prospects in the class, including multiple offers from elite programs around the country.
Standing at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, he has the size of an edge defender but the strength and bull-rush ability of an interior defender, combining an elite mix of speed and power that makes him difficult to handle in the interior.
Johnson has a lot of projectability in his frame, and has the strength already to go with it. As he continues developing at the next level, he has the chance to turn into a legitimate interior wrecker at the college level.
Where Johnson Will Impact the Longhorns Future
The Longhorns have been the beneficiaries of elite defensive linemen under the reign of Sarkisian, and that won’t change for the upcoming season or beyond. The program has shown a profound ability to develop talent across the front of the defense and will continue to do so.
For Johnson, the defensive front is manned by veterans across it, with talented underclassmen waiting in the wings for their turn on the field. It also doesn’t help that, so far, he is the lowest-rated defensive line commit of the class for the Longhorns.
Still, the coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Will Muschamp love what Johnson brings to the field, and that was one of the reasons that his class ranking didn’t bother them. He will get the time to develop in the program, and could turn into a vital piece of the future.
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