Special Session Agenda + Abandoned Pets + Preteen Prostitution

Rise and shine, Dallas! It's Friday, July 9.

Today's Headlines: Gov. Greg Abbott isn't speaking at CPAC this weekend, but his special session agenda will certainly be a hot topic of conversation. And did you know that so many of the pets adopted during last year's pandemic have been returned as unwanted? Or that a Grayson County man has been arrested for trying to prostitute a pre-teen for $800 an hour? We have what you need to know!

First, today's weather: Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 88, low: 75.

Among the top stories in Dallas today:

1. Dallas traffic is not as bad as Los Angeles or New York. But it's getting there. (Dallas Business Journal)
2. More than 50 percent of DFW employees have returned to the workplace. (Tyler Morning Telegraph)
3. The local "Marrying Millions" star Bill Hutchinson is accused of sexually assaulting a teen. (The Dallas Morning News)
4. See what's happening on "Black Wall Street" in Dallas this Sunday. (WFAA.com)
5. These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend. (CultureMap Dallas)

Today's Dallas Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Dallas!

Today in Dallas

• Free Estate Planning & Living Trust Workshop Live Q&A Friday (5 p.m.)
• Jackson Crossing – Creekside Live! (6 p.m.)
• Sabor Puro Cumbia! (8 p.m.)
• Max Amini's Live Stand-Up Comedy in Dallas (8 p.m.)

Dallas Patch Notebook

• Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center: "Teamwork makes the dream work! Thank you to Duck Team 6, SPCA of Texas and Spay Neuter Network." (Facebook)
• NorthPark Center: "Titche-Goettinger was one of the original department stores at NorthPark Center! This #tbt was taken in 1974." (Instagram)
• North Texas Food Bank: "It's National Blueberry Month! These super-small superfoods are low in calories, high in nutrients and antioxidants." (Instagram)
• DFW Airport: "#TBT: Something shiny parts the clouds on a gray day in 2015! (IG) planespottermax." (Facebook)
• Dallas Museum of Art: "Stop and reflect—you’re part of the art! Step between two dazzling dressing tables in 'Curbed Vanity.' " (Instagram)
• DBU Baseball: " 'T-shirt idea...goodbyes stink'-Michael Scott Find A Way: A Season with DBU Baseball (Episode 4) will premiere." (Instagram)
• Dallas Park and Recreation Department: "In honor of Park & Recreation Month we are telling our #ParkandRecStory. Today we are highlighting brave actions." (Facebook)
• Dallas Police Department Community Affairs: "Today we remember those we lost on July 7, 2016. We will never forget the sacrifice they made." (Facebook)

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• Pressure Washing 15 percent Off! (Details)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update! If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Kevin Phinney

About me: Kevin Phinney has lived and worked as a writer and editor in Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York City. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in El Paso. Phinney attended college in Austin. He has done television work as a reporter and commentator, and is a former host of a weekday drive-time radio show called "Kevin & Kevin in the Morning" on KGSR-FM (now known as Austin City Limits Radio). He is also the author of "Souled American, " a book tracking race relations in America through music. It was published by BILLBOARD Books, and is often used in college classrooms across the country.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Dallas Daily? You can contact me at kevin.phinney@patch.com.