Public outrage over the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has led to the #BoycottNRA campaign, which pushes companies that have business deals with the NRA to cut those ties. More than a dozen companies, including car rental agencies, airlines, insurance companies and at least one bank, have joined the boycott.

Among the biggest names to sign on is Delta Air Lines, which used to offer fare discounts for NRA members. Delta is based in Atlanta, and Georgia’s lieutenant governor, Casey Cagle (R), is not pleased. Tuesday afternoon, he tweeted a threat to nix Delta’s state tax breaks unless the airline gets back with the NRA.

Sigh. Here we have a politician openly using his elected office to strong-arm a private company into supporting his preferred political stance. He’s not even subtle about it! This isn’t blackmail in a smoky back room. It’s on Twitter, right after a tweet in which he claims having to pay the same price for plane tickets as everyone else is “viewpoint discrimination.”

The tax break Cagle likely has in mind is a sales tax exemption for jet fuel. Delta has been lobbying for it, and though it would apply to other airlines, the size of Delta’s Atlanta operations would make it the primary beneficiary.

Now, special tax breaks aren’t the same thing as outright government subsidies to businesses. Issues of deficit spending aside, I’m generally supportive of lowering taxes; but special tax breaks like this exemption are an unfair manipulation of the market to benefit some favored businesses. And as libertarian journalist Radley Balko pointed out, they’re here serving as an opportunity for blatant abuse of power:

Despite these real differences of detail, the situation reminds me of the mess in Dallas, where the NRA is holding its annual convention this year. Dallas offered the organization huge subsidies for the event, and now many Dallas taxpayers who don’t like the NRA and don’t want their money supporting it are understandably upset.

The solution in both places, of course, is to stop manipulating the market. Be neutral. Let Delta decide how to best serve its customers; let the NRA pay for its own parties; and don’t give the state so much power to abuse.

Buzzfeed chose the oddest way to announce that the Houston Astros had won the World Series.

Clutch City took the Los Angeles Dodgers in a hard-fought 7 games, but you’d never know that from an article posted by a Buzzfeed reporter located in Los Angeles.

RELATED: Houston Astros make history and win World Series

“Dodgers Lose World Series” the title reads.

Not “Houston Triumphs in World Series,” “Houston Tops Dodgers in World Series,” or even “Houston Wins.”

The article’s summary says only that they lost to a team located 1,500 miles east of Los Angeles.

Not naming Houston, they just inserted this gif:

Um…what?

That’s just rude, y’all.

Even Dallas had something nice to say when we won:

RELATED: Astros’ World Series win has a romantic ending for Carlos Correa and his girlfriend

Thank you, Dallas! Truce until Sunday?

Houston Strong, y’all!

New light is being shined on American sweetheart, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, after J. Randy Taraborrelli released a new book, Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, revealing new details about the sisters’ complicated life and relationships. The duo struggled under the influence of their mother, Janet Auchincloss. One of the greatest mysteries Taraborelli focused on was Jackie’s marriage to John F. “Jack” Kennedy, despite the fact she had already been engaged to stock broker, John Husted, Jr.

After her mother found out Husted was making $17,000 a year in 1950 ($159,000 in today’s money), she told her daughter to leave him. In Auchincloss’s eyes, the secret to a marriage and a lasting ‘happily ever after’ was ultimate power and money. Taraborelli reveals a compelling theory that involves Jackie’s mother, the sisters, and money.

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Janet Norton Lee was 21 when she married Jackie’s father, John Vernou “Black Jack” Bouvier III. She was 33 when she divorced him after his philandering, leaving both girls to struggle financially before Janet remarried two-year later. She married Hugh Auchincloss, a wealthy Standard Oil heir, focusing on the lives of her daughter by never having to struggle financially. Hence, the whole money and power scheme, installing that money mattered with it came to men.

According to Taraborrelli, he believes Jackie could have not been with Jack if it wasn’t for his money and name. In a letter from Jackie to a confidante after her split, she wrote how she knew that Husted was the one, feeling the happiest she ever has. Their marriage was set for June, but in March, Jackie return the ring at their engagement party per her mother’s request after she was astonished to learn how much Huston was making.

According to the JFK Library and Museum, Jackie met John F. Kennedy while she was working as the “Inquiring Camera Girl” for the Washington Times-Herald newspaper. She started the job in the fall of 1951 and in June 1953, Jack Kennedy proposed to Jackie while in London, covering Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The two married in September 1953. Being the wife of the 35th President of the United States, she became the First Lady of the United States from 1961 until President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 in Dallas, Texas. The couple had four children, two of whom died in infancy.

In 1968, she married Aristotle Onassis, one of the world’s’ richest men and a wealthy Greek shipping magnate. The couple married on Onassis’s private island of Skorpios on October 20, 1968. Many believe this marriage brought her comfort knowing her children would have a normal life. Aristotle, also known as Ari, was 23 years Jackie’s senior and at the time of their wedding, Jackie was 39 and he was 62.

According to speculations, the Kennedy clan despised Ari, and Robert “Bobby” Kennedy even urged Jackie to break off the relationship. She later promised him she would put off the marriage talk until after the presidential election. Yet, moments before winning the California primary, Kennedy was assassinated, which made Jackie terrified. She believed Onassis would be able to provide the security and privacy Kennedy desired after being afraid of the “curse” that followed the Kennedy family.

So, could it be that Jackie married President John F. Kennedy due to her mother’s wishes? Well, ultimately that’s a question we might never have an answer to, but I will say that Jackie’s mother had a lot of influence on her daughters’ life choices. I mean, money and power was clearly present at the Kennedy’s household (or should I say white house).

Of course, this isn’t to say she didn’t love J.F.K. any less. The duo were clearly in love, and are considered one of the greatest ‘couple goals’ in history. For now, no matter how many authors speculate on the real meaning of their relationship, Jackie Kennedy’s true intentions remain one of the greatest mysteries in American pop culture.

The owner of an in-home daycare center has been arrested and charged with child endangerment, after being accused of keeping babies and toddlers tied to their car seat. According to authorities, Rebecca Anderson, owner of Becky’s Home Child Care Center, located in Mesquite, Texas, confessed to keeping small children tied up for at least seven hours a day.

Police executed a search warrant after the 60-year-old woman was caught on a hidden camera, allegedly abusing a 6-month-old boy. The video appears to show the woman yanking the infant by the bib around his neck, and feeding him an unknown substance from a syringe. The video was captured after a parent mounted a camera on his baby’ car seat, showing Anderson’s actions.

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While at the home, Anderson stated she was currently taking care of five children, but while searching the residence, authorities found three more children strapped to their car seats inside a dark bedroom closet and a fourth child in the master bathroom. Police say the children had shoelace ligatures tied around the children’s necks, some having to be cut off due to the force of the knots.

Anderson confessed to tying them to limit their movement and leaving them up to seven hours a day until they were picked up by their parents. Anderson also admitted giving children Tylenol to make “her job easier”. When asked by police, neighbors stated they were concerned with the daycare, due to the children screaming at the top of their lungs whenever parents would drop them off.

The home daycare owner was booked Sunday, September 16, into the Dallas County Jail on nine counts of child endangerment with bonds totaling $45,000. As of now, jail records list no attorney. The Department of Family and Protective Services is currently investigating the case. Becky’s Home Child Care shut down on Friday after a search resulting in the removal of nine children, all of whom were immediately medically evacuated at a children’s hospital in Dallas.

I love Texas. I have lived in Texas my whole life, and it’s safe to say I don’t think I’ll ever go anywhere else. Although I’ve moved to different cities, the state always seems to be the same wherever I go. Texas raised, Texas made. I mean, literally, everything around me is Texas. From the Texas-made bottle of whiskey on my shelf to my peanut butter made with Texas grown peanuts, to my favorite salsa, called “Clint’s Texas Salsa”. Yup, everything is Texas, and honestly, I’m not ashamed, I’m proud to be part of a place that has a lot of meaning to people.

I have always said Texas could be its own country due to the size of it. It’s a never-ending drive down 35, that takes hours to get out of the state. In fact, from 1836-1845 it was its own county, The Republic of Texas, and has long feasted on the not so obvious hyperbole. At 268,596 square miles, it is the second largest state behind Alaska. In 2017, the U.S Census stated there was a population of 23.3 million people, which is the second most populous state behind California. The state also has the largest state capitol building and highest speed limit.

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Of course, we can’t forget we’re also the nation’s leading cattle, cotton, and oil producer. It’s all part of the everything is bigger, better, faster, stronger, and richer. Still, people all around the country have a lot of misconceptions about Texas. When they think about the state, they think country fairs, cowboys, horses, and guns. Although part of that is true, there is actually so much more that people don’t understand. Yes, you might find a cowboy hat while you’re here, but not everyone has one. And I will admit, I do have a pair of cowboy boots, but they are tucked away in the closet somewhere. So, the real question here is what makes Texas so great? Well, here are some fun facts that people might not know about the Lone Star State!

1. The state motto of Texas is “Friendship”

The word friendship was adopted as the Texas state motto by the forty-first Texas Legislature in February 1930. It is said the word was most probably chosen due to the name Texas or Tejas, which is a Spanish pronunciation of Caddo Indian. That word is sometimes translated to mean “Friends” or “allies.”

2. Three of North America’s ten largest cities are in Texas

Yes, we go back to the whole ‘Texas can be its own’ country thing, because let’s face it, it can. Houston is the largest city in Texas with a population of 2 million. San Antonio is second with an estimated population of 1.4 million residents. Last but not least, Dallas is the third largest city in Texas and the ninth largest city in the United States with 1.3 million residents.

3. The State Dog of Texas is The Blue Lacy

Our state dog is actually pretty cute! The Blue Lacy was made the official state dog breed on June 18, 2005. The breed developed in the mid-1800s by the Lacy Brothers of Burnet County, Texas. The family is said to have used greyhound, scent-homes, and coyote stock.

4. The State Fair of Texas

So not only is this the biggest state fair held by Texas, but the Texas Star Ferris wheel is the largest in North America. The fair was established in 1886 and has since promoted Texas agriculture, community, and environment through quality entertainment, and education. The fair also advocated for the community and is committed to preserving fair parks. It is the longest running fair in the nation, open for 24 consecutive days.

5. Dr. Pepper

Ah, good old Dr. Pepper making our stomach hurt and our teeth cringe from the sweetness. Dr. Pepper is a “native Texan” and is one of the first major brands of soft drink in America. It was created in the 1880s by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, who came up with the flavor after mixing everything he could find. Yup. Just as with Coca-Cola, the formula is a trade secret and the recipe has allegedly been kept as two halves in safe deposit boxes in two separate Dallas banks. Sneaky, sneaky!

6. The Texas State Capitol

Yes, the beautiful capitol building located in Austin, Texas is actually taller than the U.S. Capitol by 15 feet. Although Texas can’t claim the tallest capitol building in the country (that goes to Louisiana’s 450-foot tower in Baton Rouge), we still have the bragging rights of being taller than the one in Washington. Today, the capitol houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and the Governor of Texas and was ranked 92nd in 2007 for “America’s Favorite Architecture.”

7. “Don’t Mess With Texas”

I actually only found out about this fun fact a few years back, and I think it’s pretty genius. The slogan started off as a statewide beautification effort but evolved into a state of pride. The slogan is a campaign aimed at reducing littering on Texas roadways by the Texas Department of Transportation. It is usually shown on road signs to major highways, radio, television and print advertisements! Mind blown, I know!

8. Football isn’t just a sport

Nope. Football isn’t just a sport, my friends…it’s a lifestyle. Like I said…bigger is better, and in Texas, football is BIG. From 60 million dollar stadiums to tailgates that last the whole day, die-hard fanatics cheer on their teams non-stop. The stadiums are always filled to capacity because let’s face it, what’s more Texan than whistling and drinking beer while shouting? There is so much history when it comes to football and it brings out a sense of community wherever it’s played. Everything from Friday Nights Lights, to High school football, to Texas rivalry games. You name it, we’ve got it!

9. Blue Bell Ice Cream

If it’s not Blue Bell, you are doing it wrong. Ben and Jerry’s? Nope. Blue Bell was founded in 1907 in Brenham, Texas where they manufactured both ice cream and butter. Blue Bell is the number one brand in Texas, followed by three major food groups in the state: chicken fried steak, Tex-Mex, and barbecue. The best seller is Homemade Vanilla, and I mean, I can’t argue there. Have you TASTED it?

10. Keep Austin Weird

The city’s capital, dubbed as the Live Music Capital of the World due to its electric live music scene, is a Texas favorite all around the world. A big perk about Austin is its popular lakes and parks known for hiking, biking, and kayaking. The city has so much to offer that even living here for five years you will find something new to do. Honestly, it might as well be its own state. Austin has actually been named the best place to live in America by U.S. World and News Report due to its job market, quality of life, net migration, and value!

11. Spicy Ketchup

So, I’m going to add Whataburger and spicy ketchup all into one in this category. Because honestly, if you haven’t tried Whataburger yet, you are seriously missing out. Nothing screams out Texas like a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit at three in the morning, packed with spicy ketchup and a big Coke Zero. What honestly makes the burger chain even better is that secret spicy ketchup that makes you want to put it on everything you eat! They even started selling it at local grocery stores after customers couldn’t get enough of it. Genius!

12. Diversity

Yes, this is my favorite part of all. Texas isn’t just filled with cowboys. The state has actually had six flags flown over it throughout its history, including France, Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, Confederacy, and the United States. These flags actually inspired the name of Six Flags amusement park chain. The state no longer has one ethnic majority, but it has become more racially diverse. Wallet Hub and the U.S. Census Bureau stated Texas ranked in the top 15 for all but one of the six categories of diversity: socioeconomic, household, religious, political, and cultural.

So what makes Texas so great? Honestly, It’s a mix between ‘I have no idea’ and all of the above. State or Country…one thing is for certain, our love will never go away. Texas forever, Y’all.

Four Loko, the preferred cause of emergency room visits by suburban teens and college students circa 2010, has put together some data that they believe shows which American cities and states are the most sex-crazed. Their “Hookup Hotspots” survey collected Google search data on sex-relevant search terms, such as “bars with hottest girls/guys” and “How to get more matches on Tinder” and ranked the cities and states based on who searched for them the most. Somehow, “I drank three Four Lokos on Saturday and don’t remember what happened and today my pee burns should I get tested” did not make the list.

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Rhode Island shocked the world and took first. Here’s the full list of rankings in case you don’t feel like trying to sort through it on a map.

1. Rhode Island
2. Maine
3. Michigan
4. New Hampshire
5. Massachusetts
6. Ohio
7. Pennsylvania
8. Vermont
9. Washington
10. Wisconsin
11. Colorado
12. Florida
13. Nevada
14. Missouri
15. Montana
16. Minnesota
17. Arizona
18. Oregon
19. New York
20. Iowa
21. Nebraska
22. Delaware
23. Connecticut
24. Illinois
25. Georgia
26. North Carolina
27. New Jersey
28. Indiana
29. Tennessee
30. Kansas
31. Wyoming
32. Idaho
33. Virginia
34. North Dakota
35. Kentucky
36. Alabama
37. New Mexico
38. South Carolina
39. Texas
40. Hawaii
41. Utah
42. Maryland
43. South Dakota
44. California
45. Arkansas
46. Oklahoma
47. West Virginia
48. Alaska
49. Louisiana
50. Mississippi

Four Loko also determined which cities’ Google searches were most in the gutter and came back with far less surprising results. Denver is (apparently) the city with the most active sex life in America, with cities like Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco also making the list.

Is this survey scientific? No, of course not. In fact, using the term “where to buy condoms” as a metric is probably super counterproductive. No one who doesn’t know where to buy condoms (the gas station, Walgreens, CVS, the grocery store, ninety other places) is actively “hooking up.” They’re 13 years old.

If Four Loko wanted to find out what cities and states teenagers were hooking up in the most they should have included the search term, “Where to buy Four Loko underage for my house party while my parents are out of town.”

It was a great day for a North Texas family after doctors at the Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital were able to perform a successful ‘open fetal surgery’ on an unborn baby inside his mother’s womb. This was the first procedure of its kind in North Texas.

At 18 weeks pregnant, Sarah Prowell and boyfriend Sean Kirby learned their son suffered from Spina Bifida, a birth defect that prevents the spinal cord from property forming. In babies, Spina Bifida can lead to paralysis and differing levels of disability including lifelong bladder issues. A portion of the neural tube can fail to develop as well, causing defects in the bones.

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Medical experts advised the parents their son, Uriah, was a perfect candidate for the first of its kind procedure in Dallas, Texas. A team of doctors believed they could save their son’s life to prevent ongoing injury to his organs that could severely compromise them in the future.

Due to the risk of the procedure, medical experts needed the mother’s permission, since the surgery would not only put the risk on Uriah but the mother as well. Although the surgery is not a cure, studies show the repair can lead to better results than traditional repair surgery for a child who is already born. The surgery greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.

Prior to Uriah’s surgery, experts stated several families whose babies were diagnosed with the most common form of severe spina bifida, known as myelomeningocele, had to travel elsewhere for open fetal surgery. Knowing that it won’t eliminate the defect, rather repair the damage before it became irreparable, the mother took a risk and agreed to the procedure.

After hours in the operating room, Baby Uriah had become the first North Texas patient to receive the surgery on June 25, 2018. Uriah was born premature and had to remain in the hospital for monitoring. Two weeks ago, the newborn was released and is currently kicking his legs, which is an early sign of success from leading-edge surgery for Spina Bifida.

Prowell is grateful for the support she received from medical staff, and for taking care of her son, stating, “I think the most emotional part of this whole process was sitting in the hospital waiting for him to come home that was really hard on me. Now, I’m just happy that he is here.”

Yes, dreams do come true! If you’re a dog fan then I have some pretty good news for you! MUTTS Canine Cantina has posted a listing for all dog lovers in search of a “Puptern.” The Dallas, Texas-based restaurant, bar, and dog park is in search of someone who will be hired for the fall season. The position will pay $100 per hour.

What are the requirements of a Puptern, exactly? Play with the puppers all day long. Yup, easy as that. $100 to play with all kinds of dogs! How amazing is that! Think about it….there aren’t many opportunities where you can get paid to strictly play with dogs all day. The Pupterns will greet Canine Cantina visitors and make their furry friends feel right at home by keeping them entertained.

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MUTTS Canine Cantina has an off-leash dog with an area designated for small and large dogs so all owners and their four-legged friends are welcomed. Aligned with pup friend areas, the restaurant has a full food and drink menu that includes special canine treats as well. So think of it this way, you’ll basically be helping the dogs get their fix of exercise, while their owners relax and socialize, while you get some hefty money.

The requirements to become a MUTTS Puptern? Simple, you have to be at least 18 years old, and shocker…..you must have no pet allergies. Because let’s face it, we don’t want you do die. Once all applications are processed, MUTTS will reach out to the selected puptern’s to coordinate schedules based on their availability and travel arrangements.

Are you interested in applying? Well, hurry, because have until Monday, November 12 to submit your resumes. The company also requires one to share a photo or video on their Instagram page stating why they are the best person for the job. Don’t forget to tag @muttscantina and use the hashtag #MUTTSpuptern within the caption.

$100 an hour is a pretty great chunk of change to play with puppies. Honestly, I would play with dogs for free, but now that you’re involving money in the picture…that’s another story.

Savings made simple, you say? Yes, that is exactly what Sam’s club is planning on doing, taking their mantra one step further. The company is finally unveiling its first store with no cashiers, set to open in the city of Dallas, Texas in November.

A new “Sam’s Club Now” store is mixing checkout lines and installing over 700 cameras in the name of efficiency and ease. Shoppers will be able to interact with the Scan & Go app to search for products, add them to the receipt as they go into the cart and pay on the way out. Fast, easy, and efficient to say the least. The store will be about a quarter size of a regular Sam’s Club warehouse, serving as a testing ground for new technologies, digital price tags, and self-service returns using smartphones.

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Analysts say that Walmart is smart to try out the model though it’s “membership-only chain” where they know what customers prefer. This after tech-savvy shopping experience might be where the industry is headed, let’s face it. Sam’s club chief executive and executive vice president of membership and technology stated they will use all available technologies including augmented reality, computer vision, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics to redefine retail experience. Sounds to me we are getting just one step closer to those robotic machines invading the planet, am I right?

The decision to try the new “smart stores” comes from the country’s six Amazon Go stores which also did away with cashiers and check out lines. At an Amazon Go shop, shoppers don’t have to scan items, after sensors and cameras blanketing the store tracks customers as they move. The convenience comes at a price though, because those cameras catalog shoppers’ choices and compile any data on their spending and habits.

So, safe to say these shoppers might not realize the extent of data collected or its privacy implications. Can you imagine having hundreds of cameras on you as you decide whether getting that tuna or egg sandwich? No thanks. But still, Amazon is parody planning to open a may at 3,000 Amazon Go stores by 2021.

As for Sam’s Club Now, they already count with hundreds of cameras in tandem with the Scan & Go app. No more wasting time in long aisles, since the app comes with voice command option leading customers to specific items. The store also includes electronic price tags that update in real-time, and customers can place orders through the app and pick up within an hour. At just 3,200 square feet, Sam’s Club is roughly a quarter of the size of a typical store, which will focus on selling produce, meat, and alcohol.

So, what do you think of the new and improved cashier-less stores? Will you try it? I mean, think about it, it’s convenient, improves speed, there is a set shopping list in your hands, reduces cost and well…effort. Sounds like a pretty great deal to me!

Hey, Dallas folks…can you let us know how it goes? Thanks!

DALLAS (AP) — A man convicted of three California murders and long suspected in numerous other deaths now claims he was involved in about 90 killings nationwide spanning nearly four decades, and investigators already have corroborated about a third of those, a Texas prosecutor said Thursday.

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said 78-year-old Samuel Little was booked into jail this week following his indictment in the 1994 death of a Texas woman. Investigations are ongoing, but Little has provided details in more than 90 deaths dating to about 1970, Bland said.

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Little was brought to Texas in September, and investigators with law enforcement agencies in several states traveled to speak with him about unsolved homicides.

“They’re able to match up over 30 cases so far,” Bland said. “So far we don’t have any false information coming from him.”

If the number of killings Little claims to have committed proves true, it would make him one of the most prolific killers in U.S. history. Ted Bundy confessed to 30 homicides from about 1974 to 1978. John Wayne Gacy killed at least 33 boys and young men in the 1970s.

Arguably one of the deadliest globally was an English general practitioner named Harold Shipman, who an investigative panel determined was responsible for the deaths of 250. He was convicted in 2000 in the deaths of 15.

During his 2014 trial in Los Angeles, prosecutors said Little was likely responsible for at least 40 killings since 1980. Authorities at the time were looking for possible links to deaths in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Texas.

Bland said Little recently provided details to Texas Ranger James Holland that showed Little was in Odessa, Texas, when Denise Christie Brothers was last seen in 1994. Her body was found about a month later in a vacant lot.

Holland eventually elicited a confession from Little and admissions to dozens of other killings from about 1970 to 2005, Bland said.

The rangers are an elite team of investigators within the Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS did not respond to requests Thursday to speak with Holland.

Little was being held without bond Thursday in the Ector County jail on a murder charge relating to Brothers’ death. Jail records don’t indicate whether he has an attorney. He has a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 26.

Little was brought to Texas for questioning in the case from California, where he was convicted in 2014 in the deaths years earlier of the three women in Los Angeles County. DNA evidence collected from old crime scenes was used to match samples of his stored in a criminal database.

Los Angeles cold-case detectives at the time suspected Little was a serial killer, a transient and former boxer who traveled the country preying on drug addicts, troubled women and others. His criminal history includes offenses committed in 24 states spread over 56 years — mostly assault, burglary, armed robbery, shoplifting and drug violations.

Those detectives determined that Little often delivered a knockout punch to women and then proceeded to strangle them while masturbating, dumping the bodies and soon after leaving town.

Little, who often went by the name Samuel McDowell, grew up with his grandmother in Lorain, Ohio. His criminal history shows his first arrest came at age 16 on burglary charges.

For years he had denied to investigators in different states that he was responsible for any killings. Bland speculates that he finally confessed after the appeals to his life sentence in California were ultimately rejected and he no longer had any reason to hide his role.

“People for years have been trying to get a confession out of him and James Holland is the one who finally got him to give that information,” Bland said.

Are you looking for a fun activity to do with friends and family during the holiday season that involves music, games, food, and lights? Look no more! Enchant Christmas is the place to go! The fun attraction takes place at the Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, and is open through December 30th.

What’s so fun about his place? Well, there something for everyone! There’s Santa’s Landing, live musical entertainment, an ice skating trail, the World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze, and a giant holiday market! The entire field has been transformed into an ultimate illuminated maze by approximately 2.5 million Christmas lights!

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A special treat for visitors involves a small mischievous elf called Eddie, who hides around gifts throughout the maze. So keep an eye out for those if you visit the attraction, you never know what’s inside them!  You can also take pictures with Santa or listen to stories told by Mrs. Claus at Santa’s landing.

To you shopaholics out there, don’t forget to stop by the market for some holiday gifts made by local vendors! And of course, get yourself some good street food that will please your taste buds while enjoying the entertainment from local musicians. This year, creators added a new light display and panels that light up when you walk on them, along with a 350-foot ice trail visitors can skate on!

Global Life Park is located at 1000 Ballpark Way in Arlington. Single and group tickets are now on sale starting at $19.99 with family four-packs available for $64.99. If you only want to visit the market during a weekday, ticket prices run at $9.99. There are special discounts available for EMS, Military, and students every day, so no excuses!

The park usually gets so packed, that it is recommended to reserve your tickets beforehand since they are limited. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on weeknights and 5 to 11 p.m. on weekends now through Dec. 13. From Dec. 14-30, hours will be 4-10 p.m. on select Mondays; 4-10 p.m. Tues., Wed., Thurs. and Sunday; and 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For those of you who want to splurge a little bit, there is a VIP experience that grants you exclusive access to the maze, photo-ops with Santa and gourmet food in a private suite! What are you waiting for? Go out there and rent some skates and show us how well of an ice skater you are!

RICHARDSON, Texas (AP) — After raising five kids and retiring at age 77 from her secretarial job, Janet Fein couldn’t be blamed for finally relaxing, but that’s not her.

Fein, now 84, went to back to school and will accomplish a long-held goal this week when she graduates from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree.

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“I didn’t have anything to do in retirement and I didn’t think that playing bingo was up to my speed,” said Fein, who majored in sociology because she felt it was “substantial.”

She said she enjoyed all the reading and writing papers. “With each class I already knew a lot, but then I also learned a lot. And that made me happy,” she said.

People 65 and older make up less than one percent of U.S. college students. In 2015, they accounted for about 67,000 of about 20 million college students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Keeping oneself active and vital and giving yourself something to look forward to like that is just a really positive move,” said Dr. Carmel Dyer, executive director of the UTHealth Consortium on Aging at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Fein took part in a state program that allows people ages 65 and older to take up to six credit hours for free at public universities in Texas. About 2,000 people took advantage of the offer last year, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Fein said she wanted the degree “with all of my heart” and kept going to classes even as she transitioned from living on her own and driving herself around to needing a walker and oxygen and eventually moving to a senior living facility. Then her knees gave out, so she did a semester of independent study and took online classes to fulfill her degree requirements.

“She did not give up in the midst of her challenges … she just kept plugging along,” said Fein’s college adviser, Sheila Rollerson.

Tracy Glass, 40, befriended Fein after they both took front-row seats in a class.

“I sat right next to her and over the course of the semester built a fast friendship with her,” said Glass, who said Fein’s firsthand memories of world events — like the women’s movement — enlivened discussions.

Carol Cirulli Lanham, a senior lecturer in sociology, said, “She would speak up a lot in class and I think that it just made for a more interesting class … because she literally remembered some of the times we were talking about.”

Fein, who grew up in the Bronx in New York City, said that in high school she just wanted to graduate and get a job. After graduating early — at the age of 16 — she went to work as a secretary at a dress manufacturer. She married, spent 18 years staying home with her children and worked several jobs over the decades, including a 20-year stint as a secretary at a Dallas orthopedic hospital — the job she retired from in 2012. She also worked on her associate degree for two decades before earning it in 1995.

Renee Brown, a certified nursing assistant who is one of Fein’s caregivers, said Fein has inspired her. At 53, she plans to enroll in a program to become a licensed vocational nurse.

“She said, ‘Renee, you can do it. If I can do it you can do it and you will feel so good about it,'” Brown said.

It looks like a man from Albany, Texas didn’t realize he had a “slithering problem” under his house until he decided to look under! The man allegedly crawled into a dark space under his home, to see why his cable service was acting up. After discovering what he thought was a handful of snakes, he quickly crawled back out.

When Big Country Snake Removal company arrived, they were shocked to see that a “handful of snakes” were actually a total of 45 live snakes! Not just any regular snakes, but Rattlesnakes. Yes, the most Texas thing you could ever imagine.

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The company was shocked at the amount, that they decided to document the harrowing removal through their Facebook page, which lasted a total of 18 minutes! According to the company, this is actually normal. Rattlesnakes don’t care about the location they gather, rather they care about survival so they usually stick together anywhere and anyway they can. The longest snake removed from the premises was more than 5 feet long.

If you think this is bad, in 2017, the company removed a total of 88 snakes from underneath different homes. Usually, they remove 2,000 snakes a year which is pretty terrifying. Snakes, regardless if they are Rattlesnakes or not, begin to crawl under homes and dark spaces as the weather warms up, which increased the risk of snakebites. According to officials, on average, one to two people die in Texas each year from venomous bites.

It’s important to note that you should never try to remove a snake by yourself, especially rattlesnakes since they will attack immediately if they feel like they are in danger. Experts state the best way to avoid a bite if to freeze and slowly move away when the rattlesnake seems uninterested. If a rattlesnake is in a position where it feels a threat, the best way to avoid an attack is to stop all movement, throw something they can get distracted with, and move away slowly to avoid it from feeling trapped or threatened.

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Even though the camouflage can be nearly perfect on a variety of soil types, rattlesnakes at homes are very often sitting right out in the open. This one, found in the Phoenix area, is doing what they typically do.⠀ ⠀ #rattlesnake #snake #arizona #az #wildlife #conservation #phoenix #tucson #scottsdale #explorearizona #azherps #instagramaz #wildsnakes #animal #animals #rattlesnakesolutions #reptilesofinstagram #nature #snakesofinstagram

A post shared by Rattlesnake Solutions (@rattlesnakesolutions) on Mar 20, 2019 at 6:00am PDT

If bitten, it is important to remain calm at all times. Snake venom travels slowly through the body, and surprisingly enough, most deaths from rattlesnake bites are caused by shock rather than the venom itself. Why? Well, when scared, our heart rate goes up, which means that our blood flow increases. This causes the venom to flow throughout your body faster. So, take a deep breath, try to stay as calm as you can, wash the bite area with soap and water or if you have an antiseptic wipe, clean it thoroughly.

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Even though the camouflage can be nearly perfect on a variety of soil types, rattlesnakes at homes are very often sitting right out in the open. This one, found in the Phoenix area, is doing what they typically do.⠀ ⠀ #rattlesnake #snake #arizona #az #wildlife #conservation #phoenix #tucson #scottsdale #explorearizona #azherps #instagramaz #wildsnakes #animal #animals #rattlesnakesolutions #reptilesofinstagram #nature #snakesofinstagram

A post shared by Rattlesnake Solutions (@rattlesnakesolutions) on Mar 20, 2019 at 6:00am PDT

If you have access to a phone or are close to someone who was not bitten, then ask for help. It’s also important to remove any item of clothing or jewelry that could restrict the swelling of the pit area. This avoids pressure on the wound or restriction of the blood. Most importantly, if bitten, you DO NOT elevate the bite above heart level, suck the venom from the wound, apply ice, apply pressure to the wound with any bandages or wrap, and do not go after the snake by yourself.

Happy summer, Texans!

Investigators in Dallas say a man was offered $200 to beat a transgender woman in an attack that was recorded as a crowd gathered to holler and watch.

A police affidavit released Monday says the woman accidentally backed into a vehicle before the driver of that vehicle pointed a gun at her and refused to let her leave unless she paid for the damage.

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Police say that as a crowd gathered, someone offered $200 to 29-year-old Edward Thomas to beat the woman, who suffered a concussion, fractured wrist and other injuries.

Thomas was being held Tuesday at the Dallas County jail on a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Jail records don’t indicate whether he has an attorney.

Police say a second person stomped on the woman’s head in Friday’s attack but hasn’t yet been charged.

Sometimes the guy you’re arguing with won’t concede that Tom Hanks deserved the Best Actor Oscar in 2001 for Cast Away instead of Russell Crowe, who won it for Gladiator as a makeup win for his snub for The Insider a few years earlier. When that happens, you have no choice but to bite the bastard’s finger off.

That’s just a hypothetical argument, but you get the point. (Maybe.) Sometimes you reach an impasse with a stubborn stranger and the only solution is to start chompin’. That’s what happened to one Dallas man after an argument with a fellow resident of the metroplex could not be resolved while the two were waiting for the DART at the Forest Lane station. The man he was arguing with decided he’d had enough of words and straight up bit the guy’s finger off.

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50-year-old Hubert Warren is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail for aggravated assault and a probation violation (no finger biting when you’re on probation). His bond was set at $5,000.

The news did not have any information on what the pair were arguing about before Warren stopped using his words but kept using his mouth. You would think it was something with some stakes, based on the violence the argument ended in, but things like this almost never happen because of something important. Chances are they were arguing about whether Romo or Prescott is the better Cowboys QB, or if Carolina barbecue is better than Texas barbecue. They were absolutely not debating the details of the Mueller report.

The real lesson here is that you should never talk to strangers. About anything. Ever. What’s the best-case scenario? You have a pleasant conversation and make a friend? You can do that on your phone now, with someone whose sharp, angry teeth are miles away from you. And that’ll be a lot harder to do if some psycho next to you bites off one of your digits.

A 9-year-old boy was saved by police officers after being kidnapped and almost trafficked to another city. According to authorities, police officers were able to track the boy down before the suspect left San Antonio, Texas. Officers spent the entire night tracking down the boy until he was found inside a car outside of H-E-B on the South Side of Goliad Road and Southeast Military Drive in San Antonio.

Law enforcement officers said the boy was allegedly kidnapped in the downtown area and Homeland Security along with local authorities were immediately notified. San Antonio Police ROPE officers followed several leads, which brought them to the grocery store where the suspect and the boy were going to be. SAPD officers were called to assist in the arrest.

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Officers were allegedly blocking the car in the parking lot, recovering the kidnapped boy and placed the suspect under arrest. Authorities stated the trafficker was trying to sell the boy in Eagle Pass or Laredo, Texas. Homeland Security is leading the investigation, and the suspect is said to receive charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.

According to DoSomething.org, human trafficking primarily involves exploitations which comes in many forms, including subjecting victims to modern-day slavery, forcing victims into prostitution, or involuntary servitude and “compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography.” Approximately 80 percent of human trafficking cases involve sexual exploitation and 19 percent involves labor exploitation.

The U.S. State Department of Homeland Security estimates nearly 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, out of those, 80 percent are female and half are children. The National Human Trafficking Hotline receives more calls from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States. Fifteen percent of those calls come from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year.

In recent years with films such as Magic Mike and Channing Tatum’s Saints and Sinners club on Bourbon Street, Louisiana, the concept of male objectification celebration has become more commonplace. There was even a male version of Hooters and Twin Peaks back in 2015 [currently closed, but working to reopen]. All behold, the much-deserved counterpart to the overplayed “breastaurant”- the chestaurant.

Remember Tallywackers?

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Come and enjoy something HOT for lunch today! Try our amazing $6.99 lunch menu! #Tallywackers #GuyCandy #Lunch #Dallas

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A post shared by Tallywackers Restaurant (@tallywackersofficial) on Jul 13, 2016 at 8:01am PDT

Tallywackers, named after the 18th-century British slang word for ‘penis,” was a restaurant where a shirtless all-male staff wearing tight red and grey underwear served food. And yes, you could sort of see their, uhm, tallywackers. The restaurant opened in 2015 in the self-proclaimed “gayborhood” of Oak Lawn in Dallas, Texas. Predominantly marketed towards gay men in the community in Dallas, the restaurant also had plenty of women patrons.

Tallywackers leaned pretty hard into their business model with a suggestive menu and an ATM that gives you $1 bills. The menu had an S&M burger (swiss and mushroom), a large 1 pound Tallywacker hot dog, Mario’s meatloaf, “cocktails”…items of that nature. So, there were the men, shirtless and all and serving food and drinks that would make you want to never take your child to the restaurant. Because well, they would ask so many questions.

Goodbye Tallywackers!

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The #Tallywackers #GuyCandy are having a great time serving up some cold drinks and delicious food at the @ilume_and_ilume_park pool in #Dallas #Texas

A post shared by Tallywackers Restaurant (@tallywackersofficial) on Jul 10, 2016 at 12:33pm PDT

While a great idea and very humorous,  the chestaurant closed after only one year. Apparently, people weren’t all too happy with buff waiters serving hot dogs and S&M burgers and made them feel uncomfortable. Which is totally understandable, but need I remind you that Hooters is exactly that, but with females?

Still, Owner Rodney Duke claimed the restaurant would relocate and re-open, however that has yet to happen. Still, I think this would definitely work for cities like Austin or Seatle since they are big cities and there is so much diversity. But, I guess we will have to wait and see.

And if you wanna know what it was like or prep for the environment for whenever the chestaurant does returns to us, check out this interview from MEL Magazine featuring one of its past employees. Regardless, thanks to the internet we can relive the chestaurant dream until it does come back.

Listen, when you need your sleep, you need your sleep. I get it, I’ve been there. I need at least 5 hours or else I’ll be a walking zombie throughout the whole day. So, I totally get where this man was coming from, okay. But unfortunately, this is wrong and well, you can see why this could be quite a little problem.

James Michael Meyer, a 72-year-old from Dallas who has the coolest name ever, fatally shot a suspected burglar outside his home and decided to just go back to sleep before calling the police. You know, just the normal thing to do whenever you shoot someone in the middle of your sleep.

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According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Meyers reported the home invasion after finding the man’s body. Meyer’s wife had also allegedly contacted a lawyer to ask for advice before he called 911. Not feeling a little bit sorry for him, authorities quickly charged Meyer with murder. Because well, he did shoot the poor burglar down and did nothing about it. So, yeah.

The Dallas man told police he saw someone trying to break into his storage shed around 5 in the morning after he heard a noise. He then quickly grabbed his handgun, went outside and yelled that he would shoot if they came closer. The unidentified suspect then took several steps towards him and he fired because he was spooked.

The burglar reportedly dropped his pickaxe, ran towards a nearby park, and Meyers fired an additional shot in the direction of the park. Authorities wrote the suspected burglar posed no threat of serious bodily injury to the homeowner once he ran off. So, the reason why he decided to go back to bed? Apparently, he didn’t think he had actually shot anyone until her woke up around 7 in the morning and told police he saw a “black bag” in the park. Which of course, after closer inspection, turned out to be the man’s body.

Police documents show Meyers then told 911 dispatchers he was the “victim of a crime” and that the needed medical help. Online jail records show he was taken into custody with a bond set at $150,000. Talk about bad luck. I mean, this story can go either way here. But, I want to believe that this poor 72-year-old man didn’t really mean it shoot him. He was just spooked and didn’t realize that he had shot anyone because it was so dark. It’s a legitimate excuse if you ask me. But, try convincing a judge. At the end of the day, this guy did die.

Crews searched Monday through the rubble of homes and businesses torn apart by a tornado that ripped through the Dallas area the night before, and one person was killed by a falling tree in Arkansas as the storms moved to the northeast.

Radar confirmed the tornado struck near Love Field Airport and moved northeast through the city around 9 p.m. Sunday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Godwin. There were no reports of fatalities or serious injuries in Texas early Monday, but Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says three people were hospitalized for evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries. Tens of thousands of people were without electricity.

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One person died in northwest Arkansas when a tree fell on a home in Rogers, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, according to the Benton County Department of Public Safety. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said “significant storm damage” occurred in northwest Arkansas.

Damage was also reported in the northeast corner of Arkansas in the town of Tyronza, where two people were reported injured, Jonesboro TV station KAIT reported.

Power was out at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Highfill, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock. The airport says flights were still departing, though security screenings were being done manually.

The storms also caused damage in Oklahoma and Missouri.

And the weather system that hit Dallas knocked down trees and power lines and caused minor damage at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee. Some windows were broken at the airport, but no injuries have been reported.

Tornado warnings were in effect Monday morning in far eastern Arkansas near the Mississippi River as the storm system moved to the east. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, says areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee could see severe thunderstorms later Monday.

In Texas, heavy damage was reported in northwest Dallas and Richardson. Nearly 140,000 electric customers were without power as of 4 a.m. Monday, according to Oncor’s online outage map. The electric utility said storms across East Texas had caused significant damage to power lines.

Around 65,000 of the affected electric customers were within Dallas, according to the city, which said it would open a shelter.

Crews searched through homes and businesses that were accessible for about six hours overnight, but were hampered by “limited access and lack of proper lighting,” Evans said. A second set of teams were to resume search efforts in daylight.

Seven people escaped a structure that collapsed in northwest Dallas, but Dallas Fire-Rescue were searching to see if anyone was left inside, Evans said. WFAA-TV reported that a convenience store collapsed in the storm, but the clerk told the station that everyone who was inside made it out safely.

Evans said that the department had also received multiple calls from people injured in their homes by broken glass.

On Twitter, Dallas Fire-Rescue said one of its own stations sustained significant damage during the storms overnight, and included photos that appeared to show a collapsed roof and debris. Evans said none of the firefighters at Station 41 were hurt, but said the roof was torn off by the high winds.

Dallas Stars player Tyler Seguin said a home he owns was heavily damaged. The hockey player said on Twitter that he had moved to another home and that the damaged property was listed for sale. He wrote it’s “an extremely sad sight to see.”

A radio station, KNON-FM, went off the air as the studio suffered major damage from the tornado. Lew Morris, one of the hosts of “Reckless Rock Radio” was preparing for the show at the station while another show was broadcasting. He told The Associated Press in a Facebook message that the power at the station went out first, followed by the “distinctive whistle” of a tornado within three minutes.

He told the host of the show that had been broadcasting to follow him to the bathroom for safety.
“We then heard the building shaking and could hear the glass windows shattering everywhere along with debris banging around. We waited until all the noise died down,” Morris told the AP. “We walked out to see the studio he was just broadcasting from destroyed.”

Godwin, the meteorologist, said the size and severity of the tornado won’t be known until crews arrive to survey the damage. NWS warning coordination meteorologist Jennifer Dunn told the AP there may have been two or more tornadoes in north Texas, but reiterated that the extent wouldn’t be known until later Monday afternoon.

North of Dallas, the city of Richardson said in a release that many roads “used by thousands of morning commuters” will be closed while workers clear debris and repair downed traffic lights.
The city of Sachse, a northeast suburb of Dallas, said in a release that six houses were damaged from the storms, but no injuries were reported.

Citing extensive damage to campuses, the Dallas Independent School District canceled Monday classes at several schools.

In parts of southern Missouri, the severe weather toppled trees and power lines, damaging some homes and outbuildings. The weather service said crews were headed out Monday morning to determine whether straight line winds or small tornadoes caused the damage.

A guy in Dallas who somehow has no fear of dying an unimaginably gruesome death by way of being impaled by lawn furniture flying at 90mph walked out onto his balcony and filmed the tornado that was ripping through his neighborhood. The video is terrifying.

Aamer Alasaad shot the video after the roof of his Richardson, Texas home had collapsed so apparently at that point he was resigned to death but didn’t want to go out without leaving some good content behind. Mission accomplished (and he didn’t even have to die!).

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It looks like he was reporting live from Armageddon. This is, by the way, absolutely, positively not what you should do when a tornado is setting up shop right on top of you. It’s an absolute miracle emergency workers didn’t find Alasaad’s body shredded to ribbons by broken glass and uprooted cacti.

For those unaware, the proper protocol for when a tornado is bearing down on your house is to grab a bottle of your strongest, brownest liquor, jump in the basement or bathtub, and start chugging/praying. Under no circumstances should you walk outside with your phone in hand, basically screaming “World Star” at the natural weapon of mass destruction as you film what will likely get you the 15 seconds of fame you’ve always wanted, but in the most painful way imaginable.

Fortunately, the tornado that tore through the northwest Dallas area really only damaged inanimate objects like Alasaad’s roof. There were minor injuries reported but no major injuries or deaths reported in the Metroplex. Pretty impressive, especially considering that, again, this guy basically went full redneck here. Thank God he didn’t have a 4-wheeler handy or he may very well have driven that thing straight into the ‘nader.