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JFK
President John F. Kennedy's assassination is an unforgettable part of Dallas' history.Nearly 54 years later, scholars and enthusiasts alike are still processing details from that fateful drive through Dealey Plaza now that the remaining investigation files have been unsealed. For the 50th anniversary in 2013, KERA produced special stories and reports from the commemoration:The 50th: Remembering John F. Kennedy was KERA's live, two-hour special covering the official commemoration event at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 2013. Hosted by Krys Boyd and Shelley Kofler, the special includes reports from KERA reporters before the ceremony begins. Listen to the special here.Bells tolled across the city, and the event featured historian David McCullough, who read from Kennedy’s presidential speeches; Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings; religious leaders; the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club; and a moment of silence. Read highlights from the event from KERA's live blog from that day.Throughout the month, KERA posted an online series called 22 Days In November, which takes a closer look at that fateful day, what it meant to the country and how it affected Dallas.We shared stories and memories in a series called “JFK Voices.” Explore our archives below.

Prosecutor Says Gov. Rick Perry Is Making A Mockery Of The Justice System

Christopher Halloran
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Shutterstock
Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on March 7 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: The special prosecutor on Rick Perry’s obstruction of justice case has some sharp words, Dallas Fed president and CEO will step down next year, a Dallas City Tour bus has questionable art, and more.

Gov. Rick Perry’s attorneys asked a judge Monday to excuse the governor from a pretrial hearing because of out-of-country commitments. The special prosecutor on the case, Michael McCrum, has reacted strongly to the request.

“In my 30 years of practice, I’ve never had a defense lawyer show up and say, ‘Can my client just not appear for all these pretrial conferences,’” McCrum told the Austin-American Statesman and KVUE TV.

An Austin grand jury indicted Perry in August on two felony counts of abuse of power for threatening to veto state funding for a public corruption investigative unit. The judge on the case hasn’t determined yet whether he will be excused from the Oct. 13 hearing. The governor visited Asia this month and plans to tour Europe in October to promote Texas economic development.

  • Dallas Fed president and CEO Richard Fisher plans to retire next year. The Dallas Business Journal reports Fed presidents can serve for 10 years or until they reach the age of 65. Fisher must step down next year, according to that rule, but he hasn’t set a specific date. KERA vice president of news, Rick Holter, spoke to Fisher back in May.
  • A Dallas City Tour bus has paired an image of slain President John F. Kennedy with an unfortunate slogan. D Magazine's Chris Mosley writes, "Coupling a giant image of the President's head with the Dallas Conventions & Visitor's Bureau-derived slogan, 'Big Things Happen Here' [is] simply in bad taste. Beyond that, there is the rather unfortunate placement of the bus's back door handle in the center of Kennedy's forehead." 
  • Fort Worth-area art groups will help the Arlington school district develop two fine arts academies. The Star-Telegram reports experts from the Cliburn, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Casa Manana, UT Arlington and the University of North Texas will team up for formal planning for two dual language/fine arts academies at Corey and Roquemore elementary schools. The programs are expected to be running by August 2016.   
  • Dallas and Houston-bred Christian rapper and UNT alum Lecrae has topped multiple charts with his latest album, Anomaly. It’s his first album to top the Billboard 200 charts, his sixth to top the gospel charts, and his fifth to top the Christian charts. The New York Times reports Lecrae is the first artist to top the Billboard 200 and the gospel album charts at the same time. The rapper recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.   
Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.