Five stories that have North Texas talking: Leon Bridges earns a Grammy nomination; Ted Cruz is leading in Iowa; Tony Romo hosts a sleepover; and more.
Tony Romo hosted a sleepover – and it aired on national TV. James Corden, the host of “The Late Late Show” on CBS,was the guest of honor. Romo opened the door wearing Superman pajamas. They roasted marshmallows. They told ghost stories, including a super-scary tale featuring Romo and a bad play at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. They talked about “Sex and the City.” Romo lost at Jenga – and stormed off. “It’s just a game, Tony,” Corden told Romo. “Anyone will think you’ve never lost before. You lose all the time!” Romo is out the rest of the season after he injured his collarbone. (For the record, the Dallas Cowboys beat Washington 19-16 on Monday night.)
Watch the “Late Late Show” video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWFj-hu4FY
- A Dallas federal judge on Monday said there would be no hearing this week on the state’s lawsuit over Syrian refugees. KERA’s Stella Chavez reports: “The state last week sued the federal government and the International Rescue Committee over the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Texas. It ultimately backed down from blocking their arrival, but it still wanted a hearing by this Wednesday. On Monday, U.S. District Judge David Godbey denied that request. During a conference call with attorneys, Godbey told them to keep filing legal briefs, according to Rebecca L. Robertson, Legal and Policy Director for the ACLU, which represents the resettlement agency, or IRC. Roberston said that once all of the documents have been submitted, Godbey can decide whether to schedule a hearing.”
- Ted Cruz is leading in an Iowa presidential caucus poll. The Texas Tribune reports: “Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has taken his first-ever lead in an early state poll, surging past billionaire Donald Trump to the no. 1 spot in Iowa. In a Monmouth University poll released Monday, the Texas senator leads Trump 24 percent to 19 percent among likely caucus-goers. His support in the survey has spiked 14 percentage points since October. Monmouth pollster Patrick Murray partly attributed Cruz's rise to a collapse in support for retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, whose numbers have dropped by 19 points since two months ago. Cruz has also been helped by the recent endorsement of U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa, which Murray said ‘certainly put a stamp on the Cruz surge in Iowa.’” [Texas Tribune]
- Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk talks more about the county’s new Reformative Justice Unit. She appeared Monday on the public radio program The Takeaway. The Reformative Justice Unit is a mental health unit that will help accused criminals with mental illnesses with treatment, housing and job training. “Thirty percent of the folks who are incarcerated are mentally ill and by sending them to prison, we’re not doing them any good,” Hawk said. “They’re back out on the street in a matter of months, in a much worse condition than they were before, and they’re right back in the penitentiary, so we just have this revolving door.” [Krystina Martinez/KERA]
- Leon Bridges is among the Texans who earned Grammy nominations. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: “Texas will be well represented in California during the 58th annual Grammy Awards. … Fort Worth-born and Burleson-bred pop superstar Kelly Clarkson earned two nominations: best pop solo performance for Heartbeat Song and best pop vocal album for Piece by Piece. Crowley-bred and Fort Worth-based R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, fresh from a turn on the Saturday Night Live stage, earned his first-ever Grammy nomination for best R&B album, for his major label debut, Coming Home. The Denton-formed Snarky Puppy picked up a nomination for best contemporary instrumental album, for its collaboration with Metropole Orkest, Sylva.” [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
