The Brief: One Year Into His Bid, Trump Rallies Dallas

The Big Conversation

All eyes were on Donald Trump on Thursday as he rallied supporters in Dallas exactly one year after he launched his seemingly long-shot bid for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

As the Tribune’s Patrick Svitek writes of the speech, Trump disparaged Hillary Clinton, mused that sports stars should headline the Republican national convention next month in Cleveland, and failed to mention former competitor and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz by name as he recalled “how he emerged victorious from a 17-candidate field after a bloody primary.”

The Dallas Morning News notes that Trump’s speech contained, not uncharacteristically, several embellishments — including a false suggestion that thousands of supporters had been unable to fit inside the rally at Gilley’s South Side Ballroom and the claim that Clinton’s position on gun control involves abolishing the Second Amendment.

Like recent campaign events nationwide, the rally drew dozens of protesters, who came to rebuke Trump and his harsh rhetoric on topics like immigration and interrupted his speech at least five times. One protester, in a cowboy hat, prompted a comment from the GOP standard-bearer.

“The protester just gave me a great idea: We’ll sell 'Make America Great Again' on a cowboy hat,” Trump said. “Thank you, Mr. Protester. That’s going to sell well in Dallas.”

Trump is slated to fundraise in San Antonio and Houston today and conclude his trip with a rally in The Woodlands, a Houston suburb.

Trib Must Reads

State's Tab Defending Voter ID $3.5 Million So Far, by Jim Malewitz and Lindsay Carbonell — Texas taxpayers are still picking up the tab for defending the nation’s strictest voter identification law more than five years after Republicans fast-tracked it through the Legislature.  

Analysis: What the Numbers in the Texas Budget Really Mean, by Ross Ramsey — Numbers can give you a full accounting of something without telling you what’s really going on, like when lawmakers talk about trimming budgets and saving money while diverting attention from whatever fell on the cutting room floor.

Texas Loses Fight to Keep Syrian Refugees Out, by Alexa Ura — Texas on Thursday lost its fight against the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state, ending a monthslong battle during which refugees from the war-torn country continued to arrive.

Cornyn: Democrats Focused on Wrong Issue in Orlando Massacre, by Khorri Atkinson — Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn expressed concerns Thursday that the Orlando massacre was leading to a push for legislative action that would violate the Second Amendment.

Texans Enlisting With Pro-Cuba Trade Group, by Julián Aguilar — A Washington-based interest group has recruited a coalition of Texas educators and business and civic leaders to help convince members of Congress to eliminate this country’s embargo against communist Cuba.

Cosper Wins GOP Recount in Race to Succeed State Rep. Aycock, by Patrick Svitek — Texas House candidate and former Killeen Mayor Scott Cosper has won a recount of his narrow victory over Killeen optometrist Austin Ruiz in last month's Republican primary runoff.

10 Candidates Vying to Be Next Texas Prisons Chief, by Johnathan Silver — The next executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will lead nearly 40,000 employees, manage a $3 billion annual budget, direct more than 100 prisons and oversee the nation's busiest execution chamber.

Lawmaker Wants Investigation of Austin Ride-Hailing Rules, by Madlin Mekelburg — Republican state Rep. Jason Isaac has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Austin's rules for ride-hailing companies, raising concerns that the city's "burdensome regulations" are anti-competitive.

In Filing, Briles Accuses Baylor of Scapegoating Him in Sexual Assault Scandal, by Matthew Watkins — Former Baylor University head football coach Art Briles is fighting back against his sudden dismissal, arguing that he was wrongfully terminated and is being used as a scapegoat for the sexual assault scandal that has shamed the school.

Provost Selected as Texas Tech's Next President, by Matthew Watkins — Texas Tech University has selected its current provost, Lawrence Schovanec, to be the school's next president. Schovanec has been an administrator at Tech for three decades. 

Elsewhere

(Links below lead to outside websites; content might be behind paywall)

Texas Denies Medicaid Coverage for an Autism Therapy, Kaiser Health News

Group urges Texas gun owners to call on Congress to blunt gun control efforts, Houston Chronicle

Trump due in Alamo City for fundraiser, San Antonio Express-News

Trump's Texas visit emblematic of challenges ahead, Houston Chronicle

Meet the supporters, protesters and everyone in between who braved the Dallas heat to see Donald Trump, The Dallas Morning News

Texas Democrats tout local leaders in face of ongoing state shutout, Houston Chronicle

Julian Castro returns to Texas under vice president rumors, The Associated Press

Democratic party touts the leadership of large municipal mayors, San Antonio Express-News

‘It’s Pretty Lonely’: A Democratic Incumbent in a Sea of Texas Red, The New York Times

Texas might be ready to expand medical marijuana use, Austin American-Statesman

House nixes bid to bar illegal immigrants from military, The Associated Press

Hickman focused on conversation with Muslim community, Houston Chronicle

Q&A: Dolores Huerta on Trump: 'Ya basta,' 'Enough is enough,' Houston Chronicle

Homegrown nonprofit app RideAustin launches, Austin American-Statesman

Rock-throwing suspect is towing activist, fixture at Austin City Hall, Austin American-Statesman

Austin leaders have ‘big’ discussion on transportation bond ideas, Austin American-Statesman

Quote to Note

“All of us believe that terrorists should be denied access to firearms. The only question is, do we do that in a constitutional way or an unconstitutional way?”

 — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a Facebook Live video, on the gun control debate in the wake of a mass shooting in Orlando

Today in TribTalk

Trump vs. Clinton? Try Claytie vs. Ann Richards, by Brandon Rottinghaus — If Williams' 1990 race for governor in Texas is any guide, the 2016 presidential campaign will get even nastier. 

News From Home

•    Tune in for the latest episode of The Ticket, a co-production of the Tribune and KUT. KUT’s Ben Philpott and The Texas Tribune's Jay Root dissect terrorism speeches from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and hear from Democratic strategist Colin Strother on whether Texas is actually in play.

Trib Events for the Calendar

•    The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23-25 at the University of Texas at Austin