On January 22, 1973, the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalized abortion nationwide in the United States, recognizing a woman’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.
1. Dallas City Council Could Decide New City Manager Wednesday
After a nearly year-long interview and selection process, the Dallas City Council is slated to select the next City Manger. The three finalists, narrowed down in December, include Fort Worth Assistant City Manager William Johnson, Sacramento Assistant City Manager Mario Lara, and Interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert. Tolbert, who has been in the role of Interim City Manager since 2024 is said to be the favorite, having garnered support from residents, local organizations and community leaders who believe she is the most qualified.
2. Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold Plans to File For Reelection
The Dallas Morning News reported this morning that Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold, who represents District 4, plans to file for reelection, seemingly regardless of the newly passed Proposition E that placed term limits on members of the city council. Under the new proposition, council members will be allowed to serve no more than eight years. Once a council member serves those four terms, they can’t run for any council seat, even if they move to a new district. But proposition did not grandfather in past council members who were term-limited, including Arnold. But, Arnold’s team seems to have found a loophole.
Arnold served terms in 2015 in a general election, in 2018 when she won in a runoff in a special general election, and in 2019, 2021, and 2023 in general elections.
3. Texas Returns Buoys Along Rio Grande
Texas as restarted the installation of a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande River along the Texas-Mexico border. The installation came just after Trump’s inauguration, signaling Governor Abbott’s newfound comfort with Washington D.C.. The buoys had become a focal point of the ongoing debate over immigration policy, wherein Governor Greg Abbott authorized the deployment of these floating barriers, equipped with razor wire. However, the move had sparked widespread controversy, drawing criticism from human rights organizations, environmental groups, the Mexican government and the Biden Administration.
4. Department of Homeland Security Releases Statement: “Directives Expanding Law Enforcement and Ending the Abuse of Humanitarian Parole”
The Department of Homeland Security issued the following statement on January 21, 2025:
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued two directives essential to ending the invasion of the US southern border and empower law enforcement to protect Americans.
The first directive rescinds the Biden Administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions that thwart law enforcement in or near so-called “sensitive” areas. The second directive ends the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returns the program to a case-by-case basis. ICE and CBP will phase out any parole programs that are not in accordance with the law. The following statement is attributable to a DHS Spokesperson:
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.
“The Biden-Harris Administration abused the humanitarian parole program to indiscriminately allow 1.5 million migrants to enter our country. This was all stopped on day one of the Trump Administration. This action will return the humanitarian parole program to its original purpose of looking at migrants on a case-by-case basis.”
5. President Trump Places All Diversity Staff on Leave
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday issuing a directive placing all Federal employees in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) roles on administrative leave. This sweeping action, implemented across all federal agencies, has sent shockwaves through the government and sparked immediate outcry from civil rights groups. The move comes as part of a broader effort to dismantle DEI initiatives within the federal government, with some officials arguing that such programs are discriminatory and hinder merit-based hiring practices. However, critics argue that these initiatives are crucial for ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the demographics of the nation it serves.
