The Brief: With Vigil and Memorial, Dallas Mourns

The Big Conversation

More than 1,000 people gathered for a vigil in Dallas on Monday night to remember the lives of five police officers killed by sniper fire during a downtown protest last week, and the city will continue to grieve them Tuesday with a memorial service there.

A “message of hope” prevailed at the Monday night vigil as law enforcement officials, friends and the general public came together to honor the slain officers in front of Dallas City Hall, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look, it's a train, it's a plane,” Dallas Police Chief David Brown said in his remarks, naming the victims, according to the Morning News. “No. It's Patricio Zamarripa. Look, it's Brent Thompson. Look, it's Michael Krol. Look, it's Lorne Ahrens. Look, it's Michael Smith. God speed, God bless you, God bless the Dallas Police Department.”

As the Tribune’s Johnathan Silver writes, both President Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush, will lead a memorial service in Dallas on Tuesday. Gov. Greg Abbott, who is being treated for burns he suffered while on vacation last week, will not attend; his wife, Cecilia, will go in his place.

The shooting last week, which took place at the conclusion of an otherwise peaceful march in protest of the recent deaths of two black men at the hands of police, has left the country grappling over the state of American race relations. The New York Times describes President Obama’s upcoming speech as “his latest effort to help bridge one of the starkest divides in American society.”

“The president recognizes that it’s not just people in Dallas who are grieving, it’s people all across the country who are concerned about the violence that so many Americans have witnessed in the last week or so,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, according to the Times.

Trib Must Reads

Gov. Abbott Hospitalized After Severe Burns, by Khorri Atkinson — Gov. Greg Abbott will not be able to attend an interfaith memorial service on Tuesday in Dallas, in honor of the five police officers slain during a peaceful protest last week.

Which Texans Are Attending Next Week's GOP Convention?, by Abby Livingston and Alana Rocha — With a controversial presumptive nominee for president serving as headliner, a sizable sum of high-profile Texas officeholders are quietly sitting out the proceedings.

Rick Perry On Trump’s Border Wall: Never Going to Happen, by Khorri Atkinson — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry shot down Donald Trump's proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border Monday.

Six Months In, Few Open Carry Complaints, by Kirby Wilson — Six months ago when properly licensed Texans began openly carrying handguns, anti-gun activists and Second Amendment backers were sharply divided over what to expect. So far, gun owners seem to have the most complaints.

Sinkhole Warnings Don't Faze West Texas, by Jim Malewitz — A recent study has thrust the Wink Sinks — two breathtaking sinkholes in Winkler County which have long been objects of fear and fascination — into the national spotlight. 

El Paso Chief Says Comments Made In "Emotional Time," by Isabelle Taft — El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen issued a statement Monday afternoon explaining, but not apologizing for, his claim that Black Lives Matter is a "radical hate group."

Abbott Appoints Dealership Exec to Transportation Commission, by Madlin Mekelburg — Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Gulf States Toyota executive Laura Ryan to the Texas Transportation Commission on Monday. Ryan currently serves as chair of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board.

The Day Ahead

•    The House Committee on Human Services meets at 9 a.m. at the Capitol Extension to consider several Department of Family and Protective Services policies and procedures, such as measures meant to prevent child abuse in the state foster care system.

•    The House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics meets at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Extension to hear invited testimony on and recommend changes or clarifications to state agencies’ use of emergency leave and settlement payments.

Elsewhere

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

Dallas chief bluntly challenges protesters to 'serve your community,' The Dallas Morning News

Dallas Gunman’s Plans for Bombing Remain a Worry for Police, The New York Times

Forum on racial tensions puts city’s image as liberal oasis to the test, Austin American-Statesman

Grief knows no distance in Los Angeles community where slain Dallas officer got his start, The Dallas Morning News

Black doctor's conflict: Saving officers, distrusting police, The Associated Press

Mayor wants Department of Justice to review police shooting of armed man, Houston Chronicle

Study: Black people in Houston less likely than whites to be shot by police, Houston Chronicle

David Brown for president? He's got Twitter's vote, The Dallas Morning News

Will the effort to deny Donald Trump the GOP nomination gain traction?, Austin American-Statesman

Recovery team asks for help as ‘disaster fatigue’ affects flood rebuild, Austin American-Statesman

UT System plans to offer buyouts to 200 employees, Austin American-Statesman

Witness in Zetas trial describes learning of informant’s dismemberment, San Antonio Express-News

The Interview: Texas Judge John Dietz on School Finance, Texas Observer

Quote to Note

“Well, it’s not. It’s a wall, but it’s a technological wall, it’s a digital wall. There are some that hear this is going to be 1,200 miles from Brownsville to El Paso, 30-foot high, and listen, I know you can’t do that.” 

 — Former Gov. Rick Perry, in an interview with Snapchat’s Peter Hamby, on Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border

Today in TribTalk

Why Texas shouldn't run public schools like businesses, by Michelle Smith —  While charter schools and private schools can decide if and when to expand, establish admissions policies and close their doors when desks are full, Texas' public schools must welcome all students regardless of educational or financial need — or availability of physical space.

News From Home

•    Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for president; Grammy Award-winning musician and Alamo enthusiast Phil Collins; Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick top the list of new speakers added to the 2016 Texas Tribune Festival lineup this week. Early bird pricing ends on Thursday so register today.

•    In the last week, we've published several investigations into what happens when border watchdogs turn criminal — from smuggling drugs and immigrants to getting mixed up with Mexican cartels. Revisit our Bordering on Insecurity project.

Trib Events for the Calendar

•   Life on the Border: Rhetoric or Reality? on Aug. 4 at The Centennial Club in McAllen

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

•   TribFeast: A Dinner To Support Nonprofit Journalism on Sept. 24 at the University of Texas at Austin's Etter-Harbin Alumni Center