Police chief’s struggles, Cornyn offers peek at GOP tax revamp, uplifting Christmas shopping spree: Your weekend roundup

Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. [Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far.] December 24,  2017 By Tara Bryant and Nicholas Friedman Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy and colder for Christmas Eve. High: 49 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. New Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall greeted the crowd as she walked the length of the Texas Freedom Parade on Sept. 17. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) dallas New police chief an overnight icon, but she struggles to win cops' hearts and minds Meeting a group of rank-and-file Dallas police for the first time, Chief U. Renee Hall teased an officer about his loyalties to her college's rival football team. With a friendly wager on the next match, the chief put her troops at ease and left them jazzed about the future under their new boss. Hall's [image in the community remains largely intact, but some of her decisions have proved unpopular]( within the Police Department. Many of the officers she so quickly endeared herself to have grown disillusioned by a recent shakeup that put some less-experienced officers in command and demoted a handful of well-respected veterans, two of whom had been finalists for her job. Hall has boasted of "small wins" to boost morale, but her critics expected more. And the reorganization was another blow for a department already on the ropes after a pension crisis and an attrition exodus that's stretched the force thin. Dallas police: Traffic nightmares [are putting the shorthanded Dallas police force in a jam.]( Local police: Three North Texas police departments have been picked to get federal funds as part of a national program to [put more community policing officers on the street.]( special offer [special offer digital access]( Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, headed to meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on the GOP effort to overhaul the tax code, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 1, 2017. (J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press) politics 'That's basically how legislation gets written': Cornyn offers a peek at how GOP's tax revamp came together As crunch time emerged in the GOP’s push to pass a $1.5 trillion tax cut, wavering Republican senators inevitably made the trip from the Senate floor to an office tucked just a few paces away. And then they aired their grievances to Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican. “There was always two or three things with each of these individuals,” he told The Dallas Morning News in that same office that’s home to his whip operation. “The implied threat that they would withhold their vote for the final product was enough to require a negotiation. “And that’s basically how legislation gets written.” But [Cornyn's behind-the-scenes work also offers insight]( into his powerful but sometimes nebulous job as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s top deputy. Texas politics: A federal judge’s advisers [cost Texas $1.5 million and offered unworkable foster care fixes,]( the state says. Texas Legislature: [You can bring your guns to church in Texas,]( Attorney General Ken Paxton says. Kei'veericky Simmons, 3, the son of slain Dollar General clerk Gabrielle Monique Simmons, rides in a full shopping basket during Target shopping spree on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News) holidays For 6 kids whose mom was murdered, shopping carts full of toys for Christmas Gabrielle Simmons’ six children wandered the aisles of Target on Friday knowing they could put whatever they wanted in their carts. A PlayStation. Dolls. Paw Patrol toys. For an afternoon, every wish was granted. Nothing could take away the pain of being without their mother this Christmas, but a community's generosity was a welcome distraction. Simmons, 27, was gunned down Nov. 6 at the southeast Oak Cliff Dollar General where she worked as a clerk. On Friday, Williams Chicken CEO and founder Hiawatha Williams and his wife, Doris, [organized a shopping spree for Simmons' children]( at a Red Bird Target and urged them to fill their carts with gifts. Commentary: A little boy, praying for his sick dad, [reminds us what Christmas is all about.]( A jolly inheritance: Dallas daughter [seeks adoptive family for 4,000 Santas.]( Advertisement (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) Photo of the Morning Highland Park's John Stephen Jones gets a kiss from his dad, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, after Highland Park defeated Manvel in the Class 5A Division I state championship game at AT&T Stadium. Jones, the grandson of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, capped an amazing comeback with a spectacular 16-yard touchdown pass to Cade Saustad with 34 seconds remaining, lifting Highland Park to a 53-49 win over Manvel. Highland Park, the winningest team in state history with 816 victories, [won back-to-back state titles for the first time.]( Around The Site - Need somewhere to eat? Here are [20-plus D-FW restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.]( - Good luck: Try walking into the [venerable North Dallas domain of lo mein,]( Royal China, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. - ‘Tis the season: Cool spots [for holiday ice skating]( in Dallas-Fort Worth. - Busy bees: Warmer winters have Texas bees buzzing, [but here's why that's not so sweet.]( - Not anymore: Do you share your TV logins with friends and family? [Cable operators are coming after you.]( - Education: How a Dallas ISD elementary [with 80 percent English language learners]( rose to the top. - Attention: Buy your holiday liquor now, [because you can't on Christmas Day.]( (Photo illustration by Michael Hogue) Finally... Dallas Morning News reporter Nanette Light [reflects on watching OU football with her grandmother,]( and how important it is to reflect on ime spent with loved ones. Much to my grandmother's chagrin, I don't care about the plays, the touchdowns, this Red River rivalry. I did not inherit her love for this game. I don't even like OU football. But she's the reason I'm here. With their crowds, heat, steps to climb and hours of standing, football games weren't made for 83-year-old grandmothers, but that's never stopped mine. My grandmother Nancy McCall, whom I call Nanny, has made the annual pilgrimage for OU-Texas about 60 times from her home in Norman — the capital of Sooner fandom, the land of crimson and cream. And lately, every time, I wonder if it's her last. Advertisement 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. 📧 Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). 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