Beto vs. Ted, Baptists and #MeToo, A&M and Los Alamos: Your weekend roundup

June 10,  2018 By Nicholas Friedman and Holly Rusak Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌞 Weather: Mostly sunny and hot. High: 95 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat looking to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, greats police officers after speaking at a rally on May 24 at Mudhen Meat and Greens in Dallas. (Jeffrey McWhorter/Special Contributor) politics Beto O'Rourke is poised to check off all 254 Texas counties, but has miles to go to unseat Ted Cruz For the last 14 months, Congressman Beto O’Rourke has criss-crossed Texas, knocked on doors, run 5ks, eaten tacos, and gulped coffee with strangers in a live-streamed effort to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz. On Saturday, [he’ll reach a milestone by holding a town hall in Cooke County,]( about 70 miles north of Dallas — which according to his campaign is the last of the 254 counties he set out to visit since announcing his candidacy last year. Voters there haven’t supported a Democrat for Senate since Lloyd Bentsen's re-election bid in 1988, according to a local official, but O'Rourke isn't fazed. “I really wanted to get to know the people that I want to represent. And I just can’t think of a better way to do it than to show up and be there,” O’Rourke said of his approach in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. Meanwhile: Victoria Neave and Wendy Davis have a grass-roots approach [to ending the backlog on Texas rape kits.]( And: President Donald Trump threw the G-7 summit into disarray Saturday, [tweeting that the U.S. was pulling back its endorsement of the group's communique]( in part because of what he called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "false statements" at a news conference. Also: Embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reportedly stocked a science advisory board [from a list provided by a major GOP donor from Dallas.]( In this 2017 file photo, members sing along to a song at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix. The annual convention will meet this year in Dallas, starting Tuesday. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) SOUTHERN BAPTIST Convention Generational shifts lead to a moment of #MeToo reckoning On Tuesday and Wednesday, 15,000 Southern Baptists are expected to attend the convention’s annual meeting at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. As they prepare to gather, [the #MeToo movement has made its presence felt firsthand among Baptists](. Leaders and congregants are debating the role of women in ministry. Prominent Baptists are speaking out against some of the most deeply held beliefs of the denomination. Paige Patterson, once a glorified leader enshrined in a stained-glass portrait, has been removed from key roles in a controversy over his treatment of women. Don't expect any seismic shifts, however. Southern Baptists are still Southern Baptists, after all. Some church leaders and observers say most of the dialogue likely will be a confirmation of the denomination's commitment to the Bible's "inerrancy," or absolute truth. That includes a theology of "complementarianism," which places men and women in separate roles and reinforces patriarchal authority, said Karen Seat, a religious studies professor at the University of Arizona. And: [Paige Patterson stepped down from the role of convention preacher]( at the denomination’s annual meeting in Dallas. Harvest America: [Arlington's AT&T Stadium will be full today](, with almost 20,000 more watching the big screens outside the facility. The crowd — just shy of 100,000 in total — will be there for an evening of spectacle, of togetherness and of glory. (DMN File) education Texas A&M System wins $2.5 billion contract with Los Alamos national security lab The Texas A&M University System [has won a $2.5 billion contract to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory]( in New Mexico, one of the world’s largest science and technology institutes. The Department of Energy announced the decision Friday, with Texas A&M joining the University of California, which has run the lab for 75 years, and the Battelle Memorial Institute. The three had formed the group Triad National Security in bidding for the contract, which is for five years with one-year extension options for up to 10 years. The selection of Triad to run the lab, which focuses on national security, is a big win for A&M, Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s alma mater. Meanwhile: MacArthur High School's former band director will not return to the school after the Irving ISD school board [did not accept his request to withdraw his resignation.Â]( And: UT Southwestern Medical Center [has been ranked the No. 1 health care institution by the British scientific journal Nature]( for its output of published research. Advertisement (Stephen Reed/Allie Beth Allman) Photo of the Morning A palatial estate in wealthy Highland Park is up for grabs for a cool $12.5 million. But the house's current owner [may raise some eyebrows as well.]( Also: Dallasites with a love for the scenic North Texas countryside and almost $20 million burning a hole in their pocket [need not look farther for their next 127-acre spread than south Denton County.]( Around The Site - Crime: A Mineral Wells woman [has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a November fatal crash]( that killed her daughter's softball teammate. - Immigration: A Honduran man committed suicide in a Texas jail last month after becoming [distraught over being separated from his wife and 3-year-old child](. - Dealing with suicide: After Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain suicides, [what to say to loved ones who might be at risk.]( - Business: This week in Amazon-o-mania means big tech [gets scrutinized and an Amazon Go store heads to Chicago.]( - Sports: [Justify, owned by Dallas' Kenny Troutt](, becomes the 13th Triple Crown winner after victory in Belmont Stakes. - Radio: The Kidd Kraddick folks are [turning a favorite radio show segment into a card game.]( - Summer: Here's where to [find the best water parks and free splash pads]( in Dallas-Fort Worth. opinion roundup - Opinion: First Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress' gospel of division [does not represent my Dallas.]( - Commentary: [Trump did not invent family separation](. - Editorial: Texas, this mismanaged Medicaid system is [not how we're supposed to treat our most vulnerable citizens.]( - Commentary: Anaya [will keep the Mexican economy moving forward.]( - Editorial: Texas has a good plan to fix its juvenile lockups — [now lawmakers have to act on it.]( - Commentary: What I learned from my 8-year-old daughter [while teaching her about baseball.]( - Commentary: Until Miss America changes, it's [unlikely the U.S. will achieve gender equity.]( Texas had 35 cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis from 196 to 2016. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Finally... Bats, bugs and amoebas, oh my! Which creepy-crawlies you should be wary of this summer It’s about to be summer in Texas, and that means warm-weather-loving bugs and parasites will be taking aim at you and your pets. For those who like to cool off with a dip in one of the state’s many natural watering holes, there are scary-sounding things like brain-eating amoeba to ruin your fun. The potentially deadly waterborne illness is fond of Texas’ warm and stagnant waters. Even a quiet night on a patio or out for a stroll might be interrupted by the innocuously-named kissing bug. But one bite from this creature — to either you or your dog — could transfer a parasite that’s far from harmless. [Here's what you need to know.]( Advertisement 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! 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