Thousands demand resignation of judge in Baylor case, Hurricane Harvey report prepared for Gov. Greg Abbott: Your Friday morning roundup

December 14,  2018 By Carla Solórzano and Dom DiFurio Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌧️ Weather: Windy and chilly with a 80% chance of rain in the morning. Snow is likely farther to the west. High of 47. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. (Irwin Thompson/Staff Photographer) Courts & crime [Thousands say judge who gave Baylor frat president probation, not prison, in rape case must go]( Thousands of people are demanding the resignation of a state district judge in Waco who accepted a plea deal for an accused rapist that sentenced the student to probation rather than prison. Judge Ralph Strother of the 19th District Court of Texas approved the plea deal for Jacob Walter Anderson. The plea deal includes three years of probation, a $400 fine and an order to seek unspecified counseling. Former Baylor fraternity president Jacob Walter Anderson, 23, of Garland was allowed to plead no contest Monday to a charge of unlawful restraint. Anderson will not be required to register as a sex offender. Meanwhile: Local law enforcement agencies across the country — including multiple North Texas agencies — [responded to what appeared to be widespread hoax bomb threats](. And: [A 7-year-old from Guatemala died while in Border Patrol custody after she and her father were detained]( for entering the United States illegally. Advertisement [ politics [Tech firms helped knock down Texas' bathroom bill. Is Apple's $1B campus the fatal blow?]( Big businesses helped kill the Texas bathroom bill two years ago, targeting it as discriminatory and unnecessary. They said the legislation, which would have required Texans to use the restrooms that match their sex at birth, would have hampered efforts to woo new companies to the state and turned off convention planners and sports leagues looking at venues for events. Now,[some companies are doubling down on that commitment, citing diversity and inclusivity as factors in their decisions](. Apple made this clear Thursday, when it announced a $1 billion investment in the capital city. The bathroom bill, or something like it, may be back when state lawmakers meet in 2019. But opponents of these restroom regulations say the business community will again give them the ammunition they need to shoot down such divisive legislation. And: With a little time and a little growth, [Sen. Ted Cruz's beard went from a laughing matter to an internet sensation](. Also: [The only Texas Democrat in the House to voice opposition to Rep. Nancy Pelosi's bid for speaker is standing down](. Science & Health care [Hurricane Harvey report seeks to 'future-proof' Texas from climate change without saying so directly]( To protect itself from the next major hurricane, Texas will have to build storm-surge barriers, shore up wetlands, buy out residents who live in vulnerable areas, rethink development plans and raise the first floors of existing buildings, suggests a sweeping report prepared for Gov. Greg Abbott and released Thursday afternoon. The recommendations come from Abbott's Commission to Rebuild Texas, led by Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp. In September 2017, Abbott charged Sharp with the task of rebuilding Texas "ahead of schedule, under budget and with a friendly smile." Meanwhile: The deadline to enroll in the federal health insurance marketplace — also known as Obamacare — is Saturday. [Here's where you can get enrollment help](. And: [A disabled mom's MS medicine resulted in bill totaling $123,000](. Her income is $770 a month. Advertisement [ EDITORS' PICKS - Achoo! It’s not just a myth — cold weather actually plays a role in people getting sick, [and here's why that is](. - Entertainment: [What was Chris Vognar's No. 1 movie of the year](? Here is his Top 25 list. - How you can help: Volunteers will lay wreaths on graves at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, [but nearly half will go unadorned](. KXAS anchor Meredith Land poses for a photo with her husband, Xan, son Alexander and daughter McCall at their Dallas home. (Tom Fox/Staff Photographer) Finally... [Peek inside NBC5 anchor Meredith Land's Dallas home to see why there's no place she'd rather be]( Most nights you can find Meredith Land in thousands of homes across North Texas, but on the weekends, there's really only one place she likes to be — hunkered down at her own Dallas address. The journalist often misses the dinner and bedtime routines with her family because she's a part of those things for so many others as an anchor for KXAS-TV (NBC5) nightly newscasts at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. "I'm gone for dinner five nights a week in the newsroom, so on weekends, I just like to be at home — cooking, eating, being with the kids," says Land, 41 Spending time with husband Xan and children McCall, 9, and Alexander, 6, is her top priority. And that sentiment grows even stronger at the holidays, she says. [So, that means lots of catching up, cuddling and Christmasing](. 👋 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=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US  [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Reddit](  [OTHER NEWSLETTERS]( [SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS]( [Unsubscribe](  |  [Manage Preferences](  |  [Privacy Policy](  |  [Contact](  |  [Advertise]( You received this message because you signed up for this Dallas Morning News newsletter or it was forwarded to you. Copyright 2018 - [The Dallas Morning News]( | [1954 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75201](#)