Namdar accused of soliciting escort, Santos Rodriguez statue dedicated, Super Bowl LVI predictions: Your weekend roundup

Also, U.S. regulators on Friday put the brakes on their push to speed Pfizer’s COVID-19 to children under 5. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Morning roundup]( [NEWS]( | [BUSINESS]( | [SPORTS]( | [HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS]( | [ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]( | [FOOD]( |[STATE OF THE CITY]( | [THINGS TO DO]( | [OPINION]( | [GAMES AND PUZZLES]( 02/13/2022 By Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌞 Weather: Sunny and milder. High of 63. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Brad Namdar gives a thumbs up as he takes the stage before a forum for Republican candidates running for U.S. representative in the 32nd Congressional District of Texas at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas on Feb. 9, 2022. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) POLITICS [Dallas GOP congressional candidate Brad Namdar accused of soliciting sex from escort]( A woman who works as a professional escort says Brad Namdar, a GOP congressional candidate and anti-human trafficking advocate, [solicited sex from her on two occasions last spring](. The escort said she first met Namdar in May, as he was gearing up for his congressional run. She provided The Dallas Morning News with evidence, including videos, of the alleged sexual encounters. The News is not naming her because she fears retaliation from Namdar and his supporters.  Also: [Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is peddling]( a baseless conspiracy theory that the FBI incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.   Also: Roe vs. Wade [trailblazing lawyer Sarah Weddington is honored]( with memorial at the Texas State Cemetery.  [Test your knowledge of this week’s top headlines and you’ll be entered for the chance to win $100](. [Question 1 of 5]( [D-FW influencer Brittany Dawn faces a deceptive trade practices lawsuit from Texas over which type of business?]( - [Cosmetics]( - [Fitness]( - [Clothing]( - [Snack Foods]( [Start the quiz by choosing your answer](. ADVERTISEMENT SUPER BOWL LVI [‘Same old guy’: Highland Park upbringing set Matthew Stafford up for big stage without changing him]( During a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, his birthday, Matthew Stafford said he’s received a stream of well-wishes from back home, mostly passed along through his father, mother Margaret and sister Page. "It means a lot," he said. "Just brings you back to when I started playing this game and what I love so much about it: competing and creating those relationships with players and coaches. [It means a lot that they’re out there cheering for me](  Also: [Rams’ Von Miller is living his Super Bowl present]( by remembering his past and listening to Future.   And: Check out the SportsDay panel's predictions and [read]( our experts have to say]( about Sunday’s matchup at SoFi Stadium.  A sculpture celebrating the life of 12-year old Santos Rodriguez, was dedicated at Pike Park in Dallas, Saturday, February 12, 2022. Rodriguez was killed July 24, 1973 by a Dallas Police officer after allegedly taking eight dollars from a vending machine. ADVERTISEMENT PHOTO OF THE WEEKEND [Statue of Santos Rodriguez, a 12-year-old boy slain by a Dallas cop, is dedicated]( It took two funeral services to contain all the sorrow in the old Little Mexico barrio when a 12-year-old boy named Santos Rodriguez was murdered by a Dallas police officer in the summer of 1973. The handcuffed child was slain in a Russian roulette-style interrogation over an $8 theft in a crime that shocked the city and the nation. On Saturday, [hundreds of people remembered Santos again as a 6-foot bronze statue in his likeness was dedicated]( to honor "an innocent boy" at Pike Park near downtown. This time, the ceremony was organized by the city of Dallas and a collection of elected officials, city staffers and community advocates determined to press for a citywide reckoning over the child’s murder. AROUND THE SITE - Crime: Mesquite officers [shot a burglary suspect]( during a pursuit early Saturday, police said. - COVID-19: U.S. regulators on Friday [put the brakes on their push to speed Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children under 5]( creating major uncertainty about how soon the shots could become available. - Arlington: A neighborhood near River Legacy Park has had some [unwelcome visitors recently — feral hogs](. ADVERTISEMENT  👋 That's all for this morning! 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