Morning friends,

Today is the last day to guarantee Christmas gifts are delivered on time using USPS Priority Mail. For a fatter fee, you’ll probably be able to finagle a pre-Christmas delivery with USPS Express or another shipping service.

With that in mind, please remember it’s porch pirate season. Last year, $2 billion worth of packages disappeared from Texans’ doorsteps. Here’s how to better prevent a grinch’s package swipe.

👉 Only schedule deliveries for when you’ll be home, then track closely

👉 Use delivery lockers and in-store pickups, when possible

👉 Keep your yard and porch well-lit to deter thieves

👉 Request delivery services to hide your packages

👉 Ask trusted neighbors or building management to hold your deliveries

May you successfully send and receive this season. 🤞

DFW-area foodies: Be on the lookout for these new restaurants. (Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock)

By Sydni Ellis

Skip “the usual” and head somewhere new for dinner in 2026. (New year, new eats, anyone?) There are many new restaurants coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in 2026, from steakhouses to sandwich shops and everything in between.

Milanese food? A Mexican steakhouse? A tasting menu-only restaurant?! You can get it all here at one of these fabulous new restaurants this year. Some are new to the area, while others are brand-new altogether—and we want to try them all!

This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are 10 restaurants we are looking forward to the most.

🗳️ A hands-on approach: Dallas County Republicans are changing a few things for the 2026 primary elections, and they’re pretty big. Ballots received on Election Day will now be counted by hand rather than electronic machines. There will also be 100 fewer polling places in the March elections. Get the details here. (Dallas Express)

⚽ Recession-tier tickets: After an uproar about the price of World Cup tickets, FIFA has decided to make 10% of tickets $60 each. Initially, they ranged from $140 to $2,735. (NPR)

🏳️‍⚧️ Texas’ trans list: The state of Texas is using DMV data to create a list of trans Texans. In a year’s time, it amassed a list of 110 people who tried to update their gender on their licenses. It’s unclear how the information will be used. (KERA)

Here are some things to do around the metroplex this weekend 

🖤 Buy Black Holiday Market – Dallas

🎨 Fort Worth Food, Art, and Craft Show – Fort Worth

🏃‍♀️ Frost Marathon – Irving

🎄 Tipsy Elf – Dallas

🎁 Christmas Lego Show – Arlington

🎷 Jazz at the Museum – Dallas

🏈 Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza – Frisco

🏒 Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs – Dallas

🩰 Texas Ballet Theater’s The Nutcracker – Fort Worth 

🐴 Downtown Carriage Rides – Waxahachie

🎪 Cirque Frost – Grapevine

🧝 Movies on the Lawn: Elf – Dallas

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere, with reporting from Sydni Ellis. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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