Retired District Judge Michael Chitty on Saturday denied Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial, leaving intact his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.

Chitty offered no detailed explanation in the half-page order after a two-day Collin County hearing.

“Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs, and the relevant case law, the Court has determined that the motion should be denied,” the order states. “It is therefore considered, ordered, and adjudged by the Court that the Motion for New Trial is denied.”

The ruling followed testimony over an unwritten evidence agreement that Anthony’s former lawyers said influenced his decision not to testify, as The Dallas Express previously reported.

Defense heads to Dallas appeals court

Anthony’s lawyers argued that disagreements over the unwritten agreement, limits on public access to the trial and jury instructions deprived him of a fair proceeding. Prosecutors maintained that the original trial was fair and that security restrictions protected the case amid threats and intense public attention.

Visiting Judge Sid Harle recused District Judge John Roach Jr. from the post-trial proceedings on Wednesday after finding that a reasonable observer could question Roach’s impartiality. The recusal did not disturb the jury’s verdict.

“We respectfully disagree with the ruling and remain firmly committed to protecting our client’s rights,” attorney Russell Wilson said, according to a report. “We believe the issues raised in our motion are substantial and deserve meaningful appellate review. The denial of our motion does not end this case. We will continue the appeal in the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue every legal remedy available to our client.”

“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial. The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis (R) said in a statement.

A Collin County jury convicted Anthony, 19, of murder on June 9, 2026 in Metcalf’s April 2, 2025, death at a Frisco ISD track meet at Kuykendall Stadium. Jurors rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim and sentenced him to 35 years in prison.

His direct appeal will proceed in the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. That court can affirm the conviction, reverse it and order a new trial, or return specific issues to the trial court. If the Fifth Court rules against him, Anthony can ask the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to review the case.

Provided by Dallas Express

Morgan Stanley has reportedly picked Dallas over Alpharetta, Georgia, for a phased operational hub involving more than $1.3 billion in planned company and developer spending that city records say could support 4,800 jobs by 2039.

The New York-based financial giant chose Dallas after months of competition between the two cities, the New York Post reported Thursday. Morgan Stanley has not announced the decision publicly.

The reported selection advances a project The Dallas Express covered in June after the Dallas City Council unanimously approved up to $18.5 million in grants plus 90% business personal property tax abatements. The abatements run for five years at the temporary site and 10 years at the permanent site under the city agreement.

A two-step Dallas landing

Morgan Stanley signed a roughly five-year lease in mid-July for 123,000 square feet at Fountain Place, 1445 Ross Ave., with an option to expand, The Dallas Morning News reported Friday.

The city agreement contemplated a 52-month lease for approximately 255,000 square feet at Fountain Place and $96.9 million in real estate and business personal property improvements during 2026 and 2027.

For the permanent phase, Morgan Stanley would enter an approximately 16-year lease for a 708,000-square-foot build-to-suit office building centered at 2401 McKinney Ave. beginning in 2031. Morgan Stanley would spend about $684.2 million, while the developer or landlord would spend another $650 million on the building’s core and shell.

Jobs build through 2039

The city records show a slower employment schedule than the 4,800 jobs by 2031 figure circulating in some reports. Morgan Stanley plans to relocate from outside Dallas or create approximately 1,500 jobs between 2027 and 2031.

After the permanent hub opens, the company would add approximately 2,200 positions by the end of 2035 for a total of 3,800 jobs at the site, including 115 positions moved from elsewhere in the Dallas market. Morgan Stanley has indicated it could add another 1,000 jobs by the end of 2039, bringing the possible total to 4,800.

The expected average annual wage is $128,000 before benefits, according to the city.

Public trail points to Morgan Stanley

Official city sign records identify Morgan Stanley as the tenant at 1445 Ross Ave. and detail four proposed back-lit channel-letter signs bearing the company’s name. City staff recommended approval, and the Special Sign District Advisory Committee approved the 366.3-square-foot southeast sign 5-0 on July 14.

The City Plan Commission approved all four applications on August 6, the Dallas Business Journal reported. The city’s online minutes remain draft and do not display final actions.

Demolition crews also began clearing a former Gold’s Gym on McKinney Avenue earlier this month to make way for the planned tower, the Dallas Business Journal reported on August 11. The city’s estimated project schedule calls for construction to start this fall and operations to begin in 2027.

‘Y’all Street’ lands another heavyweight

Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson (R) cast Morgan Stanley’s interest as proof that the city’s pro-business pitch was working when the council approved the incentive package.

“Morgan Stanley’s engagement with Dallas speaks to the strength of our financial services ecosystem, and I look forward to welcoming the firm to Y’all Street. We have worked hard to make Dallas America’s most pro-business city,” Johnson said in a statement.

City staff estimated the project would produce $64.9 million in net benefits to Dallas over the incentive agreement’s term, or $37.4 million in present value. The agreement ties the grants and tax abatements to job, spending and project milestones.

Johnson sharpened that pitch after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), a democratic socialist, won the Democratic mayoral primary in June 2025, as The Dallas Express previously reported.

Johnson invited concerned New Yorkers and business owners to move to Dallas in a public post on X that week, citing the city’s support for police, free markets and business partners and its rejection of excessive regulation.

The reported Morgan Stanley choice became the latest example of Wall Street firms expanding in Texas after Mamdani’s election, according to the New York Post. Morgan Stanley has not publicly linked its Dallas plans to Mamdani or his policies.

Provided by Dallas Express

Karmelo Anthony’s appeal for a new trial has failed according to multiple sources. Retired Kaufman County Judge Michael Chitty denied an appeal for a new trial on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Anthony’s appellate team cited a number of errors in the trial, including that prosecutors violated a secret agreement made with Anthony’s trial defense team to keep certain evidence — including allegations of racism and violence — from being disclosed to jurors. The Collin County District Attorney’s office has said that it acted ethically during the trial. ]]> https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/22/karmelo-anthonys-motion-for-new-trial-denied-by-north-texas-judge/feed/ 0 https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/22/tiktok-pays-up-in-child-privacy-case/ https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/22/tiktok-pays-up-in-child-privacy-case/#respond Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:00:27 +0000 Syndicated Content 2026-08-22T20:00:27+00:00 https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/22/tiktok-pays-up-in-child-privacy-case/

TikTok and ByteDance agreed to a $400 million settlement in a federal child-privacy case that accused the video platform of collecting personal information from millions of children younger than 13 without their parents’ notice or consent, the Justice Department announced Friday.

TikTok will pay $300 million immediately. Another $100 million will come due if a federal court enters an order vacating a 2019 consent decree against Musical.ly, TikTok’s predecessor. The Justice Department ranked the agreement among the largest recoveries in a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act case.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a separate state lawsuit in January 2025 accusing TikTok of deceptively promoting its app as safe for children. That action raises different claims and remains separate from the federal COPPA settlement.

Settlement splits the payment

The settlement resolves a civil lawsuit the Justice Department filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on a referral from the Federal Trade Commission.

“This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents,” Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said.

The Justice Department said the settlement resolves allegations only and that no court has determined liability.

The department also said TikTok has strengthened safeguards for younger users, improved age controls and expanded parental oversight since the government filed the case in 2024. DOJ credited those changes with advancing the public interest behind the lawsuit.

Complaint detailed alleged privacy failures

The 2024 complaint alleged TikTok knowingly allowed children younger than 13 to create regular accounts, use features available to adults and surrender personal information without parental notice or consent.

The complaint also accused TikTok and ByteDance affiliates of frustrating parents who asked the company to delete their children’s accounts and data. In a sample of approximately 1,700 accounts that drew complaints or deletion requests, roughly 500 remained active as of November 1, 2021, the complaint alleged. Several hundred were still active in March 2023.

The complaint further alleged TikTok’s internal systems and employees identified underage accounts without reliably routing them for deletion. The complaint said the problem affected millions of accounts, although it did not identify an exact total.

A 2019 consent decree required Musical.ly’s successor companies to comply with COPPA and imposed a $5.7 million civil penalty. The new settlement ties its final $100 million payment to a court order vacating that decree.

Texas lawsuit raised a separate claim

Paxton’s 2025 lawsuit accused TikTok of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by marketing the app as safe for children while downplaying the availability of explicit content.

The Texas case focuses on marketing and content-safety claims. The federal settlement centers on data collection, parental consent and account deletion under COPPA.

Provided by Dallas Express

A longtime Fort Worth entertainment venue is preparing to close its gates, giving moviegoers a final opportunity to experience Coyote Drive-In before its 14-year run comes to an end.

The drive-in will operate through Labor Day, with its last movie scheduled for Monday, September 7. Coyote Drive-In opened in 2012 and became a destination for families and movie fans looking for an outdoor alternative to traditional theaters.

Planned Construction Will End Drive-In’s Run

The theater’s closure is connected to planned development on the property as part of Fort Worth’s Trinity River Vision project.

The Tarrant Regional Water District plans to begin construction this fall on two canals and a three-acre park at the site. Under the terms of Coyote Drive-In’s lease, the district had the right to end the agreement when construction on the project was set to begin.

The water district has now exercised that provision, bringing the drive-in’s run at the location to an end.

Coyote Drive-In Reflects On Its Legacy

Glenn Solomon, managing partner of Coyote Drive-In Fort Worth, said the venue was created with the goal of providing a place where people could gather and spend time together.

Besides screening movies, Coyote has also served as a meeting space for corporate events, birthday parties, and other special occasions under its covered outdoor cantina.  The pet-friendly 20-acre venue includes a children’s playground, a variety of outdoor games for all to enjoy, live music on weekends, and a canteen offering fresh-made pizzas, cheeseburgers hot off the grill, Wagyu sliders, gourmet popcorn, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and much more.

Solomon expressed gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of people who visited the drive-in over the years, as well as its employees, business partners, and supporters throughout the Fort Worth area.

The theater also credited General Manager Chris Fortune, who has worked at Coyote Drive-In since its opening. Solomon described Fortune as an important part of the venue’s history and credited his leadership with helping establish the drive-in as a community destination.

With its final night approaching, Coyote Drive-In is inviting customers to return for one last movie beneath the North Texas sky before the venue closes permanently on September 7.

Provided by Dallas Express

A 48-year-old father in Japan was reprimanded by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji while continuing toward the summit with his older son, authorities said.

The man from Nagoya was climbing Mount Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail on August 20 with his two sons, ages 7 and about 12 or 13, when the younger child became tired and was unable to continue.

The boy was left near the trail’s sixth station, about 2,500 meters, or roughly 8,000 feet, above sea level. His father reportedly told him to “wait here” before continuing the climb with his older son.

Child Found Alone By Mountain Hut Worker

The climb from the sixth station to Mount Fuji’s summit and back can take roughly 7 1/2 hours. Based on typical hiking times, the father may have left the child alone at about 4:30 a.m.

A worker at a mountain hut found the boy sitting by himself on a bench around 7:40 a.m. The worker brought him inside and contacted police.

Rain was falling and fog was beginning to develop when the child was found. Conditions on Mount Fuji can change rapidly, creating additional risks for hikers, particularly children traveling alone.

The boy was not injured.

By the time police located the father, he had reportedly reached an area near the eighth station. Officers instructed him to turn around and return to his younger son.

The father was eventually reunited with the boy.

Police Warned Father About Decision

Police reprimanded the father and told him that leaving his young son alone on the mountain was unacceptable, even if it meant giving up the climb.

The father reportedly acknowledged his decision was a mistake.

“I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it,” he told police, per KOMO News.

Authorities also urged hiking groups to remain together and to plan their pace according to the member with the least stamina.

Police had not indicated whether the father would face formal criminal charges or other penalties.

Mount Fuji is a popular destination for hikers, but its high elevation and rapidly changing weather can make conditions hazardous. The incident serves as a reminder that hikers should prepare for changing conditions and avoid separating from members of their group, particularly young children.

Provided by Dallas Express

Women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy were less likely to show the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new Stanford Medicine study published in the journal Neurology.

Researchers examined data from 21,462 participants, including autopsy results from 258 women who had reported using estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy and about 2,701 women who reported no use of menopausal hormone therapy. The researchers looked directly for Alzheimer’s-related amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, two defining features of the disease.

The women who had used estrogen-only therapy had 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s pathology. They also had 39% lower odds of a lifetime clinical dementia diagnosis, while data from living participants showed better memory performance and greater ability to function independently among estrogen-only users.

Study Focused on Estrogen-Only Therapy

Many of the women receiving estrogen-only therapy had undergone hysterectomies. Women without a uterus can generally receive estrogen without the progestin used to protect the uterine lining in women who still have a uterus.

The researchers said the distinction is important because earlier research often combined different hormone formulations, making it difficult to determine whether estrogen itself was associated with cognitive outcomes.

The study also examined blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, which supported the findings from the autopsied brains.

“Our study is unique in that we looked at all the standards of Alzheimer’s diagnosis, including the gold-standard outcome: Alzheimer’s-associated hallmarks in autopsied brains,” said senior author Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, according to Stanford Medicine News Center.

The researchers said estrogen may have several effects that could help explain the findings, including effects on amyloid processing, tau proteins, synaptic function, neuroinflammation and the blood-brain barrier.

Findings Do Not Establish Cause and Effect

The researchers cautioned that the study was observational and therefore cannot establish that estrogen therapy prevents Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Women who used hormone therapy could have differed from nonusers in ways the study could not fully measure, including their underlying health and interactions with the healthcare system. The researchers adjusted for several known factors, including age, education, race, hypertension and APOE4 status, but said observational research has limitations.

The study also cannot be generalized to all forms of menopausal hormone therapy. The analysis did not establish the effects of estrogen-plus-progestin treatment, and topical estrogen users were not included in the analysis. Researchers also lacked complete information about when participants began therapy, the specific formulations they used and how long they remained on treatment.

Findings Revisit Earlier Hormone Therapy Research

The findings contrast with concerns raised by earlier studies, particularly the Women’s Health Initiative and its subsequent memory study, which associated estrogen-plus-progestin therapy with increased dementia risk when treatment was initiated at older ages.

Researchers said differences in hormone formulations, participants’ ages when treatment began, routes of administration, and study outcomes may help explain why research on hormone therapy and dementia has produced conflicting results.

More recent research has suggested that menopausal hormone therapy may have different effects depending on when treatment begins. The Stanford researchers noted that the women in the current study tended to be older, meaning the findings could potentially underestimate an association seen when therapy is started during or soon after menopause.

Still, the study does not change current clinical recommendations or establish that women should begin hormone therapy to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

“These results add meaningful, first-of-their-kind pathological evidence to a genuinely controversial area — but they are a signal for further study, not a reason to start or stop MHT for brain health,” said Jennifer Bruno, Ph.D., an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford and a study co-author, per Fox News.

The researchers said prospective studies following women before, during, and after menopause, while tracking brain imaging and blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, could help determine whether the timing and type of hormone therapy affect later Alzheimer’s risk.

Provided by Dallas Express

The State Fair of Texas is lowering admission and official parking prices for its 2026 run after fairgoers raised concerns about the overall cost of attending.

Adult daily admission will be $15 Monday through Thursday and $25 Friday through Sunday, a $2 reduction from 2025.

Seniors aged 60 and over can attend the fair on Senior Day Thursdays for just $7, Monday-Wednesday for $13, and Friday, Saturday, or Sunday for $20.

Children ages 3 through 12 will pay $10 regardless of the day, while children 2 and younger enter for free. Admission after 5 p.m. will be $10 for adults and seniors Monday through Thursday and $20 Friday through Sunday.

Official State Fair parking will also drop by $5 to $25 per day.

More Ways To Save

The fair will continue several discount programs throughout its 24-day run.

On Opening Day, September 25, guests who bring two jars of peanut butter for the North Texas Food Bank can receive $10 admission.

Feed the Need Wednesdays will offer $7 admission to guests who bring five canned food items, while seniors can receive $7 admission every Thursday.

Active-duty and retired military members, veterans, first responders, and eligible law enforcement personnel can receive $5 off admission with valid identification.

Participating McDonald’s locations will also distribute coupons offering $5 off adult admission.

Big Tex Insiders can purchase $12 admission online on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a promotional code. The fair also offers free admission opportunities for students and teachers through participating school districts and other programs.

For visitors planning multiple trips, the 2026 digital season pass will cost $52 and provides admission once per day throughout the fair. A commemorative hard-card season pass will cost $60 at the gate or $62 online and includes additional benefits.

Fair Seeks To Provide Greater Value

The State Fair said the price changes followed feedback from visitors during the 2025 season. Organizers said they reviewed the overall cost of attending and worked with vendors and partners to identify ways to make the fair more accessible without reducing attractions or programming.

“Families have always been at the heart of the State Fair of Texas, and every year we listen closely to what our fairgoers tell us about their experience,” said Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas. “Our goal is to make it easier for families to plan a State Fair day that works for them and get the most from their time at the State Fair.”

Mitchell Glieber, president of the State Fair of Texas, said lower prices will not come at the expense of the fair’s attractions and traditions.

“Providing greater value does not mean compromising the State Fair experience,” Glieber said.

As a nonprofit organization, the State Fair uses revenue to support scholarships, agricultural education, youth programs and community initiatives. The organization said it has invested nearly $8 million in local and statewide initiatives since launching its Community Affairs program in 2016.

2026 State Fair Dates

The 2026 State Fair of Texas will run from September 25 through October 18 at Fair Park in Dallas. This year’s theme is “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies.”

Advance daily tickets will go on sale online on September 1, although online prices will include processing fees and may be higher than gate prices.

Provided by Dallas Express

Canadian authorities detained Jay Sunilbharthi Goswami, a 21-year-old Indian national living in New Jersey, at Toronto Pearson International Airport one day after a federal magistrate judge released him on pretrial conditions, federal prosecutors announced Friday. Investigators found a booking for Goswami on a flight to Qatar scheduled to depart that evening.

A criminal complaint accuses Goswami of serving as a courier in an internet- and telephone-based scheme that allegedly cost nine victims approximately $7,559,185.

It charges him with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The charges are allegations. Goswami is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Couriers allegedly collected cash and gold

IRS Criminal Investigation learned of the suspected operation in January 2026. The complaint alleges that conspirators falsely told older victims that someone had compromised their bank accounts, money or personal information.

The perpetrators then allegedly posed as law enforcement officers or other authority figures and pressured victims to convert their assets into cash, gold or gift cards. Couriers would collect the cash or gold and deliver it to other members of the alleged conspiracy, prosecutors said.

Goswami personally collected or conspired to collect cash and gold from victims in New York and New Jersey on at least nine occasions, the complaint alleges. The nine victims ranged from 59 to 87 and lost a combined $7,559,185.

Goswami also deposited more than $90,000 in cash into a Bank of America account between August 1, 2025, and April 6, 2026. Investigators believe the deposits were consistent with compensation he allegedly received for serving as a courier.

Canadian authorities detain Goswami before Qatar flight

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen released Goswami on conditions Monday after his initial court appearance. At approximately 10:25 a.m. Tuesday, he crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada, prosecutors said. Law enforcement later found a booking for him on a flight from Toronto to Doha, Qatar, scheduled to depart that evening.

The U.S. Probation Office submitted a violation report, and the court issued an arrest warrant.

Canadian authorities detained Goswami at Toronto Pearson at approximately 7:13 p.m. on immigration grounds. Canadian authorities formally arrested him Thursday pursuant to a U.S. request for provisional arrest. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is assisting with efforts to extradite him to the United States.

The Justice Department release identified Goswami as a citizen of India living in Jersey City but did not disclose his immigration status in the United States.

Similar scams reached Texas

A federal court in Austin sentenced Indian national Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, 21, to 97 months in prison on November 13, 2025. The court also ordered him to pay $2,515,780 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in a similar elder-fraud operation.

The scheme included a Fort Worth woman who surrendered $30,000 to a courier after a caller falsely claimed that criminals had linked her Social Security number to money laundering, the Justice Department said.

A separate multinational case involving victims in Texas used the same tactic of sending couriers to collect cash and gold after scammers posed as government officials, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

Provided by Dallas Express