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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Michael Mooney and Tasha Tsiperas.

Axios Dallas Thought Bubble

Axios Dallas

The bill is coming due for the rising home prices across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Driving the news: The appraisal districts have begun sending the appraised property values for this tax year, and many people are experiencing sticker shock. 

Why it matters: Higher property appraisals likely mean higher property taxes, which affects homeowners and renters alike. 

The median house price in D-FW increased more than 18% from 291,000 in 2020 to 345,000 in 2021, according to Texas A&M's Texas Real Estate Research Center. 

What's happening: The Dallas County Appraisal District is expecting as many as 200,000 protests over the latest appraisals, per WFAA. 

Collin County expects as many as 100,000 protests, and Denton County expects as many as 120,000. 

Tarrant County says appraisals increased about 20% this year, and protests have tripled since 2015, per the Star-Telegram. 

Yes, but: Per state law, all homeowners are protected by a 10% appraisal cap — any appraisal increase above 10% is exempt from taxation — a provision just for a situation like today's real estate market.

School taxes are also frozen for homeowners age 65 or older or disabled.

What they're saying: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson made it clear in an email to constituents that the city isn't in charge of property appraisals.

"The City of Dallas doesn’t have any say over the way your property is valued," Johnson wrote. "And the city doesn’t even make up most of your tax bill; school districts take the bulk of the money."

How to protest: If you think your property appraisal is just too darn high, you can file a protest with your appraisal district. 

Collin County: You can fill out this form. 

Denton County: You can file through this portal. 

Tarrant County: You file online with TAD. Here's a how-to.

How to protest North Texas' skyrocketing property appraisals

The median house price in D-FW increased more than 18% from 291,000 in 2020 to 345,000 in 2021.

Illustration of an open envelope stylized as a house with a door, windows and a welcome mat.   

The bill is coming due for the rising home prices across Dallas-Fort Worth.Driving the news: The appraisal districts have begun sending the appraised property values for this tax year, and many people are experiencing sticker shock.

Real Estate

A new documentary tells some of the personal stories behind the stunning rise and eventual fall of the stock value of GameStop in early 2021.

Why it matters: The two-part "Gaming Wall Street" explains how a group of amateur traders on a Reddit forum banded together to fight the hedge funds short selling the video game retailer’s stock — making headlines around the world — and how the movement eventually collapsed, revealing unseen forces in the American stock market. 

Details: The documentary is narrated by Kieran Culkin, who plays Roman Roy in HBO’s "Succession," and it features interviews with some Reddit users who lost thousands of dollars when the trading app Robinhood interrupted buying, which led to the GameStop price tumbling. 

One trader was living in his car during the GameStop financial frenzy. “​​From my car, on borrowed WiFi, I can be an extremely tiny part of screwing over Wall Street,” he says in the movie.

Zoom out: The film also draws a direct line from the failed GameStop short squeeze back to the financial crisis of 2008, including several references to 2015’s "The Big Short." 

In grandiose and sometimes flowery rhetoric, the documentary serves as an attempted indictment of modern capitalism, with several references to the need to “level the playing field” in America. 

The big picture: Since the short squeeze, an SEC report debunked most of the conspiracy theories surrounding the stock’s plummet and GameStop has announced it’s creating an NFT marketplace. 

"Gaming Wall Street" explains 2021’s GameStop financial frenzy

Gaming Wall Street explains how a group of amateur traders on a Reddit forum banded together to fight the hedge funds short selling the video game retailer’s stock.

A phone in front of the logos of several companies

A new documentary tells some of the personal stories behind the stunning rise and eventual fall of the stock value of GameStop in early 2021.Why it matters: The two-part &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gaming Wall Street" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViEKPjkjEWI" data-vars-content-id="2e04b003-fb11-4583-bb0a-c95b44074fad" data-vars-headline="&quot;Gaming Wall Street&quot; explains 2021’s GameStop financial frenzy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViEKPjkjEWI" target="_blank">Gaming Wall Street</a>&quot; explains how a group of amateur traders on a Reddit forum banded together to fight the hedge funds short selling the video game retailer’s stock — making <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="headlines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55843829" data-vars-content-id="2e04b003-fb11-4583-bb0a-c95b44074fad" data-vars-headline="&quot;Gaming Wall Street&quot; explains 2021’s GameStop financial frenzy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55843829" target="_blank">headlines</a> around the world — and how the movement eventually collapsed, revealing unseen forces in the American stock market.

Business

News

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, of Fort Worth, has been released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia, where he had been detained since 2019. 

Why it matters: Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court in 2020 after being arrested for allegedly assaulting two police officers. His family and the U.S. government said the charges were false and politically motivated, reports Axios' Jacob Knutson.

Flashback: Reed's family stood outside along Joe Biden's motorcade route hoping to get the president's attention during his March visit to Fort Worth. 

Biden said he couldn't stop the car but pointed to the family and later called them promising he would arrange a meeting with them, per the Star-Telegram. 

Reed's parents traveled to Washington and held up signs outside the White House. They were called to visit with the president, who said, "We're working, don't get your hopes up too high," the family said.

Details: Reed was released by Russia in exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian citizen serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to smuggle more than $100 million worth of cocaine into the U.S., Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

"The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly," Biden said in a statement.

What they're saying: The Reed family said their son is on his way back to the U.S. but will need time before he shares his story. 

"We’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag," the family said in a statement. 

The big picture: Reed was one of at least three high-profile cases of an American being held in Russian prisons.

WNBA player Brittney Griner was detained in February on drug charges, and former Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 on spying charges, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020.

Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas

The Reed family said he will need time before he shares his story.

American Trevor Reed behind bars while held in Russia

Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, of Fort Worth, has been released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia, where he had been detained since 2019. Why it matters: Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court in 2020 after being arrested for allegedly assaulting two police officers. His family and the U.S. government said the charges were false and politically motivated, reports <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Jacob Knutson" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-swap-11ecb8a2-0abb-4c1a-ace9-9d30c167f07f.html" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-swap-11ecb8a2-0abb-4c1a-ace9-9d30c167f07f.html" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Jacob Knutson</a>.Flashback: Reed&#x27;s family stood outside along Joe Biden&#x27;s motorcade route hoping to get the president&#x27;s attention during his March visit to Fort Worth. <ul><li>Biden said he couldn&#x27;t stop the car but pointed to the family and later called them promising he would arrange a meeting with them, per the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Star-Telegram" data-vars-click-url="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article259159638.html" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article259159638.html" target="_blank">Star-Telegram</a>. </li><li>Reed&#x27;s parents traveled to Washington and held up signs outside the White House. They were called to visit with the president, who said, &quot;We&#x27;re working, don&#x27;t get your hopes up too high,&quot; the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="family said" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/biden-meets-trevor-reed-parents-former-us-marine-stages-hunger-strike/287-455d5646-5782-4a73-ab67-ff4c329aaeaf" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/biden-meets-trevor-reed-parents-former-us-marine-stages-hunger-strike/287-455d5646-5782-4a73-ab67-ff4c329aaeaf" target="_blank">family said</a>.</li></ul>Details: Reed was released by Russia in exchange for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Konstantin Yaroshenko" data-vars-click-url="https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/September11/yaroshenkokonstantinsentencingpr.pdf" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/September11/yaroshenkokonstantinsentencingpr.pdf" target="_blank">Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian citizen serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to smuggle more than $100 million worth of cocaine into the U.S., Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="said on Telegram" data-vars-click-url="https://t.me/MariaVladimirovnaZakharova/2496" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://t.me/MariaVladimirovnaZakharova/2496" target="_blank">said on Telegram</a>.<ul><li>&quot;The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly,&quot; Biden said in a statement.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: The Reed family said their son is on his way back to the U.S. but will need time before he shares his story. <ul><li>&quot;We’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag,&quot; the family said in a statement. </li></ul>The big picture: Reed was one of at least three high-profile cases of an American being held in Russian prisons.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="WNBA player Brittney Griner" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/brittney-griner-us-officials-denied-access-72498254-f444-410f-8b0b-f900319bc0cf.html" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/brittney-griner-us-officials-denied-access-72498254-f444-410f-8b0b-f900319bc0cf.html" target="_self">WNBA player Brittney Griner</a> was detained in February on drug charges, and former Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 on spying charges, was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sentenced to 16 years in prison" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/paul-whelan-russian-prison-sentence-b9cc981b-84a9-4630-9c24-899c3e2472fe.html" data-vars-content-id="e5c6ef45-4051-4f36-b4b0-efe7aa6b5d03" data-vars-headline="Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/paul-whelan-russian-prison-sentence-b9cc981b-84a9-4630-9c24-899c3e2472fe.html" target="_self">sentenced to 16 years in prison</a> in June 2020.</li></ul>

Kandy Kaye Horn, a retired mortgage broker and philanthropist from Terrell, is the only woman running in the crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, March 1.

She’s also the only candidate who assumes the title of "baroness," which she bought online for $20,000.

Why it matters: Though she has virtually no chance in the race for governor, Horn has spent a reported $1.4 million of her own money campaigning, mostly in the form of billboards across Texas. She calls herself "a different kind of Republican."

Context: Horn is polling at around 1% in the Republican primary, according to recent data from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project. That puts her in sixth in the eight-candidate field. 

No incumbent governor in Texas has lost his or her party’s nomination since 1978, according to Ballotpedia.

Background: Horn has a rags-to-riches story. She grew up with a single mother who died when Horn was 15. She graduated from TCU then got her MBA at UTA before becoming a successful mortgage broker in Houston. 

Her foundation has reportedly given away millions to nonprofits that help vulnerable people find jobs.

Details: Horn wants to legalize marijuana and release low-level drug offenders from Texas prisons.

She also says all public school teachers should get a raise and each school day should start with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, according to her website.

What they’re saying: "At least I put myself out there as a different alternative as a different choice. Certainly I have some different ideas than all the men that are on the podium,​​" Horn told Texas Monthly.

A Republican baroness is running for governor of Texas

Though she has virtually no chance in the race for governor, Horn has spent a reported $1.4 million of her own money campaigning.

Kandy Kaye Horn has spent more than $1 million on billboards like this across the state. Photo: Courtesy of Cormac West

Kandy Kaye Horn, a retired mortgage broker and philanthropist from Terrell, is the only woman running in the crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, March 1.<ul><li>She’s also the only candidate who assumes the title of &quot;baroness,&quot; which she bought online for $20,000.</li></ul>

Carolyn DiPaolo

Featured stories

Trevor Reed released from Russia, returns home to North Texas

How to protest North Texas' skyrocketing property appraisals

"Gaming Wall Street" explains 2021’s GameStop financial frenzy

A Republican baroness is running for governor of Texas