Activists delayed the city's planned clearing of a homeless encampment under Interstate 45 in South Dallas on Friday, a week after delaying the closure of another encampment.

• Some activists were armed.

Why it matters: The City of Dallas has received nearly 700 calls in the past month about homeless encampments scattered throughout the city.

• Reducing homelessness is among the top priorities for city manager T.C. Broadnax, who is still on the job after recent complaints from council members about his performance on a broad range of issues.

What happened: About 40 activists gathered outside an encampment Friday morning at Coombs Street to block city marshals and other city staff from moving people's belongings.

• Notices were sent in advance telling people to move their tents and items to allow the city to clean the area, per the Dallas Morning News.
• A week earlier, activists asked for more time before shutting down an encampment that was on private property at Parnell and Gould streets. They were given the weekend, according to a city memo.

State of play: Last year, civic leaders launched a public-private partnership with the goal of housing 2,700 people experiencing homelessness by October 2023, using private funds to incentivize landlords to accept government housing vouchers.

• Street outreach workers visited encampments to match people with housing options.

Keep reading ... on encampments

Roughly 600,000 acres have burned in Texas in 2022 so far — and we couldn't help but wonder how some of the biggest blazes end up with their own names.

Driving the news: Last week, firefighters worked more than a dozen wildfires across the state. Many are still burning.

• The Chalk Mountain fire, near Glen Rose, burned over 6,700 acres and was 10% contained as of Sunday night.
• The 1148 fire at Possum Kingdom Lake, northwest of Tarrant County, has burned over 450 acres. The fire was mostly contained as of Sunday night.

The intrigue: Unlike with hurricanes, the names of big fires don't come from a pre-set running list, the Texas A&M Forest Service tells Axios.

• First responders usually get to name the fire, and they often go with the closest geographic location or landmark.

Details: Chalk Mountain is an area of Erath County that was named after an elevated area with white rock. The community once had a post office and two businesses, but it's now considered a ghost town because of its small population.

• The 1148 fire refers to FM 1148, which traces Possum Kingdom Lake.

Yes, but: Not every wildfire gets a name.

• The forest service says that in regions such as East Texas, where wildfires are frequent, firefighters wait until a blaze has burned over 100 acres of timber and over 300 acres of grass before giving it a proper name.

Full story

Since NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal moved to town a few weeks ago — purchasing a modest $1.2 million, 5,000-square foot home in a gated subdivision in Carrollton — the 7-foot-1, 15-time NBA all-star has been out and about, ingratiating himself in his new community.

What happened: At a Best Buy in Dallas, he laid down a card and gifted a couple a washing machine and a 70-inch TV.

• He also gave a woman sitting on a bench across the street from Babe's Chicken a bag of food, a bottle of cold water, and $100.
• He stopped to take a selfie with a Carrollton cop. (As of earlier this year, Shaq was a badge-carrying major with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.)
• He also dropped by a basketball camp at a middle school in Roanoke.

Flashback: Even before he moved here, Shaq — who spent part of his childhood in San Antonio — has been making public appearances in Texas.

• Last fall, when F1 came to Austin, Shaq entertained spectators, performing a set as DJ Diesel.
• In February, he spoke at a fundraiser for a private school in Southern Dallas.

The very, very big picture: This is just what Shaq does. For years he has sprinkled cash and life lessons on total strangers wherever he goes — usually without much media attention.

The bottom line: Because he plans to open dozens of North Texas locations of his own chicken restaurant over the next year, we expect to see much more of DJ Diesel.

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🕵️‍♂️ Dallas Police say they've arrested a man in connection to a 33-year-old murder case. (WFAA)

🌮 Attorneys for two Dallas customers who are suing Taco Bell have released security video that appears to show someone slinging steaming liquid at the women from behind the counter. (NBC News)

🚫 Parks department officials are asking people not to touch a harmful, white-colored water hemlock plant recently found near White Rock Lake. (FOX4)

👮 A Dallas police officer is accused of displaying an AR-15-style rifle in a "heated argument" with another man in a Lancaster parking lot. (DMN)

💬 Quote du jour:

"We failed."

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👋 Tasha here.

I trekked all the way from Dallas to The Colony to try again to taste the infamous Portillo’s hot dog.

Flashback: My first attempt last week at Klyde Warren Park was stymied by the heat, long lines and plans to attend a book event later in the evening.

Yes, but: I found success at the Truck Yard in the 'burbs, where the wait was a mere 1.5 hours.

• A Portillo's employee said the wait at Klyde Warren was the longest, with the last person standing in line for FIVE hours.

Of note: A nice teenager in line shared the codeword to snag a stylish Portillo's swimsuit.

What I ordered: An Italian beef sandwich and a hot dog, Chicago style.

Six-word review: Dog was OK. Beef was better.

What we're watching: Portillo's will open a permanent location in The Colony later this year.

• After the novelty wears off, will people want fast food hot dogs and beef sandwiches on the reg?