This Week's Hot Headlines

11 Dallas neighbors declared best places to live and more top stories

Flower Mound and Frisco are among the best places to live in the U.S.

flowermound.gov/

Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week includes the best places to live in 2026, an ambitious new restaurant, and a major mixed-use development. Catch up on the hottest Dallas headlines below, then check out the best things to do on Memorial Day weekend.

1. 11 Dallas neighbors make U.S. News list of best places to live in 2026. A host of Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs have been crowned the best places to live in the U.S. for 2026, according to U.S. News & World Report.

2. Tasting menu restaurant Punk Noir to open in Dallas' Design District. A new restaurant doing a tasting menu only is coming to Dallas' Design District. Called Punk Noir, it'll open with a 20-course tasting menu and an immersive, multi-room design.

Punk Noir is opening June 2 in the Dallas Design District. Courtesy rendering

3. Catch up with the new openings in this Dallas restaurant news. This latest roundup of dining news around Dallas is a powerhouse, with some big openings, a closing, a reopening, a relocation, and a coming-soon.

4. Dallas' Henderson Ave. project lands 11 new tenants from bagels to boots. A major mixed-use development taking shape on Dallas’ Henderson Avenue has signed 11 new retailers and restaurants, including a viral bagel shop, the first Dallas location of a major Western brand, and more food, fashion, and wellness destinations.

5. Starbucks to close Dallas office and cut jobs as part of restructuring. Starbucks will close some U.S. offices, including one in Dallas, and will lay off 300 corporate employees and as part of its ongoing turnaround, the company said Friday, May 15.

hot-headlines us news & world report openings starbucks henderson-avenue most popular stories

Flood Response

New relief fund launches for 2026 Texas Hill Country flood victims

People look out at flood on July 16, 2026 in Center Point, Texas

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The same foundation that collected more than $60 million for the 2025 floods has launched a new fund for 2026.

Texans looking to support Hill Country neighbors affected by floods over the past few days can turn to the same organization they did for the July 2025 floods: The Community Foundation of the Hill Country has launched a new Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund that is accepting donations now.

The foundation emphasizes that the two funds are distinct (last year's was called the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund), so donors should note that their contributions will specifically go toward Hill Country residents affected by the current floods. The money raised will offer emergency assistance and long-term recovery support.

According to the Associated Press, nearly 1 trillion gallons of water fell on the three hardest-hit Texas counties over three days — enough to fill 1.5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools or supply 11 million homes for a year. First responders rushed to save people trapped in high waters Friday, as more heavy rain widened the danger from floods that have killed at least two people and left hundreds more in need of rescue.

Earlier in the week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster in 59 counties including Travis to help emergency services respond quickly.

Although many regional businesses, churches, and other groups organized donations for the 2025 floods, the Community Foundation was the main entity holding and distributing funds. The Kerr County Flood Relief Fund totaled more than $60 million by the end of that July.

"Our hearts break that the Texas Hill Country is once again facing catastrophic flooding. Just one year after the devastating July 2025 floods, many of our neighbors are again in harm's way," said Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country CEO Austin Dickson. "People from across Texas and around the world came together to help Kerr County begin the long road to recovery. As first responders and local and state officials continue their response efforts, the Community Foundation's role is to help ensure communities have the philanthropic resources they need to recover in the weeks, months and years ahead."