Dallas Housing Costs, STAAR Tests, El Chapo: Your Wednesday Morning Roundup

Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day.🌩️ Weather: Cloudy with thunderstorms. High: 73° before noon, then dropping into the 60s.👋 Stay in touch: Do you want to get this roundup via email? Sign up for our newsletters here.How the US-Canada trade spat could cost Dallas homebuyersA trade spat between President Donald Trump and Canada could cost Dallas homebuyers dearly.This week the Trump administration slapped a 24 percent tax on Canadian softwood lumber, which is extensively used by American homebuilders.A steep tariff on imported wood products would mean even larger price hikes in North Texas where new home prices have already jumped more than 50 percent in the last five years. "Some of the lumber companies are already increasing prices by about 6 to 8 percent," said Paige Shipp with housing analyst Metrostudy Inc. "If lumber costs go up, at the end of the day that will be passed on to the buyer."Coming soon: Legacy West's 29-story tower will bring a taste of Uptown to Plano.Nevermind: One of the big downtown Dallas law firms that was wooed by a new development in Uptown has had a change of heart.  Continue reading...