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Axios Dallas
What to do at the State Fair of Texas
This year's state fair lineup includes bubbly performances, dinosaurs, a water balloon fight and live music for days.The big picture: Check the fair's visitors guide to plan your outing. You can save money on admission and food, too.Details: Lonestar, CeeLo Green, Chrisette Michele and La Zenda Norteña are performing on opening weekend. There are also rodeos throughout the weekend.Here are some noteworthy events this year.🎤 Concerts: Performers include rapper Lil Jon on Oct. 7, a Selena tribute on Oct. 8, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus on Oct. 21 and We The Kings that night.You can also hear anything from mariachi to...
Dateline NBC revisits Dallas murder-for-hire plot
"Dateline" on NBC will begin its 32nd season on Friday with a closer look at the 2020 killing of an American Airlines manager as part of a murder-for-hire plot.Why it matters: This is the second North Texas case featured on the popular true-crime show this year.Catch up fast: Jamie Faith was fatally shot in front of his Oak Cliff home in October 2020. His wife, Jennifer Faith, initially said she didn't know who shot him.Authorities say Jennifer Faith and Darrin Lopez were in a relationship and she falsely told Lopez her husband was abusing her, encouraging him to kill Jamie Faith.Lopez was was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 62 years in prison. Jennifer Faith was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder.What's new: Lopez, a retired special forces medic, spoke exclusively to "Dateline" about the case and his relationship with Jennifer Faith.The two-hour episode also includes interviews with investigators, lawyers, reporters, friends and family members.How to watch: "Losing Faith" airs at 8pm Friday on NBC.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
Dallas will be a federal health innovation hub
Dallas will be one of the three main sites of the newest federal agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).Why it matters: President Biden created the $2.5 billion agency with the aim of making breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.Several regions across the country were lobbying to get an ARPA-H hub.Dallas' recent selection as a customer experience hub will create new jobs and allow Fort Worth and other Texas cities to be part of ARPA-H's research.The big picture: "For years, when you mentioned bio life sciences and health research, people mentioned Boston and Silicon Valley. Now they'll...
Why Cleveland is a worth a visit
Cleveland…rocks?A recent visit to catch a baseball game proved the city is worth a visit, especially for Texans wanting to experience actual fall weather.The intrigue: Cleveland was once one of the most populated cities in the country but its population has been steadily declining. The city now has half as many residents as it did in 1950.Its downtown buildings and older neighborhoods hint at what was once a thriving metropolis.But! Cleveland was fun to visit. Here's a Texan's take on what to do:Catch a game. Downtown stadiums are the best. Cleveland Guardians fans cheered like they still had a chance...
Assault weapon mass shootings on the rise in Texas
Data:Â Everytown for Gun Safety. Chart: Jared Whalen and Kavya Beheraj/AxiosAssault weapons are playing a bigger role in Texas mass shootings, per a new national database.Why it matters: More than twice as many people are killed in mass shootings involving assault weapons and high-capacity magazines than shootings involving other types of guns, according to The Smoking Gun database.Threat level: Nine of 14, or 64%, of mass shootings in Texas since 2016 involved assault weapons, according to the database by Everytown, a group co-founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that advocates for gun restrictions.Nationally, assault weapons were used in 35%...
North Texas auto parts workers on UAW's picket lines
Several dozen workers at two North Texas auto parts distribution centers have been picketing since Friday, demanding better wages and benefits from the carmakers that employ them.Driving the news: Today marks the 13th day the United Auto Workers union has been on strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.The union expanded its strike on Friday to parts distribution centers for Stallantis and GM, enabling dozens of workers in Roanoke and Carrollton distribution centers to walk out and form picket lines.Why it matters: A drawn-out strike could stall car repairs at local dealerships affiliated with GM and Stallantis, which makes Chrysler...
Dallas-area auto parts workers join nationwide strike
Parts distribution workers in Roanoke and Carrollton have joined a nationwide strike against GM and Stellantis, which produces Dodge and Chrysler.What's happening: The United Auto Workers wants wage increases and better benefits for the nearly 150,000 unionized workers at the Big Three.The automakers want a contract that allows them to maintain profits and sell electric vehicles at an affordable price.Why it matters: There's never been a strike against all three automakers at once, and this one could stretch out for a long time, Axios' Nathan Bomey and Joann Muller report.North Texas has several facilities that serve the automakers, including the...
Two Dallas-area breweries earn Great American Beer honors
Two North Texas breweries medaled at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver over the weekend.Why it matters: This is the premier U.S. beer contest, and the competition for the best brews has gotten stiff.Who won: Bankhead Brewing Co. in Rowlett won gold in the Bock category for its Hootenanny, and bronze for its South German-style Hefeweizen named Hoofer's Hef.Windmills at Grandscape won silver in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category for its Black Market Liver.The intrigue: Bankhead was inspired by the Bankhead Highway, one of the country's first transcontinental highways that ran from Washington D.C. to San Diego and passed through Rowlett.Windmills, run by a "tech nerd from Texas," is also in India and offers music, beer and South Asian-inspired food.Zoom out: Several breweries in the Austin and San Antonio areas also medaled this year.The Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, a rural city west of Austin, also won prizes in two categories.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
Ben Fountain's new novel is a thriller set in Haiti
Dallas author Ben Fountain's first novel since the acclaimed "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" is about a CIA agent and a treasure hunt, set in a recently upended Haiti.Driving the news: "Devil Makes Three" goes on sale this week. A Kirkus review calls it a "tale of humanitarian and political tragedy."Why it matters: Since being heralded as a 10,000-hour "late bloomer" genius by Malcolm Gladwell, Fountain has become Dallas' most celebrated author."Billy Lynn" was a bestselling sensation before it was adapted into a big-budget Hollywood movie.Background: Fountain first visited Haiti in 1991. He tells Axios he was drawn there by...
Ben Fountain's new novel is a thriller set in Haiti
Dallas author Ben Fountain's first novel since the acclaimed "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" is about a CIA agent and a treasure hunt, set in a recently upended Haiti.Driving the news: "Devil Makes Three" goes on sale this week. A Kirkus review calls it a "tale of humanitarian and political tragedy."Why it matters: Since being heralded as a 10,000-hour "late bloomer" genius by Malcolm Gladwell, Fountain has become Dallas' most celebrated author."Billy Lynn" was a bestselling sensation before it was adapted into a big-budget Hollywood movie.Background: Fountain first visited Haiti in 1991. He tells Axios he was drawn there by...
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to the Republican Party
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is now a Republican.Driving the news: Johnson announced the switch in a Friday Wall Street Journal article in which he wrote "cities need Republicans."The mayor has often been in the minority on the left-leaning City Council, including last week when he was one of five votes against the newest budget, saying property owners should've gotten a larger tax cut.Why it matters: Johnson is now the only Republican mayor among the nation's 10 largest cities. And even though its electorate remains majority Democratic, Dallas is now the largest Texas city with a GOP leader.Yes, but: The mayor...
Dallas City Council passes biggest budget yet
The Dallas City Council voted 10-5 this week to approve a record $4.6 billion city budget, despite a push by the mayor and four other council members to give residents a bigger property tax cut.Why it matters: Even with the new property tax rate of 73.57 cents per $100 valuation — a 1-cent reduction — homeowners are still likely to see a larger tax bill because of increasing property values. Dallas' rate is higher than that of neighboring cities.Catch up fast: Last year, the City Council unanimously passed a $4.5 billion budget. At the time, the mayor called it...
NorthPark exhibit highlights Dallas' Forest Theater fundraiser
NorthPark Center has a new exhibit on the Forest Theater, a southern Dallas landmark that's been around since 1949 but has remained dormant for over a decade.Why it matters: The exhibit coincides with a fundraising campaign to restore The Forest, which was once a stop for big-name artists like Prince, The Roots and Dave Chappelle.The big picture: The Forest Theater's restoration is part of a larger $75 million plan intended to "ignite a just, healthy and thriving South Dallas," according to Forest Forward, the nonprofit overseeing the project.Details: "Forest Forward: The Future Is Here" is on display through Oct. 17 on level one, near Nordstrom and Macy's.The free exhibit explores the theater's glory years, Dallas' North-South divide and efforts to revive the theater.The film "MVMTLS," meaning "Movement of Lone Stars," will run on a loop during the exhibit.How to help: Forest Forward is still raising funds for the restoration, which will include a cafe, restaurant, performance space and recording studio.Donations are being matched at five times their amount.Go deeper: The Forest Theater's second actGet more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
A gun show is coming to Allen, Texas, just 4 months after a mass shooting
Four months after a gunman killed eight people and injured seven more at an outlet mall in Allen, a local company is organizing a gun show less than a mile away.Driving the news: The Allen Gun Show will take place this weekend at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.Why it matters: An event promising "over 500 tables of guns, knives, ammo and shooting supplies" so close to the site of a recent mass shooting is paradigmatic of the gun-rights divide in America.While mass shootings often fuel debate over gun regulation, several studies have shown that they also lead to...
Men's T20 World Cup is coming to Grand Prairie
The Men's T20 World Cup will hold matches in Grand Prairie next year — and it will be historic.Driving the news: The International Cricket Council announced yesterday that in addition to Grand Prairie, Broward County, Florida, and Nassau County, New York, will be the host sites for the tournament.Why it matters: Cricket was in the Americas long before the U.S. became a country, but this is the first time the widely watched T20 World Cup will be held here.State of play: The ICC announced in November 2021 that the U.S and West Indies would be co-hosts of the Men's World...
How North Texas universities fared in new national rankings
UT Dallas and UT Arlington were the clear local winners in the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best national universities.Why it matters: Many prospective students, parents, and school counselors often use the rankings to choose colleges and universities.The big picture: SMU, TCU, and UT Dallas made the top 10 Texas colleges list.SMU and TCU remain the top schools in North Texas, but both dropped in the national rankings.Details: SMU dropped 17 spots from last year to land in 89th place, while TCU dropped nine spots to take 98th place.UT Dallas jumped up 35 spots to earn 115th place, and UT Arlington climbed 62 spots for the 236th spot.The University of North Texas went up 24 spots, landing in the 260th spot.The upshot: TCU, SMU, and UT Dallas all moved up on the list of best-value colleges. TCU now ranks 92nd, SMU ranks 121st, and UT Dallas ranks 166th.UT Arlington ranks 26th nationally as a top performer on social mobility for graduating students.Yes, but: The annual rankings have come under scrutiny in recent years over whether they accurately capture the best schools in each region or discipline.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
Convicted murderer Billy Chemirmir killed while serving prison sentence
Billy Chemirmir, a convicted murderer serving two life sentences in a Texas prison, was killed by his cellmate on Tuesday, authorities say.The big picture: Dallas and Collin county prosecutors initially planned to seek the death penalty for Chemirmir. Instead, Chemirmir was tried twice in Dallas and received two life sentences without the possibility of parole.The Collin County district attorney announced last month he would not seek capital punishment for Chemirmir because "he will never be a free man again."Context: Chemirmir was convicted in the deaths of 87-year-old Mary Brooks and 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris and was accused of killing nearly...
Man who attacked Muslim-owned shop pleads guilty to hate crime charges
A man who opened fire at a Muslim-owned tire shop in 2015, killing a customer and wounding three people, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges last week.Why it matters: It's rare for prosecutors to bring federal hate crime charges and win.The 2015 tire shop shooting is one of the most notable anti-Muslim hate crimes in North Texas.What happened: The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Anthony Paz Torres, 30 at the time, visited Omar's Wheels and Tires in Dallas a few days before the shooting, made anti-Muslim comments and said that he would come back.When he returned on Christmas...
Texans to vote on statewide broadband funding in November
Texas could have nearly $5 billion directed toward expanding broadband availability statewide if voters approve a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November.State of play: Texas will receive more than $3.3 billion in federal money — more than any other state — to help expand broadband access, the Biden administration announced this year.Texans will be able to vote on whether to create a Broadband Infrastructure Fund allocating $1.5 billion in state money to expand broadband availability.Zoom out: As of 2022, almost 2.8 million Texas households and 7 million people in the state lack broadband access, according to the state...
North Texas' digital divide affects thousands of residents
Large swaths of Dallas County lack internet access, but a variety of public groups are working to change that.Why it matters: Dallas has a sordid history of disinvestment that disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic residents, especially in the southern half of the county.The big picture: Areas that lack internet access also tend to be infrastructure deserts, Bill Zielinski, the City of Dallas' chief information officer, told Axios during an event Thursday about the issue. The gap in the digital divide also leads to gaps in outcomes in health and life expectancy.Flashback: An SMU study published last year identified 62 Dallas...
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