The State of Texas: A history of Dallas Cowboys' musical careers

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier, LA]( [Texas Monthly]( January 12, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY “I like to bring my Tinder dates here. It’s a weird place with a weird smell.” —A frequent customer at the Texas State Surplus Store, who identifies himself as “Smithy.” The store sells items confiscated by the TSA, including [throwing stars, power drills, and samurai swords](, as well as outdated office equipment from state agencies. THE LATEST [Cole Beasley is the Latest in a Tradition of Dallas Cowboys Musical Acts]( by Dan Solomon When the great book of pro athletes-turned-successful-musicians is finally written, it will be—well, it’ll be slim. At best, when a player picks up a mike, it tends to be a vanity project highlighting a not-embarrassing degree of competency, buoyed by guest musicians who help paper over the athlete’s shortcomings as an artist (a formula Shaquille O’Neal basically created on Shaq Fu: Da Return). The old saw goes that every musician wishes they were an athlete, and every athlete wants to be a musician—and few teams have produced as many wannabe artists as the Dallas Cowboys. The latest to enter the musical arena? Cole Beasley, the diminutive slot receiver who emerged as a fan favorite in the 2016 season after building impressive chemistry with Dak Prescott and beating his career-best in receiving yards by nearly 300. [Read more.]( [Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier, LA]( TOP STORIES FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [The Trailer for Hulu's The Looming Tower Brings Lawrence Wright's Book to Terrifying Life]( by Dan Solomon The ten-part miniseries dramatizes the road to 9/11 with Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, and Alec {NAME}. [Cottage Industry: Katie Kime Turns Bungalow into a Colorful Office]( by Lauren Smith Ford How the Austin home and fashion designer used prints, patterns, and vibrant hues to create her dream headquarter space. [Taylor Kitsch Gets in Touch with His Inner David Koresh in Waco]( by Eric Benson Texas football made the former Friday Night Lights actor a heartthrob. Will a Texas tragedy make him a bona fide star? MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS... Withholding Special Education from Texas Students From 2004 through 2017, the [Texas Education Agency illegally set a limit]( on how many students could receive special education services. According to a letter that the federal Department of Education sent TEA on Thursday, the limit—which capped the number of students receiving therapy, tutoring, and counseling to 8.5 percent—violated federal law. The review, which was prompted by a [2016 investigation]( by the Houston Chronicle, demanded that Texas identifies the estimated 150,000 children illegally denied special education and designs a plan to help them. In March, [we wrote about]( how public school parents whose children have special needs often must face off against school districts. Plastic Bag Ban Cities across Texas ban single-use plastic bags in grocery stores—but a Texas Supreme Court case may change that. The Laredo Merchants’ Association argues that the city’s ban illegally contradicts a state law regulating waste disposal. San Antonio’s Fourth Court of Appeals ruled in 2016 that the ban was illegal; the city appealed the decision, and Texas’s highest court [began to hear oral arguments]( on Thursday. The court’s decision could have ramifications for local laws in cities across Texas. In 2015, [we covered]( the rollout of the plastic bag ban in Dallas. Bad Water [Texas leads the nation in contaminated water](, according to a new report. The Environmental Working Group tracked public water systems in the U.S. from 2010 to 2015, and found that almost 25 million Texans are served by utilities with detectable levels of radium in the water. The EPA states that no level of radium in drinking water is safe; some Texas towns, like Brady, have almost double the legal limit. In 2016, [we wrote about]( the struggle to keep water safe in Corpus Christi. LONGFORM [Ted Cruz is (Still) Running for President]( by R.G. Ratcliffe As his first term in the U.S. Senate comes to a close, Cruz is already gearing up for the next big election. [Insider's Guide to San Antonio]( [Insider's Guide to San Antonio]( Supported by [Kissing Tree]( Mike Casey moved to San Antonio in 1972 and didn't plan on staying—but he’s been there ever since. Discover the city through the eyes of this stylish Texan as part of our video series, "Tastemakers: A Local’s Guide to Our Favorite Cities." [Watch Now >]( [Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier, LA]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [American Airlines Will Award Passengers Miles for Enduring the Inconveniences of Air Travel]( by Dan Solomon The company’s "iSolve" system will allow flight attendants to deliver miles to inconvenienced customers before the plane even lands. [Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 5: Alex Jones]( by Texas Monthly Staff In fifth place: the excitable radio host, for saying so many crazy things that his unsuccessful and very public child custody battle wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that happened to him this year. [Why There Are So Many More Animals on Planes Over the Holidays]( by Doyin Oyeniyi Not all of them are trained service animals. 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