The State of Texas: We hoped Kawhi Leonard would be the next Tim Duncan. He wasn’t.

Plus: West Nile returns to Texas No Images? [Click here]( [Texas Optimism Project: Gilbert Tuhabonye]( [Texas Monthly]( July 19, 2018 STAFF NOTE Good morning! Thank you for being a regular Texas Monthly reader and for subscribing to our State of Texas newsletter. We’re excited to bring you some fun additions this week and going forward: daily segments that add variety to the essential news you’ve come to expect each weekday. On Mondays, we’ll continue to feature the latest from our sage and lovable Texanist; Tuesdays will offer an archival piece worth reading (or rereading) now; Wednesdays will bring you the weirdest story we’ve seen this week; Thursdays will test your news savvy with a quiz; and Fridays will feature Instagram photos from our readers across the state, culled from the beautiful contributions you’ve made using #TMwanders. We hope you enjoy the additions, and as always we welcome your feedback! You can easily reach our editors via roar@texasmonthly.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY “We should not be looking for strategies to identify the next school shooter, we need to identify strategies to look for the kids who need help. Rather than identifying the needle in the haystack, our approach is . . . universal primary prevention that affects the needle, but also the hay.” —Jeff Temple, director of behavioral health and research at the University of Texas Medical Branch, during a[Texas Senate hearing on school violence.]( THE LATEST [We Hoped Kawhi Leonard Would be the Next Tim Duncan. He Wasn’t.]( JOE LEVIN Things aren’t so easy in San Antonio after all. Replacing a legend might just be the trickiest thing to pull off in all of sports. [Read more.]( QUIZ 1. Immigration advocates said earlier this week that families separated by border agents when entering the U.S. will be [reunited in three Texas cities](: ___________, ___________, and ___________. 2. According to the Texanist, [the typical Carolina Reaper](, the hottest pepper in the world, packs ___________ Scoville heat units. 3. A five-year-old is so in love with ___________ that he had his birthday party at [the Texas institution](. 4. Texas artist ___________ has recently collaborated with the likes of[Kendrick Lamar and Halsey.]( 5. Podcast guest Ed Lavandera is a national political correspondent for ___________. Look here every Thursday for our weekly news quiz—and check back on Friday for the answers. [Texas Optimism Project: Gilbert Tuhabonye]( OUR TOP STORIES [Texas A&M and the Nation’s Nuclear Arsenal]( Chancellor John Sharp talks to Texas Monthlyabout a recent $2.5 billion federal contract that makes A&M accountable for ensuring the nation’s nuclear weapons will work if they are ever needed. [Read more.]( [Bipartisan Road Trip By Two Texas Congressmen Wins National Award]( When a Texas Republican and Texas Democrat drove 1,600 miles together to Washington and live-streamed it, the nation took notice. [Read more.]( [Democrat Justin Nelson’s Campaign Is Making a Lot of Noise About Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Indictment]( In our podcast, the Houston lawyer argues that Texans should be embarrassed that the state’s attorney general is facing criminal indictment. [Listen now.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS The Right Prescription A anonymous donor is ponying up[$3 million]( to pay the full tuition for the first class at the University of Houston's new College of Medicine. “Student debt is the number one deterrent for students when applying to medical school,” said UH President Renu Khator. “This generous gift will allow such students an opportunity to attend and ultimately lead the future medical workforce. As a result, the UH College of Medicine will increase access to primary care, enhance quality of life and strengthen Houston as a business destination.” The school is expected to open in fall 2020 with a goal of having at least 50 percent of its students specializing in primary care. Texas currently ranks 47th out of the U.S. states in its primary-care-to-population ratio. We check in with the [dean of the Dell Medical School ]( about the state of health care Body Count A shocking [95 bodies](have been unearthed by construction workers on a project with Sugar Land's Fort Bend Independent School District, which researchers believe are the buried remains from a Jim Crow-era prison camp for newly freed slaves. Last month, a judge gave the school district permission to exhume the bodies, and so far, all but one of them have been male. The area was once filled with sugar cane plantations, which historians say often benefited from "convict-leasing systems," or free labor provided to landowners after slavery was abolished. That system was outlawed in 1910. Discovery of the remains was [vindication for one Sugar Land activist ]( West Nile There are now three confirmed [cases of West Nile virus]( in three different Texas cities: Austin, Dallas, and Galveston. Although no health warnings have been issued for the mosquito-borne disease, health officials encourage people to use FDA approved insect repellant and to remove any standing water, where mosquitos tend to breed, on their property. One in five people infected with the virus develop symptoms, including fever, headaches, and aches, and about 1 percent of those infected will become severely ill. Last year, state health officials recorded 135 confirmed cases of people contracting the virus, including 6 who died. Texas has seen [epidemic proportions of West Nile]( in the past THE CULTURE [Why Dust from the Sahara Is Covering the Texas Sky]( DOYIN OYENIYI The Saharan dust brings us hotter days, hazy skies, and nicer sunsets. [Read more.]( [Texas Optimism Project: Gilbert Tuhabonye]( [Running Toward Joy With Gilbert Tuhabonye]( His motto is “run with joy,” but there was a time when Gilbert Tuhabonye ran in fear. Trapped in a burning building, left to die among the bodies of his high school classmates, Gilbert ran for his life, and narrowly escaped becoming a victim of Hutu and Tutsi genocide. His legs have transported this talented runner from Burundi to the United States, turned despair to joy, and built a unique community in Austin based on running, love, and giving to others. [Read More]( [Texas Optimism Project: Gilbert Tuhabonye]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Putting Asylum-Seeking Immigrants in Impossible Positions]( KATY VINE [The Ultimate Real Housewife of Houston]( SKIP HOLLANDSWORTH [The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas]( TEXAS MONTHLY [Some Guy Sold an Honest-To-Gosh Picasso on Nextdoor]( DAN SOLOMON [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and Save!]( Subscribe to Texas Monthly for less than $2 an issue and get a free tote. [SUBSCRIBE]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. If you would like to manage which Texas Monthly Editorial newsletters you are receiving, click Preferences, below. 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