The State of Texas: Some people think Ted Cruz is a jerk. Will it cost him the election?

Plus: A new reigning champ for the most valuable football program in Texas. No Images? [Click here]( [Get the Good Newsletter!]( [Texas Monthly]( September 12, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "They died fighting for Texas independence. That is the epitome of heroic. Thanks to all Texas patriots who weighed in. " —Governor Greg Abbott [in a tweet]( Thursday afternoon. After [considering a change](, the State Board of Education signaled that it would keep referring to the people who defended the Alamo as "heroic." THE LATEST [Some People Think Ted Cruz Is a Jerk. Is It Enough to Make Him Lose?]( R.G. RATCLIFFE President Trump’s budget adviser says the Texas Senate seat is in play because the party nominee is not likable. [Read more.]( MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS... [S]([heriff Wants to Hire Psychologist After 18 Deputies Arrested]( [via [K]([WTX-TV](] Eighteen of his deputies have been arrested on a variety of charges, including three in the past week alone. So now, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar is asking for permission from county officials for $118,000 to [hire a staff psychologist](to help screen applicants to his department. We’ll feature our favorite piece of weird news here each Wednesday. Tomorrow, and every Thursday, tune in for our weekly news quiz! [Get the Good Newsletter!]( OUR TOP STORIES [Tornillo Tent City Will Expand To Hold Even More Migrant Kids]( The facility near El Paso will more than double its capacity for unaccompanied minors, expanding to 3,800 beds. [Read more.]( [Raise a Mai Tai and Welcome Tiki Bars Back to Texas]( Summer may be wrapping up, but your next tropical night out is just around the corner. [Read more.]( [Why Did Authorities Wait Almost 48 Hours to Release Amber Guyger’s Name?]( Dallas police waited to release the suspect’s name even as it appeared across the internet, eroding the local community’s already fragile trust. [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Smokin' Snack Dragon's Breath, a puffy cereal treat infused with liquid nitrogen, is popping up at shopping mall kiosks, fairs, and festivals in Texas and across the nation. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to stop buying it, saying [this snack can be life-threatening.](When ingested, it produces a smoke-like substance that billows out of the eater's mouth and ears, but liquid nitrogen can be dangerous if mishandled. "The FDA has become aware of severe–and in some cases, life-threatening–injuries, such as damage to skin and internal organs caused by liquid nitrogen still present in the food or drink," it said in a statement. Just Do It, Katy A week after Nike faced national backlash over its association with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in an ad campaign, the sports apparel company is getting criticism for entering into an [exclusive contract with a Texas school district]( to provide Nike products to its varsity teams. The Katy Independent School District will pay $700,000 annually for five years for Nike to provide sports equipment, including shoes and uniforms. The exclusivity comes at the expense of local uniform providers, who had long sold the school district its merchandise. Number One Texas A&M has replaced UT-Austin as the [nation's most valuable football program,]( according to Forbes. Over the three years prior to last season, the Aggies football team averaged $148 million a season—the most of any school in the country. The Longhorns, who had been the reigning revenue champions, by contrast, earned an average of $133 million, coming in second nationwide. The Aggies rank third nationwide in overall ticket revenue and sixth in royalties and licensing. BBQ [Reid Guess of Guess Family Barbecue Wants to Make Waco a Barbecue Destination]( DANIEL VAUGHN With a new restaurant and an invite to the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest, the pitmaster is creating new dishes while staying true to wood-fired cooking. [Read more.]( [Living the Bold Life: Herb & Carolyn]( [Living the Bold Life:]([Her]([b & Carolyn]( Herb and Carolyn Gray have a philosophical take on their 65 years together. “Our paths through life have been as good as you can get,” Herb says. Read their story on “Living the Bold Life”, a new series with Texas Monthly and Whataburger. [Read More]( [Get the Good Newsletter!]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Are Some Republicans Ready To Abandon Ted Cruz for Beto O’Rourke?]( R.G. RATCLIFFE [Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker’s Austin Home Is for Sale]( DAN SOLOMON [A Guy Fieri Meme Captures Changing Perceptions About Austin and Houston]( DOYIN OYENIYI [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and save!]( [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. To unsubscribe from our Editorial newsletters, click Unsubscribe. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](