The State of Texas: Can hackers mess with Texas's elections?

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( [Texas Monthly]( October 11, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "Sure, it's not the prettiest but boy do we have style!" —The Cedar Park Police Department in a tweet. After [being challenged]( by Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, the Cedar Park PD banded together for the "floss challenge," a dance that involves swinging your hips in one direction as your arms go in another. It's much harder than it looks. Bonus points for the cute kid and the pup, y'all. THE LATEST [Can Hackers Mess With Texas’s Elections?]( MICHAEL AGRESTA Our lack of a voter-verified paper trail and contingency planning make us vulnerable, says Rice University’s Dan Wallach. [Read more.]( QUIZ For the month of October, we’re awarding one lucky quiz participant per week a $25 gift card to the [TM General Store](! Look here every Thursday for our weekly news quiz, and reply to this email with your answers to enter. Check back on Friday for answers to the quiz. 1. A Richard Linklater-produced [political commercial]( poking fun at Senator Ted Cruz for his “Texas Tough” campaign theme featured a former actor from the movie ____________. 2. A Rice University dining hall has started serving a [new type of brisket](: one made without any meat. Instead, the dish consists mostly of ____________. 3. Amarillo's new Double-A affiliate of the ____________ [could soon be christened]( the Sod Poodles. 4. Instead of a Texas flag, ____________ [waved Chile's flag]( at Austin City Limits last weekend. 5. Aaron Franklin [might be known for his brisket](, but his next cookbook, which comes out in April, is all about ____________. [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( OUR TOP STORIES [We Tried the Vegan Brisket at Rice University]( Prepare your plate for "plant-based" meat. [Read more.]( Join us November 3–4 for a weekend of actual 'cue. Taste your way around the state at Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Austin. Get [tickets here](. [A Texas Woman’s Song Mocking Trump’s “Scary Time for Young Men” Comment Goes Viral]( Performance artist Lynzy Lab challenges the ”scary” climate for young men with a ukulele. [Read more.]( [Richard Linklater Political Ad Pokes Fun at Ted Cruz]( The video ad reminds viewers of Donald Trump’s Ted Cruz insults and of Cruz failing to act 'Texas Tough.' [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Day of Reckoning In January 2019, Texas's Catholic dioceses [will release the names]( of clergy dating back to 1950 who have been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors. “Even though it will be painful, we believe that to bring this awareness will give [survivors] hope,” Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller told the Texas Tribune. “We hope that if some victims have not come forward, they will come forward. … And we believe it’s the right thing to do.” The list, which was announced Wednesday, will not include names of people who are accused of covering up or enabling abuse, and the definition of "credibly" accused is unclear. Still, it's a big step forward as states across the nation begin to tackle sexual abuse in churches. Cozy and Costly Let's hope that the holiday season is good to us all, because Texans might be paying [a little more for heat]( this winter thanks to colder weather and higher electricity prices. Well over half of Texas households heat their homes with electricity, which has risen from last year's nationwide average of 12.9 cents per kilowatt-hour to 13 cents this year. In addition, weather forecasters predict that we're in for a cold winter, [both in Texas]( and nationwide. Buckle (and save!) up, y'all. Finding Chipper Here's some news that will put a pep in your step: Chipper, a ten-week-old French mastiff puppy, was returned after [being dognapped from a yard]( in Mesquite. The video of Chipper's abduction, which has been viewed over 3.9 million times on Facebook, shows two men getting out of a black Cadillac SUV. One of them makes his way over to Chipper and grabs the pup by the neck. Chipper squeals as another adult mastiff barks, and the two men drive away. It's unclear how the puppy was returned home, but Matt Ivy, a Dallas firefighter who breeds French mastiffs, is no doubt happy to have Chipper back. "It's my life outside the fire department," he told KDFW [after the puppy was taken](. THE CULTURE [Are the Longhorns Back?]( JOHN NOVA LOMAX Depends on what you mean by back. But most of y’all need to slow your roll. [Read more.]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( Get an inside look into the high-intensity world that combines talented athletes with horses and livestock, steep competition, old-school traditions, and family fun. Rodeo Report’s coverage from the PRCA circuit includes competitor updates, performance analysis, and behind-the-scenes stories of triumphs, challenges, injuries, and rerides.Read More]( [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Try Crispy, Wood-Fired Chicken at Pollos La Pullita]( DANIEL VAUGHN [From Dirndls to Lederhosen, Fredericksburg Turns Out in True Oktoberfest Style]( LAUREN SMITH FORD [Lisa Loeb: “Having a Huge Hit Is Amazing. I’m Not Angry at It at All.”]( ANDY LANGER [Say hello to our fall collection. Shop the TM General Store now.]( [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](