The State of Texas: The 'Underdog'

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Texas Tech University: Degrees of Impact]( [Texas Monthly]( October 15, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "Conor McGregor out here trying to toilet paper somebody's house with a football." —Sports commentator Jason McIntyre [on Twitter](. Ahead of the Cowboys-Jaguars matchup, Irish MMA rabble rouser Conor McGregor took the field at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas to show off some, uh, skills? We think he's in the right sport. THE LATEST [Announcing ‘Underdog,’ an Inside Look at Beto O’Rourke’s Run for the Senate]( TEXAS MONTHLY Can O’Rourke change the future of Texas politics, or will Beto-mania turn out to be another liberal fantasy? Listen to the first episode of ‘Underdog.’ [Listen now.]( THE TEXANIST [The Texanist: Is It Okay For Non-Texans to Say ‘Howdy’?]( DAVID COURTNEY Q: First, I have to admit that I am not from Texas (big sigh) though I have been there before and I do love the Lone Star State. The thing is, I have friends here in Arizona who don’t love and respect Texas as much as I do and yet they frequently use the word “howdy.” I don’t like that they use “howdy,” because it seems more of a Texas thing than an Arizona thing. You know, like how it’s Texas A&M’s official greeting and all. What do you think about this, Mr. Texanist? Name Withheld, Phoenix A: Thank ya much for this here alert, ma’am or mister. The Texanist sure does ‘preciate it. If there’s one thing that rankles his rear like a burr ‘neath a saddle blanket it’s sidewinding Arizonans casually appropriating one of the most widely used words in the Texas vernacular. Upon reading your letter, the Texanist was, at first, hotter than a hornet caught in the crown of a felt cowboy hat on an especially warm day. He was, in fact, just fixin’ to raise up a posse to help him deliver a wagonful of canned whup-ass out Arizona way when it suddenly struck him, like a pecan fallin’ on the noggin, that imitation, as the ol’ proverb goes, is the sincerest form of flattery. [Read more.]( Look here every Monday for the latest from the Texanist, or [peruse his archives here.]( Tomorrow, and every Tuesday, you’ll find a selection from our archives. [Texas Tech University: Degrees of Impact]( OUR TOP STORIES [The Love Story that Upended the Texas Prison System]( In 1967, a 56-year-old lawyer met a young inmate with a brilliant mind and horrifying stories about life inside. Their complicated alliance—and even more complicated romance—would shed light on a nationwide scandal, disrupt a system of abuse and virtual slavery across the state, and change incarceration in Texas forever. [Read more.]( [Is Beto O’Rourke a Dead Politician Walking? Or Are the Polls Missing a Democratic Wave?]( A new Quinnipiac University poll indicates Republican Senator Ted Cruz will easily defeat Democrat Beto O’Rourke. But could that poll and several others be wrong? [Read more.]( [The Cartel Next Door]( How prosecutors tied a brazen murder in an upscale Dallas suburb to one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organizations. [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Fatal Fight Four men were killed after [an argument between families]( at a one-year-old's birthday party in Taft turned violent on Saturday. Early Sunday morning, 20-year-old Ronnie Rodriguez Jr. was taken into custody at his home in Taft, near Corpus Christi. His father, 37-year-old Ronnie Rodriguez Sr., is still wanted in connection with the crime. Juan Espinoza Sr. and three of his grandsons—Juan Sandoval III, 20; Jeremy Sandoval, 22; and Nicky Sandoval, 25—were killed, and his son Juan Espinoza Jr. was listed in critical but stable condition. Details about the crime are still scarce, but police are actively investigating. Cold Front Winter is coming, y'all. From North to South Texas, heavy winds and cooler temperatures have started to arrive. It [even snowed]( in the tiny Panhandle town of Stratford over the weekend! Houston should prep for steep temperature drops throughout Monday, with the swampy high seventies chilling to the mid-sixties. In [much of the rest of the state](, temperatures have already plunged, with the Dallas-Fort Worth area dipping 35 (!) degrees overnight. Record Breaking U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke's poll numbers might not be where he wants them, but [he's breaking records]( in the fundraising department. O'Rourke released his final quarterly fundraising report on Friday morning, and it showed that he'd raised a staggering $38.1 million. He didn't simply out-raise his Republican opponent Senator Ted Cruz—O'Rourke set the fundraising record for any Senate candidate in this country. NEWS & POLITICS [Exclusive Excerpt: Julián Castro’s Unlikely Journey]( JULIÁN CASTRO In his forthcoming memoir, the former San Antonio mayor and Obama cabinet member recalls leaving Texas for college at Stanford. [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]( [Texas Tech University: Degrees of Impact]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Yes, the Academics Who Devoted an Entire Journal Issue to Wes Anderson Just Might Know What They’re Talking About]( CHARLEY LOCKE [We Tried the Vegan Brisket at Rice University]( DANIEL VAUGHN Join us and barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn as we taste our way around the state in one weekend of ‘cue at the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Austin, November 3-4. [Get tickets.]( [The Only Texas Chili Recipe You’ll Ever Need]( COURTNEY BOND [Say hello to our fall collection. 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