The State of Texas: A very Texas holiday

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Give the gift of Texas Monthly]( [Texas Monthly]( December 18, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "I run to win, and at my age, that’s not too difficult in most cases ." —Mary Kaplan, who [won first place in her age bracket]( in San Antonio's Elf Run 5K on Sunday. Kaplan, a 79-year-old Air Force Veteran, has run in more than 1,410 races (she's run races in every state and at least one in each of Texas's 254 counties) and won more than 1,200 of them. THE LATEST [The Best Texas Songs for the Holidays]( CHARLEY LOCKE From classics like 'Pretty Paper' and 'Christmas Time in the Valley' to new releases from 2018, here’s the perfect playlist for celebrating the holidays in Texas. [Read more.]( TEXAS MONTHLY ARCHIVES [Merry and Bright in Houston’s River Oaks]( DECEMBER 2017 – HUNTER KLAUS AND STEPHEN TUCKER PAULSEN Getting the elaborate Christmas displays in this posh neighborhood ready for the masses is big business. [Read More]( Every Tuesday, we'll share a piece from our archives. Check back tomorrow for Meanwhile in Texas: weird news from around the state. [Give the gift of Texas Monthly]( OUR TOP STORIES [The Texanist: What’s So Special About the Texas Chili Parlor?]( A Canada man has a few questions about the Austin establishment immortalized in a Guy Clark song. [Read More]( [The Best Texas Monthly Longform of 2018]( Put your feet up and settle in for our favorite longform of the year. [Read More]( [How Long Does Ted Cruz’s Beard Have to Grow Before He Is Beloved by All People?]( An unscientific, untrimmed analysis of the phenomenon of Ted Cruz Beard Thirst. [Read More]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Israel Boycott? A speech pathologist with Pflugerville elementary schools says that [she lost her job]( after she refused to sign an agreement to not boycott Israel. Bahia Amawi, who independently contracted with the schools for nine years before she refused to sign the addendum, filed a federal lawsuit against the Pflugerville school district and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday, saying that the law violated her First Amendment rights. The new clause in her contract was added thanks to a 2017 that made it illegal for Texas government entities to contract with companies that boycott Israel—even if said company is an independent speech pathologist. Heart of Texas Russians working on influencing the 2016 elections were [particularly successful]( with social media accounts that touted Texas secession, according to a report released on Monday. The Heart of Texas Facebook page and the @rebeltexas Instagram account—both singled out in a report commissioned by the U.S. Senate—were managed by the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm that has been indicted by a federal jury. Of all of the firm's accounts, Heart of Texas had the most shares at 4.8 million. The Facebook and the Instagram accounts shared memes about secession, refugees, and voter fraud. Thoughts With Mr. Overton Richard Overton, the oldest man in America and a lifelong resident of Austin, [is in the hospital](. The 112-year-old World War II veteran was admitted to the with a bout of pneumonia on Wednesday. Although Overton has been in and out of the hospital this year, Overton still spent a good part of 2018 on the move. In April, he flew in a private jet to tour the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. In May, he celebrated his 112th birthday with a party on Richard Overton Street (which was renamed in honor of his 111th birthday) that included DJs, food, and drinks. FOOD & DRINK [Where to Find the State’s Top Wine Lists]( JESSICA DUPUY From the most extensive lists to the best by-the-glass offerings, these 35 Texas restaurants are a wine lover’s dream. [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]( [Give the gift of Texas Monthly]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [A Texas Judge Declared Obamacare Unconstitutional. Here’s What You Need to Know.]( LEIF REIGSTAD [Texas Monthly’s Most-Read Stories of 2018]( TEXAS MONTHLY [Is the Breastaurant Era Over?]( DAN SOLOMON [Give the gift of Texas Monthly.]( [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](