This Week: “It’s the Most Outrageous Thing I’ve Ever Seen. It Makes No Sense.”

Plus, Dining Guide updates, a new recipe for queso mac and cheese, and the late Johnny Bush on how he wrote "Whiskey River." ADVERTISEMENT  [Texas Monthly](    TM This Week    [“It’s the Most Outrageous Thing I’ve Ever Seen. It Makes No Sense.”]( DNA evidence proved Lydell Grant’s innocence. So why won’t the state’s highest criminal court exonerate him? [Read Story](   This Week in Podcasts Listen to [Tom Brown's Body, Episode 4]( and [One by Willie, Episode 3]( on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.   news & politics  [Can Chip Roy Hold Off the Democratic Shift in Suburban San Antonio and Austin?]( The conservative incumbent has alienated members of his own party, leaving room for challenger Wendy Davis to pick off centrist voters in Texas’s Twenty-first Congressional District. [Read Story]( [Who Is Austin’s Citizen Police Academy Meant to Serve?]( Graduates say the 14-week program illuminates challenges that cops face, but glosses over issues of brutality and racism. Records show the alumni association enlists members as public advocates for APD. [Read Story]( [Democrats Narrowly Lost the Twenty-fourth Congressional District in 2018. Can Candace Valenzuela Win It in This Cycle?]( When longtime GOP congressman Kenny Marchant announced his retirement, his seat representing the district surrounding DFW Airport became a prime pickup target for his party’s opponents. [Read Story]( [Texas Has More Early Voters Than Any Other State]( We’re number one! Well, for now, anyway… [Read Story]( [A Houston Suburb’s Mayoral Race Has Become a Texas Bellwether]( The campaign to lead city hall in rapidly diversifying Pearland has been injected with national partisan politics, as Donald Trump claims Democrats want to “demolish” the suburbs. [Read Story]( 2020 Election Coverage: Bookmark our ["Welcome to Battleground Texas" page]( to follow along. [Become a subscriber]( today to get more out of Texas. If you're already a subscriber, thank you for making possible the quality journalism that we publish.   food & drink   [Dining Guide: Highlights From Our November 2020 Issue]( [Read Story](  [Recipe: Instant Pot Queso Mac and Cheese]( [Read Story](  [A Former Police Officer Finds His Calling with Lonestar Sausage & BBQ]( Kevin Mason has gone from selling his house-made links out of a patrol car to running an impressive joint in Houston. [Read Story]( TM BBQ Week Begins Today! Special menu items are available for dine-in, delivery, or takeout at 50+ participating BBQ joints across the state. [Learn More](   the culture  [Music: The Late Johnny Bush on How He Wrote Willie Nelson’s Perennial Show Opener, ‘Whiskey River’]( [Read Story]( [The Moon: What Is NASA Going to Announce?]( [Read Story]( [Celebrity: Mathew Knowles Helped Make Beyoncé a Superstar. Now He Wants to Share His “Secret Sauce.”]( [Read Story]( [Tour de Texas, Week 7: Tough Climbs and Spectacular Views in West Texas]( [Read Story]( [The Best Thing in Texas: An Austin Teen Is One of the First Girls to Earn the Rank of Eagle Scout]( [Read Story]( [Art: A Museum Show in Houston Is Shelved, and the Texas Art Community Cries Foul]( [Read Story]( [State History: How One Textbook Erases the Stories of Black and Hispanic Texans]( [Read Story]( [Up Close With One of Texas’s Most Prized Playwrights in a New Documentary]( [Read Story](   sponsored  [Add Some Swagger to Your Next Cocktail]( In Bulleit’s #BulleitBarSkills series, bartenders share recipes and skills for making bourbon cocktails at home. Next up: [the Smoking Gun](.   [A_TMGS_BullHat_Premium300x250@1x-2](    Let's get social [Facebook](  [Instagram](  [Twitter](    [Texas Monthly]( [View in browser]( PO Box 1569, Austin, TX 78767 You are receiving this message because you signed up for our newsletters. Want more? Check out our [other newsletters](. [Manage your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( Â