Shelley Luther wants less government and more freedom. The Dallas hair salon owner recently announced her candidacy for the Texas Senate, and if elected, she said she’ll fight against what she sees as government overreach.
The evening before Torrey Henderson turned herself in, her stomach wouldn’t stop turning. That was OK though, she said; she was prepared for what came next. Thursday morning, Henderson arrived at the Cooke County Jail with fellow activists Justin Thompson and Amara Ridge. The Gainesville Police Department had issued warrants…
Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it would be halting evictions through Dec. 31. Enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the order was introduced to prevent mass homelessness, which officials feared would contribute to a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases. Renters are relieved, but some tenants’ advocates believe…
National pandemic adviser Scott Atlas, who does not have a background in epidemiology, is pushing for the White House to implement a “herd immunity” strategy to combat the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported Monday. Advocates for herd immunity, whereby a population becomes naturally immune to a disease via unchecked spread,…
Monday, the Texas Democratic Party announced it would be contacting 1 million Texans this week to help them register to vote ahead of November’s general election. Teaming with U.S. Senate hopeful MJ Hegar’s campaign, “Texas Voter Registration Week” will last until Sunday. Young adults and people of color, who historically…
Earlier this year, France, Spain and Italy were praised for their ability to flatten the curve of coronavirus transmissions. Now, each is reporting its highest number of new cases since the spring, with young people shouldering the brunt of the blame, The Daily Mail reported Thursday. Meanwhile, the numbers are…
Wednesday, CNN reported that authorities charged a white 17-year-old with homicide after he allegedly shot three Black Lives Matter protesters, killing two, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Now, local activists fear that the same could happen closer to home. Every Sunday, a progressive grassroots organization in Gainesville protests for the removal of the town’s…
Tuesday, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission relaxed some restrictions to offer a pathway for the state’s bars to reopen as restaurants amid the pandemic. While some North Texas club owners herald the move as a godsend, others say it isn’t a golden ticket so much as fool’s gold. Under the…
During his bid for Denton County sheriff in 2016, Republican Tracy Murphree boasted he would beat up any transgender woman who dared to enter a public restroom occupied by his daughter. Now, a transgender woman is aiming to take Murphree’s job. A week ago, former law enforcement supervisor Freyja Odinsdottir announced…
Shelley Luther could soon be trading her shears for a state Senate seat. Saturday, at a pro-law enforcement “Blue Lives Matter” rally, the Dallas hair salon owner announced that she would be running for District 30 in a special election. In a video from the event, Luther spoke to supporters…
First it was one, then it was two, then it was more than a dozen. Kevin Betts, owner of North Texas’ Novel Coffee Roasters, said that over the past three weeks, numerous shipments of his company’s fresh-roasted coffee were either delayed or lost in the mail. Customers have been understanding,…
Some school districts already had a tough time recruiting substitute teachers, and the coronavirus pandemic may make it even trickier. Thursday, Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced the district will offer virtual-only courses from Sept. 8 until Oct. 6, with the option of tacking on another four weeks. After that,…
One week after the start of the fall semester, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stopped offering in-person classes. Within that time, 130 students and five employees contracted the coronavirus, according to NPR. Soon, many North Texas colleges are also opening their doors to in-person learning, and Mimi…
Last month, Gainesville City Council members voted unanimously to remove one of the town’s two Confederate monuments. In a 4-1 decision Monday morning, Cooke County Commissioners opted to keep the other. Activists from grassroots organization PRO Gainesville say the Confederate statue, which towers over the courthouse lawn, is a testament to…
Foolproof coronavirus tracking continues to elude Texas. Sunday, Dallas County reported a spike of more than 5,000 additional COVID-19 cases after the state’s health department unloaded a backlog of previously unreported positives. The majority of those date to July, when the county was already setting record highs in daily case…
North Texas club owners are becoming increasingly exasperated with Gov. Greg Abbott over his June executive order that closed the state’s stand-alone bars. Now, they’re ramping up calls to reopen or to receive some form of financial assistance. Thursday, Dot’s Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard in Deep Ellum posted a…
Thursday, Dallas teachers caravanned to a school board meeting to demand that in-person classes be delayed until January 2021. Members of a local teachers union and their supporters held the demonstration to urge Dallas ISD to keep schools closed. Rena Honea, president of Dallas’ Alliance/AFT union, said that it isn’t…
Earlier this year, Dallas hair salon owner Shelley Luther entered the national spotlight after she was jailed for defying state and local orders to close her business. Now she could be sliding into a Texas Senate seat. Saturday, Prosper state Sen. Pat Fallon received the Republican nomination for the U.S…
Returning to school is never fun, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it exponentially more surreal. Last week, the Texas Education Agency released guidance stating that masks must be worn in the classroom. It also said that face shields can be used in certain educational contexts. But Dr. Erin Carlson,…
Texas Democrats are gearing up to lick a ton of envelopes. Monday, the Texas Democratic Party announced it would mail more than 815,000 absentee ballot applications in August to eligible voters, such as seniors and people with disabilities. The move is part of its vote-by-mail program, which aims to send…
Thursday, Texas Democratic Party officials were featured on Pod Save America, a progressive political podcast. The show’s co-host opened with a familiar question: Is this the year Texas turns blue? Manny Garcia, the party’s executive director, answered without hesitating. “Hell yes,” he said. He would say that naturally, and 2020…
Nearly five months have passed since the coronavirus pandemic first hit North Texas and everything is still topsy-turvy. Trying to keep up with the latest developments can give a person whiplash. Here’s Dallas County in a nutshell today: The daily coronavirus case rate is decreasing. Monday, Dallas County Health and…
