The phenomenon that is May May Graves has been wowing audiences throughout the area since making her way into the local drag and burlesque circuit in 2015. Confidence and stage presence may be prerequisites for drag performers, but Graves has those attributes on a level that's transcendent within her craft. Graves has built a massive following, which has allowed her to pursue other ventures in the entertainment industry. Graves released an industrial punk album in July 2018 called Monsters. She's also a highly sought-after event host, but fair warning: Graves as an MC is essentially a stand-up comedian. The only thing that's more blue than her make-up and outfits is her sense of humor. On the second Thursday of every month, Graves produces Qweird at The Nines. The show blends the genres of drag and burlesque while intentionally pushing the boundaries of what audiences come to expect from both.

For 20 years, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions was untouchable. Then, suddenly, in 2018, he wasn't. Counting on local distaste for President Donald Trump and Dallas' rapidly changing demographics to push them to victory, four Democrats threw their hats in the primary ring. Colin Allred, a civil rights attorney and former NFL player, won the right to take on Sessions. In the general election, Allred repeatedly hammered the incumbent on healthcare, a winning issue in North Dallas, and cruised to victory by six points. Sessions blamed his loss on California residents moving to Dallas, but Allred beat him on the issues.

Opened by entrepreneur brother-sister team Rachel and Alex Fox, The Refuge is a city haven for meditation. The Foxes are Dallas natives and SMU alums who spent time in California then decided to bring a bit of Los Angeles meditation practice to Texas. Located in Deep Ellum, The Refuge's classes take place in an airy, high-ceiling loft space decorated with local art, crystals and candles. A seemingly industrial scene becomes serene in the presence of their welcoming, diversely trained teachers. The Refuge offers a full schedule of classes, ranging from a quick but effective 30 to 50 minutes, all within the realm of meditation and self-care. One of those offerings includes therapeutic yoga, which allows for hands-on, personal mental and physical renewal. Others are their sound and essential oil baths, which seek to send students into deep, restful relaxation. It's the ultimate place of self-care for an overworked generation.

There's a new age-old question: Are art pop-ups — installations made primarily for Instagram's benefit — cheapening the traditionally high-brow art world experience, or elevating selfie culture by offering backgrounds far more interesting than your dirty bathroom mirror? No matter how you feel about the selfie factories, they're not going anywhere — especially in Dallas, where we can count at least eight happening just this last year. But nobody does it as well as Sweet Tooth Hotel, which changes themes seasonally and is always impeccably constructed by custom designers Built by Bender, with art installations by some of the city's greatest. With a Prince-themed bar and a silent disco fitness class, there's far more to do at Sweet Tooth than making a duck face with your friends.

Before a federal court hearing in Fort Worth, Alvarado's Michael Lummus took the chance to berate one of the attorneys representing plaintiffs trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act. "Why you lying, boy?" Lummus said. "That Obamacare saved my life, and people like you want to kill people like me because we can't work. I'm trying to find a job, but they ain't going to cover me if you take away pre-existing conditions."

When Dallas made the decision to take down its Robert E. Lee statue, one of the many arguments trotted out by those who wanted the statue left in Turtle Creek Park was that getting rid of it would be too expensive. As it turned out, the city made money on the deal, thanks to a successful online auction in June. It cost the city $450,000 to take the statue down. It got $1.5 million from an Addison-based attorney for the oversize bronze. Good riddance.

Eric Johnson may have won Dallas' mayoral election, but the tape that emerged of one of his fundraisers in May certainly livened up his race with former City Council member Scott Griggs. The tape made clear what many observers had whispered for a long time, that Dallas' moneyed cabal intended to do everything it could to stop Griggs. The anonymously recorded tape didn't change the election's result, but it crystallized what was at stake.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot ran for office on a platform of ending mass incarceration and reforming the county's criminal justice system. Last April, Creuzot announced steps his office was taking toward that goal. Among other changes, Creuzot declared that he would no longer prosecute misdemeanor marijuana cases for first-time offenders or cases involving people arrested for possession of trace amounts of drugs, driving with a suspended license or stealing necessary items. It's too early to say how effective these changes will be, but it's always good to see an elected official walking the criminal justice reform talk.

Between the start-ups downtown and bar-saturated M Streets lies the calm, treesy East Dallas neighborhood, Lakewood. Lakewood was developed around 1914, which means that many of the houses are filled with an abundance of secrets from the past. Lake and city dwellers alike flock to the neighborhood to settle in and, for better or worse, never leave. Decades of relics and family histories pile up in the Hutsell houses; sometimes in the form of old postcards tucked away in a closet, others in a dress someone wore to their high school prom in the 1940s. There are always stories to hear, and there is always lots to buy. Sales are either independent or held by one of the many estate sale companies in the area, like Help Me Rhonda, Another's Treasure or Remington Estate Sales. There are, unfortunately, a fair share of McMansions to avoid. Most of the houses, however, have been in Lakewood since the 1920s. They're quirky in their age, with wooden floors that creak and doors that stick in the summer. Wandering around inside is reason enough to stop by. But if you're lucky, maybe you'll find something neat for yourself, like a haunted old portrait, or someone's attic-stashed collection of Playboy magazines.

It's not fair, because this was really no contest for Dallas' other reality show stars. For starters, Maelyn Jarmon is someone you don't root against or wish would stop being such a (insert your own filthy noun here). You root for her because she's genuine, nice and talented, unlike 99.1% of the people who make it through reality show producers' casting departments. The Frisco native became one of the first 12 finalists at the start of the 16th season of the NBC singing competition The Voice with a beautiful performance of Sting's "Fields of Gold" during her blind audition, and musical powerhouse John Legend chose her to coach for his first season on the show. The choice would lead to a big payoff for both of them when Jarmon finished first in a neck-and-neck race with Gyth Rigdon, giving Jarmon the top trophy and Legend's first win on his first season of the show. She deserved the win, and we're not just saying that because she was born on the near edge of the metropolitan area. Jarmon is completely deaf in her left ear and has only 80% hearing in her right ear. She deserves everything her music career is destined to bring her.