Five stories that have North Texas talking: Pundits pit Perry against other possible GOP presidential candidates, male infertility now tied to higher cancer risk, NYC cooks are fleeing to Austin and more.
With Governor Rick Perry's announcement that he will not seek a fifth gubernatorial term, the assumption is he wants another shot at the GOP presidential nomination. But after a disappointing go of it in 2012, how do pundits think Perry stacks up against other prominent Republicans with their eyes on the White House? Unsurprisingly, opinions are mixed.
"It would be tough," says Cindy Rugeley, a political scientist at Texas Tech University. "Even if you look at who Texans would support — more people would like to see Sen. Ted Cruz run, and I think even New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was higher in the polls."
But Texas Republican strategist Suzanne Bellsnyder says Perry and his team has been winning long-shot races for 20 years and shouldn’t be counted out. “If his team is focused — and I believe this decision today not to seek election signals his desire to focus — Team Perry can make it happen,” Bellsnyder says. [NPR]
- Male Infertility Could Be Cancer Warning Sign: A Texas based study has established a solid link between male infertility and increased risk for cancer, specifically testicular cancer. According to the New York Times, more than 2,000 men were evaluated at a fertility clinic in Texas. Those who struggled with fertility were 1.7 times more likely than their fertile counterparts to contract cancer. But for men with azoospermia, which means no viable sperm, the cancer risk more than tripled. The study has been published in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility.
- Need A Chest X-ray? Buy One Online: We already stalk the internet for cheap hotel rooms, discounted hair-cuts and half-off yoga classes, why not surf the web for an abdominal ultrasound or dental x-rays? That’s the philosophy behind DealWell.com, a Dallas startup that lets you shop online for health care bargains. As KERA’s Lauren Silverman reports, DealWell has closed thousands of sales in just over a year, but some critics aren’t sold on the health site’s business model.
- Why Cook In NYC When You Can Slice And Dice In Austin?: The Big Apple has always been considered culinary Nirvana. There are 6,000 restaurants in the borough of Manhattan, and the city has the most three-star Michelin-starred restaurants in the country. But lately, chefs have been sliding out of the city with their sites set on greener pastures: namely, smaller cities with better access to local ingredients. Austin along with cities like Madison, Wisconsin and Chapel Hill, North Carolina are quickly becoming the new cook’s Utopia. Experts say more affordable rent and a unique food culture is a tough recipe to pass up. [NPR]
- High-Schoolers Take To The Skies, From The Ground: To champion aviation as a career option and to bring the cost of training down for students, McKinney ISD just purchased a serious piece of equipment. According to the Dallas Morning News, the district bought a federally approved flight simulator for its growing aviation program, which enrolled 244 students this past school year. A federal grant paid for the gadget, its shipping and installation which cost about $30,000 in all. McKinney North High School is the only campus in Texas, and about one of 10 in the U.S. with a Federal Aviation Administration-approved advanced training device.
