Five stories that have North Texas talking: Pokémon Go is wildly popular and kind of dangerous; John Cornyn’s new legislation would make killing an officer a federal crime; the DMA has a new curator from Mexico; and more.
OK, we’ve held out long enough — let’s talk Pokémon Go. Specifically, the dangers of playing it. Running around town, just trying to catch ‘em all, you might not see the actual, living creatures that could cross your path. Lane Smith, an 18-year-old from Flower Mound, can attest to that. At first he thought he stepped on a harmless stick Tuesday night, but then the stick bit his big toe...because it was a venomous snake, likely a copperhead, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Don’t worry — he’s fine.
Incidents like this could become a common risk, though, considering the nature of the massively popular game. It’s an augmented reality game played on your smartphone —two incredibly distracting things put together. It’s also free (for now) and taps into the hearts of ‘90s-era players.
Watch this explainer from Vox:
So, you have to explore the world around you to play Pokémon Go, which has some Dallas-Fort Worth hospitals warning, museums fretting, https://youtu.be/GQgbXJub-IQ">strangers bonding and couch potatoes moving.
#PokemonGO has managed to show me more art in #Dallas and encouraged more of a sense of community than anything else in my life. Weird.
— Brina Palencia (@BrinaPalencia) July 12, 2016
July in Dallas: "It's too hot to walk."
— patrick kennedy (@WalkableDFW) July 14, 2016
Pokemon Go: "I GOTTA CATCH THE RUMPLEGRUMPKIN"
Yes everyone, there's wild #Pokemon in #DallasContemporary. Come #CatchemAll!!! #Dallas #PokemonGo pic.twitter.com/P4YjiPWfPS
— Dallas Contemporary (@DALcontemporary) July 7, 2016
Yes, there have been think pieces and horror stories (finding dead bodies, getting robbed, etc.) galore since the inception of the game that might have you overwhelmed. Thankfully, GuideLive has answers to several logistical questions and potential concerns you might have about Pokémon Go. Remember one thing for now: Don’t assume it’s just a stick. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Vox, NPR, GuideLive]
- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas introduced legislation Wednesday that would make killing a police officer a federal crime. The legislation comes less than a week after five police officers were killed and 11 were injured by a lone gunman in downtown Dallas. Someone who kills or attempts or conspires to kill an officer would be eligible for the death penalty as well as a minimum 30-year sentence for murder and 10 years for attempted murder, the bill says. The Texas Tribune reported: “Cornyn's bill also would expand the use of federal grants aimed at improving relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they protect.” [The Texas Tribune].
- The Dallas Museum of Art appointed Agustín Arteaga as its new director. Arteaga, the director of the Museo Nacional de Art (MUNAL) in Mexico City, is the new Eugene McDermott Director of the DMA — replacing Maxwell Anderson, who departed abruptly late last year to work for the New Cities Foundation in New York. Art&Seek reported: “The appointment of Arteaga could be seen as a signal, a re-orientation (or re-emphasizing) of the DMA’s aim toward more inclusion of North Texas’ Latino community. And it remains rare for a Latino to run a leading art museum in an American city of Dallas’ size (although museums in Kansas City, San Diego and Phoenix indicate this is changing).” Read the full release. [Art&Seek]
- A Texas woman infected with Zika gave birth to a baby with microcephaly in Harris County. The mother traveled from Colombia, where she was likely infected, and the baby acquired the infection in the womb, the Department of State Health Services said Wednesday. Microcephaly causes babies to have smaller-than-normal heads. Both the mother and child are not infectious, however. Texas has logged nearly 60 cases of Zika, including three confirmed cases in pregnant women. “People who live in places like Houston and along the Gulf Coast, pregnant women, definitely ought to be concerned,” New York Times science reporter Donald G. McNeil told Krys Boyd about the imminent threat of Zika in the U.S. Listen to the conversation. [KERA News]
- Get to know the Dallas police officers the city lost on July 7. Over the coming days, KERA is reporting a series of profiles on each of the men — Sgt. Michael Smith, Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, DART Officer Brent Thompson, Officer Patrick Zamarripa and Officer Michael Krol— called “Remembering The Fallen.” Read what President Obama had to say about the five officers, who all “answered the call” to police: “Like most Americans each day, you get up, probably have too quick a breakfast, kiss your family goodbye, and you head to work. But your work, and the work of police officers across the country, is like no other.” Also, there are several ways to help the families of these fallen officers — see a list of resources. [KERA News]
