Five stories that have North Texas talking: The state of Texas has sued the Obama administration more than 40 times since 2009; Central Market and Kroger will roll out grocery delivery next week; wonderfully weird creations come from Dallas-area people; and more.
The state of Texas has sued President Obama 42 times over the past 7.5 years, according to state data. The Texas Tribune analyzed that data and found Gov. Greg Abbott filed 31 of those lawsuits, some as state Attorney General. And, current AG Ken Paxton took on 11 more since taking office in 2015.
Paxton’s office provided cost estimates for 39 of those cases, which as of mid-2016 total over $5.9 million. In that same time period, there have been “seven cases in the win column for the state, with 12 losses, nine cases withdrawn and 14 pending,” according to the Tribune.
But, Texas has been taken to court by the feds its fair share of times as well. The Justice Department sued Texas in 2013 over its controversial 2011 voter ID law, saying it violated the Voting Rights Act. On July 20, the U.S. 5th Circuit of Appeals affirmed previous rulings that the law, indeed, did not comply, the Tribune reported. Texas will likely appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Explore the Tribune’s interactive data for summaries, costs and outcomes of all 42 cases. [The Texas Tribune]
- Central Market and Kroger will offer grocery delivery starting Aug. 2 in Fort Worth and Aug. 4 in Dallas. People can choose their grocery items and select a one-hour delivery window using the Shipt app. Kroger and Central Market announced the partnership with the Birmingham, Alabama-based app company in May, according to Dallas Business Journal. Members who order before their city’s launch date will receive $25 in free groceries among other membership amenities. For the launch, Shipt is recruiting 300 extra workers, and interested candidates can apply here. Here’s a map of where the service will be available. [Dallas Business Journal]
- D-FW creators make super strange stuff that you'll likely want to buy. Exhibit A: the Tortilla Towel. Dallas native Mary Dauterman and her co-creators I-ping Chiang and Sarah Lloyd from the University of Texas had the idea after a friend of theirs had a towel that looked like hamburger, Dallas Observer reported. And, they decided a tortilla towel would be better because you could easily transform into human burrito. They thought they’d sell a few, but after appearing on CNN, the towels are backordered big time, according to the Observer. Here are more tempting products from D-FW creators, courtesy of GuideLive. [Dallas Observer, GuideLive]
- Circus acrobats got married on a tightrope during a show in Houston. Other than the fact Mustafa Danguir and Anna Lebedeva were 30 feet off the ground, the ceremony Tuesday during a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show at NRG Stadium was pretty traditional. The groom wore a white tuxedo coat and arrived by camel to the tightrope, The Associated Press reported, and the bride nixed the high heels for the occasion. The ringmaster presided as the couple exchanged vows and rings after they met in the middle of the wire. Watch a short clip from the wedding. [The Associated Press]
- The Democratic National Convention was held in Texas once — 88 years ago in Houston. In 1928, Houston was booming thanks in part to the oil industry, railroad development and new jobs,Debbie Harwell, managing editor for Houston History, told Texas Standard. It was also the first time the national convention had been held in the South since the Civil War. The 1928 convention was especially high profile because of a lynching incident six days before. The convention still cast in Houston in a positive light, but thanks in part to an “anti-lynching platform,” Republicans won Texas for the first time. [Texas Standard
