The State of Texas: July 11, 2014

Photo of the Day

ESPN’s Body Issue is out, and one of the six versions features Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder. His naked image has caused a bit of an Internet firestorm. Not because he’s naked (all the featured atheletes are), but because he’s naked. Fielder, who is built like Clydesdale, doesn’t have the sleek, traditional six-pack, and people have had some rather strong emotions about his displayed physique. Some have mocked and memed, while supporters set about creating a Twitter army (#HuskyTwitter). Deadspin, the Daily Beast and the Washington Post—just to name a few—have all offered their two cents. Below, the cover:

Awww Of The Day

KWES news anchor Alexa Williams became part of the story after she unknowingly gave a teaser to her own marriage proposal. It’s rather cute! “An Odessa woman is about to get the surprise of her life, and eventually a last name,” Williams told the camera just moments before her beau, Wayne Dunson, came to the newsdesk with flowers and a ring. Dunson played it smart. He proposed after they were off-air, you know, just in case:

Friday Delivery

Our video’d society continues its grand march toward oversharing with another family drama, this one taking place after the wedding bells. A Rosenberg, Texas, husband filmed the entirety of his child’s birth, which … no biggie. Except his wife began the delivery process en route to the hospital and eventually dad had to catch the “valet baby” moments after they pull up to the hospital. How, you may ask, did the man film all this? He had a “GoPro camera strapped to his head.” Fair warning, even the censored version is a little intense:

Daily Roundup

Presidential Perks — Commanding the world’s most powerful army is nice. And getting to fly around in Air Force One is pretty cool too. But do you know the best part of being President of the United States? That’s right. Not having to wait in line for some Franklin Barbeque. During his Austin visit, President Barack Obama went to the world’s best bbq joint and hopped to the front of the line. To his credit, Obama did pay for the folks in front of him. His mistake. “Their order: three pounds of beef, two pounds of ribs, a half-pound of sausage and a half-pound of turkey for themselves and two other family members already seated, ” according to the Houston Chronicle, “The tab? Around $300.” Obama was in town fundraising, and he gave a speech at the Paramount Theatre about the economy. Texas is engulfed in talk about the border that any other topic seems a bit secondary. Even Wendy Davis said Thursday she wanted to talk immigration, although she “stopped short of criticizing Obama but expressed hope he would make time for a border visit,” according to the Austin American-Statesman. The solution then seems obvious: we need a Franklin in Brownsville.

Spring Heartbreak — Details, all of them gruesome, are emerging in the horrifying Spring Massacre that resulted in seven deaths, five of them children. The shooter, Ronald Lee Haskell, allegedly disguising himself as a Fed-Ex delivery man, gained entry into his sister-in-law’s house and tied everyone up before shooting them, execution style, according to the Associated Press. The news has gone national and ABC reports that a “week before Ron Haskell allegedly killed four children and two adults in a Texas rampage he taped his mother to a chair, choked her and threatened to kill her for speaking to his ex-wife.” Haskell apparently has a pretty ugly history of domestic violence, prompting a big-picture story by Mother Jones with a very good question at its center: why in the world was Haskell allowed to own a gun? Even as the story unravels, there’s likely to be a lot more questions than answers.

Worldwide Investigation — The Texas judicial system is not fooling around when it comes to investigating the roller coaster death at Arlington’s Six Flags. “A Tarrant County judge decided Thursday that the top executive at a German company that designed the cars on the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas … will come to Texas to be deposed,” reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It was July of last year that a woman fell to her death on the ride, and the family is “suing Six Flags as well as [the German executive], which made the roller-coaster cars. Six Flags and Gerstlauer are blaming each other for Esparza’s death,” according to the Dallas Morning News. The judge in the case has yet to decide whether three others from the company will be deposed as well. “The employees are all German nationals and under that country’s laws can only be questioned under certain circumstances in Germany, at the U.S. Consulate’s office in Frankfurt and with permission of the German officials.”

Texas Television — We’re talented, y’all! The Lone Star state has more than a few stars represented in this year’s list of Emmy nomination, which were announced yesterday. The obvious duhs were Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for their work on True Detective. But they weren’t the only ones. “Dallas native Robin Wright was nominated for best actress in a drama for House of Cards,” reports the Dallas Morning News. Need more proof we’re awesome? Fine. “SMU grad Kathy Bates was recognized in the supporting actress, miniseries or movie category for her work on American Horror Story: Coven. Dallas theater veteran Allison Tolman was nominated in the same category for Fargo. Jacksonville native Margo Martindale was nominated for best guest actress in a drama series for The Americans. Former Dallas suburbanite and King of the Hill creator Mike Judge saw his latest invention, Silicon Valley, nominated for best comedy series.” Seriously, Dallas, what are you putting in the water?!