Millions More Texans Have Had COVID-19 Than We Like to Pretend
The official case count doesn’t reflect the pandemic’s reality. I found the satisfaction of ferreting out the actual number to be cold comfort.
Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. Dan started working with Texas Monthly as a freelancer in 2013 before becoming a staff writer, covering topics from the Baylor sexual assault scandal to the gentrification of Austin barbecue to the legacy of Texas outsider artist Daniel Johnston. His reporting has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, Fast Company, Billboard, and Deadspin.
Articles by Dan Solomon
Houston Is America’s Saddest Sports City, Part Infinity
The curse of Houston is a curse of management, which makes it the saddest of all.
No, the Mandalorian Did Not “Dox” Ted Cruz
Pedro Pascal, star of the Disney Plus series ‘The Mandalorian,’ shared the junior senator’s office number on Twitter.
The Texans Can Go Ahead and Retire J.J. Watt’s Number Now
The superstar defensive end has probably played his last game for the Houston Texans. They should remember him properly.
It Snowed Across America, and We’re Not Jealous. We Swear.
It’s beautiful! Enjoy shoveling all of that.
Margin Walker, Texas’s Largest Independent Concert Promoter, Is Shutting Down
For the music industry, the bad times are getting worse.
Cabo San Doofus: Why Did Steve Adler Think It Was a Good Idea to Go to Mexico?
Austin’s mayor, already a punching bag for his state’s powerful right wing, lectured his city’s residents to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19—while on a beach vacation.
How a Llama and a University of Texas Lab Led to the Most Promising COVID-19 Treatment Yet
Researchers Daniel Wrapp and Jason McLellan owe a scientific honor they won this week to a Belgian camelid named Winter.
What Chris Shepherd Was Thinking While Watching ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’
Three questions with the Houston chef, whose “gambling man” pal David Chang took a big risk to raise money for the Southern Smoke Foundation.
The Best Thing in Texas: Detroit Lions Fans Are Donating to Deshaun Watson’s Charity to Thank Him for the Whupping He Gave Their Team
The Lions have been mired in mediocrity—but Deshaun and the Texans may have helped break the fever.
Why Is GameStop Selling PlayStation 5 Consoles Only in Stores on Black Friday?
Every other retailer has made this holiday season’s hottest item an online exclusive during the pandemic—except the Grapevine-based chain.
The Viral Footage of Texans Waiting in Line at the New College Station Dunkin’ Donuts Is Good, Actually
Let people have some joy for once in their lives.
The Best Thing in Texas: Hundreds of People Are Knitting Tiny Sweaters for a Hairless Possum in Lubbock
Are possums ugly? Not when they’re wearing tiny purple sweaters, they’re not!
Matthew McConaughey Said He’d Consider Running for Texas Governor, so We Wrote His Political Platform
Expect marijuana, college football, and compromise to play central roles.
The Winding Saga of Austin’s MLS Team Now Includes Jerseys
The team’s uniforms are the latest milestone in the club’s journey to the state’s capital.
A New Plano Company’s Business Model: Buying Snacks at Buc-ee’s, Then Shipping Them to Texpats Worldwide
The Beaver nominally approves.
Becky Hammon on the Spurs, the WNBA, and the Mural of Her Face in San Antonio
The NBA’s first female assistant coach is the star of a new 60-second documentary.
What Does Texas’s Record Voter Turnout Mean for the Election Results?
Democrats like when lots of voters cast ballots. Republicans generally don’t. But we won’t know until tomorrow whether high participation rates favored one party over the other.
An Underdog Democrat Flipped Texas’s Thirty-second in 2018. Republicans Face an Uphill Battle to Win It Back.
In North Dallas, Genevieve Collins challenges Colin Allred, whose win two years ago proved that Democrats could compete in the Texas suburbs.
Willie Nelson Singing ‘Under Pressure’ With Karen O Is the Duet We Didn’t Know We Needed in 2020
The legendary collaboration between Queen and David Bowie gets a remake by an intergenerational pair of icons.
Khruangbin Might Be the Biggest Band in the World of Vinyl
The Houston psychedelic rockers are a fixture on listeners’ turntables.
Democrats Have Poured Money Into a Long Shot Bid to Defeat Rising GOP Star Dan Crenshaw
In Texas's Second Congressional District, challenger Sima Ladjevardian sees an opportunity in the representative’s COVID-19 response.
Can Chip Roy Hold Off the Democratic Shift in Suburban San Antonio and Austin?
The conservative incumbent has alienated members of his own party, leaving room for challenger Wendy Davis to pick off centrist voters in Texas’s Twenty-first Congressional District.
What Is NASA Going to Announce About the Moon?
Ghosts? Aliens? Cheese? A 4G cell tower? We list the possibilities.
Democrats Narrowly Lost the Twenty-fourth Congressional District in 2018. Can Candace Valenzuela Win It in This Cycle?
When longtime GOP congressman Kenny Marchant announced his retirement, his seat representing the district surrounding DFW Airport became a prime pickup target for his party’s opponents.
Texas Has More Early Voters Than Any Other State
We’re number one! We’re number one! For now, anyway!
The Early Voting Numbers in Texas Are Bonkers. Here’s What That Does and Doesn’t Tell Us.
“Bonkers” is, of course, a technical term.
Lizzie Fletcher’s 2018 Victory in TX-7 Proved Democrats Could Win in the Texas Suburbs. Can the GOP Take the Seat Back?
In the district just west of Houston, Republican challenger Wesley Hunt's campaign has focused on his opposition to the Green New Deal.
Why UT’s Administration Is Digging in Its Heels on ‘The Eyes of Texas’
After the football team’s latest loss, the coach and most of his players are at odds with the athletic director and many fans and supporters over the university’s controversial spirit song.
Can a Bernie-Style Democrat Unseat Longtime Republican Representative Michael McCaul in TX-10?
The incumbent rarely faced competitive races before labor lawyer Mike Siegel’s challenge in 2018. Now, winning a rematch is no sure thing for McCaul.
For Years TX-23 Was the State’s Only True Congressional Swing District. Can Democrats Win It Back?
Gina Ortiz Jones lost by fewer than 1,000 votes to popular retiring Republican Will Hurd in 2018 in the sprawling southwest Texas district. Now, she faces a less well-known rival in Tony Gonzales.
Can Van Taylor Hold off Lulu Seikaly and Democrats’ Gains in Collin County?
The Republican touts his bipartisanship in an appeal to this increasingly blue congressional district northeast of Dallas, but he’s been a reliable vote for Donald Trump’s policies during his first term.
Voting in Texas in 2020: What You Should Know
This election will be highly unusual. Here’s what you need to know before voting.
Distaste for President Trump Confronts a Long Conservative Legacy in the Houston Suburbs of TX-22
Sheriff Troy Nehls won his primary as a Trump ally, but has distanced from the president in his race against Democratic challenger Sri Preston Kulkarni.
Can Julie Oliver Beat Roger Williams in TX-25?
Once a Democratic stronghold, then gerrymandered to be a Republican one, the district includes a large swath of Austin and part of southern Tarrant County near Fort Worth.
Demi Adejuyigbe Will Keep Celebrating the 21st of September if People Donate $50,000 to Good Causes
The best day on the internet comes at a relatively low price tag, in crowdfunding terms.
The Justice Department Has Fined Blue Bell More Than $17 Million for the Listeria Outbreak
It’s the largest penalty for a criminal food safety case in U.S. history.
Why in the World Are Texas Universities Playing Football in Front of Fans?
There's still a lot we don't know about the spread of COVID-19 on college campuses.
Luby’s Is Liquidating Its Assets and Dissolving the Company
This might be the end of the LuAnn Platter.
How the Legacy of Richard Linklater’s ‘Boyhood’ Is Growing
Its influence is evident in the way new releases such as ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ and ‘Cobra Kai’ use time in their storytelling.
Yes, This Interchange in Houston Is the Same Size as an Entire City Center in Italy
Siena, Italy, crams 30,000 people into the amount of space occupied by a five-stack interchange in the Bayou City.
The Mild-Mannered Texas Artist Behind Netflix’s ‘Warrior Nun’
San Antonio comic book creator Ben Dunn, 56, had been quietly publishing comics for more than thirty years when Hollywood finally came calling.
On ‘A Home Unfamiliar,’ Texas Musicians Show Us What the Pandemic Sounds Like
Austin songwriter Mobley recruited musicians to collaborate on an album in quarantine. It feels like a snapshot of a music scene seeking a new way forward.
The Twenty Most Iconic Local TV and Billboard Legends in Texas, Ranked
From Mattress Mack to Dick Poe to Crazy Willie, we got ’em all!
As if 2020 Weren’t Bad Enough, We Are Now Running Out of Dr Pepper
A good can is hard to find.
The Best Thing in Texas: Curbside Larry Is the Hero We Need in These Times
We pulled up and opened the trunks of our hearts, and the Harris County Public Library’s instantly iconic pitchman quickly deposited himself inside.
UT’s Plan for Reopening Is to Hope College Students Stop Acting Like College Students
UT-Austin hit students with a request that at any other time would have seemed ridiculous: before classes start, would they please spend 14 days in self-quarantine?