Dan Solomon, Author at Texas Monthly

Politics & Policy |

October 20, 2020

Texas Has More Early Voters Than Any Other State

We’re number one! We’re number one! For now, anyway!

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Politics & Policy |

October 16, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

October 16, 2020

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.

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Sports |

October 16, 2020

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 athletics director and many fans and supporters over the university’s controversial spirit song.

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Politics & Policy |

October 14, 2020

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.

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district-23-gina-ortiz-jones-tony-gonzalez

Politics & Policy |

October 8, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

October 5, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

October 1, 2020

Voting in Texas in 2020: What You Should Know

This election will be highly unusual. Here’s what you need to know before voting.

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Politics & Policy |

October 1, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

September 28, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

September 25, 2020

Dan Crenshaw’s New Campaign Ad Is a Whole Thing

It looks like they had fun making it!

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The Culture |

September 21, 2020

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.

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News & Politics |

September 17, 2020

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.

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Politics & Policy |

September 15, 2020

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.

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Business |

September 8, 2020

Luby’s Is Liquidating Its Assets and Dissolving the Company

This might be the end of the LuAnn Platter.

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Film & TV |

September 2, 2020

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.

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highway-intersection-houston-siena-italy

Politics & Policy |

August 28, 2020

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.

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Business |

August 27, 2020

The State Fair of Texas Is Opening a Drive-thru

You can’t keep Big Tex down.

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Film & TV |

August 26, 2020

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.

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Music |

August 18, 2020

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.

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Film & TV |

August 13, 2020

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!

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Libations |

August 11, 2020

As if 2020 Weren’t Bad Enough, We Are Now Running Out of Dr Pepper

A good can is hard to find.

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Best Thing In Texas |

August 4, 2020

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.

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university-of-texas-austin-covid-school-reeopening

Politics & Policy |

August 4, 2020

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?

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Sports |

July 31, 2020

Why on Earth Is Jim Crane Doing Interviews Right Now?

The Houston Astros owner decided to defend every bad PR move his organization has made.

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Politics & Policy |

July 24, 2020

The Rio Grande Valley Is Texas’s Coronavirus Hot Spot

The death rate from COVID-19 in deep South Texas is more than twice the state average.

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Politics & Policy |

July 22, 2020

Nearly Two Thirds of Texans Say That COVID-19 Is “Out of Control”

New polling indicates that the governor’s office is lagging behind mainstream opinion of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Business |

July 22, 2020

No Store Did More: How H-E-B Became a Model of Emergency Preparedness

It's not just the pandemic. Texas's beloved grocery chain has been developing its disaster response for more than a decade.

By and Paula Forbes

Style & Design |

July 20, 2020

“Hi, How Are You” Is the Exact Message a Face Mask Should Send

Daniel Johnston's famous friendly frog is the perfect COVID accessory for a man like myself.

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Food & Drink |

July 18, 2020

Paul Qui and the Problem With Redemption Narratives

The celebrity chef, accused of domestic violence four years ago, says he’s ready to do the work. But what does that mean?

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Sports |

July 16, 2020

The Ingenious Plan to Fill Globe Life Field During the Pandemic

The new Arlington baseball stadium has an approach that's, well, out of left field.

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Politics & Policy |

July 14, 2020

Facing a Tough Runoff Election, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore Discusses Her Record on Race and Police Brutality

After running second in the Democratic primary to a progressive challenger, Moore argues that her critics haven’t done their homework.

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Politics & Policy |

July 13, 2020

Can You Vote Curbside in the Texas Runoffs?

Access to mail-in ballots has been restricted by the courts, but Texans might be able to vote from their car.

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Music |

June 25, 2020

Did the Dixie Chicks Just Change Their Name?

The band’s social media now calls them ”The Chicks.”

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Sports |

June 24, 2020

Vince Young Turned Down Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy in 2010

Should he have won it back in 2005? Maybe. But he wasn’t going to take it after the fact.

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Politics & Policy |

June 13, 2020

Texas Has Shifted to an “It’s Your Responsibility” Pandemic Plan

As new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations reach their highest levels yet, the state is relying less on restrictions and more on individual decisions.

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Health |

June 9, 2020

Is Texas Headed Toward a Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections?

All of the trend lines in Texas are going the wrong way.

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News & Politics |

June 5, 2020

A Q&A With the Organizer of the Black Lives Matter March in Vidor

A planned march in an East Texas town sparked doubts and concerns on social media that it was a racist stunt.

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Health |

June 3, 2020

A New Texas COVID-19 Tracker Offers a Ton of Useful Information

The Texas 2036 project organizes information from the state, Google, and the media to provide a clear picture of the state of the pandemic in Texas.

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Sports |

June 2, 2020

Is It Possible to Safely Hold a College Baseball Tournament in Bryan Right Now?

Uri Geva is hoping that his Collegiate Summer Baseball Invitational proves that it is—but experts are skeptical.

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Arts & Entertainment |

June 2, 2020

What Exactly Does the New York Times Think the Alamo Is?

An investigation into the Paper of Record that is, alas, somehow necessary.

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Politics & Policy |

May 28, 2020

Texas Is Screwed More by the Electoral College Than Any Other State, Despite Our Size

The disparity is even more stark when you consider that Wyoming is just one of 35 states with a smaller population than the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex alone.

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Style & Design |

May 20, 2020

Is the Cursed “Pac-Man” Face Mask for Real?

Are we being pranked, or is everyone going crazy?

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News |

May 19, 2020

Texas Has Decided to Roll the Dice on the Coronavirus

Governor Abbott’s phase two reopenings signal a hope from leaders that maybe this all will just work out, somehow.

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Health |

May 15, 2020

What Public Health Experts Are Saying About the Coronavirus in Texas Right Now

As our understanding of the disease has evolved, so have the models and advice from experts.

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pat-green-rangers-stadium-drive-in-theater

Music |

May 13, 2020

Are Pat Green and the Texas Rangers Innovating the Drive-in Future of the Concert Industry?

The live music industry was one of the first to come to a halt during the coronavirus crisis—but a plan could bring it back safer and sooner than anyone might have guessed.

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