Five stories that have North Texas talking: What Wendy Davis wore, who George W. Bush’s daughter hopes will run for president in 2016, pricey American beef and more.
State Sen. Wendy Davis’s fashion statements could be serving her cause – and it’s not just about those pink Mizuno trainers anymore. The Fort Worth Democrat's increased visibility has gotten her in the glossies now, wearing Caroline Herrera. Vogue’s Heidi Mitchell took a Fourth of July holiday at Davis’s Fort Worth home and ate organic local peaches and plums with the senator, her daughters Amber and Dru, and her boyfriend, former mayor and "Keep Austin Weird" slogan-slinger Will Wynn.
The scribe learns Davis wears 7 for All Mankind jeans and flattens her naturally curly hair into submission, but there's actually a lot of important stuff here. Democratic Party strategist Paul Begala explains a more practical reason the pink-shoed filibusterer (and possible candidate for governor) is commanding attention:
“The eyes of the world are on Texas, and I’m not proud of what they’re seeing—except when they see Wendy. During the filibuster, the Republicans acted like bullies, and Americans hate bullies.”
Also, Mitchell reminds us Davis is an avid runner. And that, it bears repeating, is what the shoes are for. [Vogue]
- W’s Daughter Votes For Hillary – As A Contender: Here’s what we know about President George W. Bush’s daughter, Barbara: She doesn’t claim a political party. She supports gay marriage. And she works as the CEO of the nonprofit Global Health Corps, which has partnerships with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. And Barbara says she wants to see former secretary of state Hillary Clinton run for president in 2016. The 31-year-old told People that doesn’t mean she’d vote for the Democrat, per se. [Politico]
- Denton’s Historic Purple Opera House Is For Sale, But Recycled Books Is Not: The elegant lavender building that defines the corner of Locust and E. Oak Streets in Denton is on the market for $2.7 million. It’s where Recycled Books, the well-loved (and well-worn) used books-and-music store has lived since 1983. And manager Chris Garver is not pulling the shop’s 400,000 titles off the shelves just yet. “We’re a few months into a 10-year lease,” he tells The High Five, saying the building’s changed owners with no incident during his own six years working there. “People have been posting on Facebook, asking, ‘Should we start a Kickstarter account?’ But everything’s fine.” There's only one sign of struggle on record between the shop and its multiple landlords. The two guys who owned the building in the early '90s decided to paint the Opera House purple (it was almost 100 years old). Recycled’s owner Don Foster was not into it, he told the Texas Observer last year. Seemed to work out okay, though.
- Meat Is Money, And Prices Will Probably Keep Rising: Americans pay more for beef now than ever, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Feed prices have risen because of drought, yes, but KUT’s Nathan Bernier traces the issue back further. It’s more expensive to produce feed as corn is used to make ethanol more often, and the diesel fuel and fertilizer needed costs more. And other countries love our beef, so it won’t get any cheaper. [KUT in Austin]
- Kidd’s Daughter Sings At His Memorial Show, Too: The crowd at Victory Plaza who gathered Thursday to honor the late radio legend Kidd Kraddick heard a musical guest they were probably not expecting. It was Caroline Cradick, Kidd’s daughter. She sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in honor of her dad, who died last month. Mark Cuban and Dr. Phil were among those who paid public tribute. But the recaps show a candid affair, as Kidd’s KISS FM co-host Kellie Raspberrie told admirers he was “the most aggravating human being ever to grace the Earth.” [Dallas News]
