Five stories that have North Texas talking: Scholars have problems with proposed social studies textbooks; the State Fair of Texas announces more new foods; a North Dallas bar says it won’t air NFL games; and more.
There are many problems with proposed social studies textbooks for Texas schools, several academics say. They appeared before the Texas State Board of Education on Tuesday. The Texas Tribune reports they pointed to flaws, “including inaccurate descriptions of world religions and out-of-date racial terminology. … ‘I believe students will believe Moses was the first American,’ after reading the new texts, Kathleen Wellman, a former chairwoman of SMU’s history department, told the board.” Hundreds of textbooks and e-books are up for a vote in November. University of Texas History Department Chairwoman Jacqueline Jones told the board: “These are full of biases that are either outside the established mainstream scholarship or just plain wrong, along with the omission of crucial facts. It can lead to a great deal of confusion in the reader.” Read more from The Texas Tribune.
- The State Fair of Texas on Tuesday released a complete list of all of the new foods that will be served this year. They include pork rind nachos, fried sweet tea, fried chicken and waffle cone, and something called "Amazeballz." We already know what the top new foods are at this year’s State Fair – Fried Gulf Shrimp Boil and Funnel Cake Ale. Those were honored at the Big Tex Choice Awards earlier this month. The fair starts Sept. 26. Meet the new fair foods – and see beauty shots – right here.
- Football and bars go hand-in-hand. But a Far North Dallas bar says it won’t be showing NFL games on TV in light of recent domestic abuse issues, including the video showing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancee. Jack Mac’s Swill & Grill posted this message on its Facebook page: “We will no longer show ANY NFL games until the league changes [its] domestic abuse policies. It has gotten to the point where money is more important than women's and children's health and life are concerned, this is unacceptable in the world that I want to live in. Please join me in my small attempt to stop adding fuel to the fire and money to their coffers.” Owner Jack MacDonald told CultureMap Dallas, which first reported the news,that he doesn't follow football that much, but that "I do have a passion for not hitting people."
- Kent Brantly, the Fort Worth-trained doctor who contracted the Ebola virus in Africa, met Tuesday with President Barack Obama at the White House. Brantly recovered after being treated at an Atlanta hospital. Brantly also testified at a Senate panel about the Ebola outbreak. Obama on Tuesday announced a stepped-up response to West Africa’s Ebola crisis. Last month, Brantly spoke publicly for the first time about contracting Ebola. “I am thrilled to be alive,” he said. Earlier this month, Brantlyspoke with NBC about his experience. “I felt like I was about to die,” Brantly told NBC. Read about Brantly's testimony here.[Associated Press]
- The director of the city of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs is leaving. Maria Munoz-Blanco, in the position since 2006, will step down Oct. 3. KERA’s Jerome Weeks has details: “Munoz-Blanco confirmed she has been hired for a new position but declined to talk about it until her new employer announces the job. A Sept. 15 City Hall memo announced Munoz-Blanco’s departure and the appointment of David Fisher, OCA assistant director, to serve as interim director. Fisher started at the Bath House Cultural Center in 1995. He began the Festival of Independent Theaters, served as executive director of the Turtle Creek Chorale, and returned to the OCA in 2013.” Read more on KERA’s Art&Seek.
