The State of Texas: He's running

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Shop the Texas Monthly General Store!]( [Texas Monthly]( January 14, 2019 QUOTE OF THE DAY "There is an incredible divide between Washington and the rest of the country when it comes to Bob Mueller and the Russia investigation. The mainstream media, Washington, is obsessed with it. And when you get outside the Beltway, I don't find anybody concerned with this at all." —Senator Ted Cruz [during an appearance]( on NBC's Meet the Press. Cruz says that Texans he has spoken with were concerned with border security and economic issues, not probes into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Cruz's claim came [after reports]( from the New York Times and the Washington Post this weekend revealed new details about the possible collusion. THE LATEST [In Presidential Announcement, Julián Castro Emphasizes Value of America’s Immigrant Experience]( CARLOS SANCHEZ The former San Antonio mayor threw his hat in the ring during a formal announcement Saturday. [Read more.]( THE TEXANIST [The Texanist: Are Hot Sauce and Salsa the Same Thing?]( DAVID COURTNEY Q: I’ve had a recurring discussion with people over the last few months about “salsa” and “hot sauce” and the differences between the two. Most all of them point to articles they find online that say that “hot sauce” would be more like Cholula and Tabasco and the stuff that comes with chips at a restaurant is always “salsa.” But these pieces are typically written by people in regions of the country that don’t eat hot sauce or salsa on a regular basis, so I’ve come to you for assistance. Personally, I feel that hot sauce is any type of sauce with a more liquid consistency and spicier flavor, and salsa has more of a chunky pico de gallo type of consistency. But what say you? Jason Gallegos, Fort Worth A: What to call a particular piquant potion is a hot and recurring topic of conversation around these parts. Is it hot sauce or is it salsa? The answer, as you have learned, depends on who you ask. Note: relying on folks who aren’t familiar with what they’re talking about is not a path anyone would advise going down, so the Texanist, who is a connoisseur of all sorts of spicy things, including delicious versions of the two types of tasty comestibles you have described, is glad you’ve turned to him for an answer. [Read More]( Look here every Monday for the latest from the Texanist, or [peruse his archives here.]( Tomorrow, and every Tuesday, you’ll find a selection from our archives. [Shop the Texas Monthly General Store!]( OUR TOP STORIES [Gary Clark Jr.’s New Music Video, “This Land,” Is a Furious, Beautiful Statement]( The video fits alongside Childish Gambino’s ”This is America” and Beyoncé’s ”Formation” in its vocal addressing of racism in America. [Read More]( [The Love Story That Upended the Texas Prison System]( In 1967, a 56-year-old lawyer met a young inmate with a brilliant mind and horrifying stories about life inside. Their complicated alliance—and even more complicated romance—would shed light on a nationwide scandal, disrupt a system of abuse and virtual slavery across the state, and change incarceration in Texas forever. [Read More]( [What Just Happened With Kliff Kingsbury?]( The underachieving former Texas Tech leader is somehow now the head coach of an NFL team. [Read More]( THE STATE OF TEXAS RIP, King Jay A weeks-long search for [a missing child]( is now officially over. Christopher Davila, the father of eight-month-old King Jay Davila, led San Antonio police to his son's body, which was wrapped in a blanket, placed in a backpack, and buried less than a mile from the father's home. He is now charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony, along with felon in possession of a firearm, drug possession, and tampering with evidence. His bail has been set at $1.25 million. But even though King Jay's body has been found, police said that there is still plenty of work to be done. "This is not the finish line, in fact, the hard part of the investigation is just beginning," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. "The investigation won't be finished until we can answer how exactly King Jay died, who knew it, and when they knew it." Removing the Plaque The state board that oversees the Capitol grounds [voted unanimously]( on Friday to remove a Confederate plaque stating that the Civil War was "not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery." The vote comes after a year of complaints and a push from Governor Greg Abbott, who presides over the six-member State Preservation Board. But State Representative Eric Johnson, who led the charge on having the plaque removed, cautioned that no one should be "high-fiving" each other. "The plaque should never have been put up by the Legislature in the first place, and it certainly shouldn’t have taken sixty years to remove it," he told the Texas Tribune. "And that’s on Republicans and Democrats alike, to be perfectly honest." Chaps For Life Drew Brees emerged victorious in the [battle of the former Westlake High School quarterbacks](. Brees led the New Orleans Saints against Nick Foles's Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, ultimately securing a 20-14 win. Regardless of a disappointing night for Foles, history was made: Brees and Foles became the first Super Bowl MVPs who attended the same high school to face off in a playoff game, which seems like an oddly specific distinction. Go Chaparrals! NEWS & POLITICS [Tornillo’s Tent City No Longer Houses Children, But Facilities Like It Aren’t Going Away]( ROBERT MOORE Even as the Tornillo tent city shuts down, the Trump administration’s policies will call for more centers like it. [Read more.]( [Texas' Best Beach]( [The Bull x The Horns: A New Advice Column]( What's standing between you and your best self? The Texas Optimism Project, sponsored by Frost Bank, is partnering with KUTX 98.9's Two Guys on Your Head podcasters Art Markman and Bob Duke to launch an advice column about taking control over the stress in our lives. Send us your questions about life, career, and everything in between and we'll spotlight how the power of perspective can change everything. [Read More]( [Shop the Texas Monthly General Store!]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [The Passage: Love at First Bite]( DAN OKO [Recipe: Instant Pot Texas Chili]( PAULA FORBES [Will Hurd Isn’t the Only Texas Official Who Opposes the Border Wall]( DAN SOLOMON [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and save!]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. If you would like to manage which Texas Monthly Editorial newsletters you are receiving, click Preferences, below. To unsubscribe from our Editorial newsletters, click Unsubscribe. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](