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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Tasha Tsiaperas and Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi.

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"The Odyssey" premiered a month ago and movie buffs are still flying or driving to Dallas to see the film in its purest form. 

Driving the news: Cinemark Dallas is one of only two theaters in Texas showing the film in 70mm IMAX. The theater extended its showtimes through Sept. 16 to accommodate the demand.

Vibe check: The theater has shown several films on 70mm IMAX, including "Oppenheimer."

The shows begin with a Cinemark employee explaining how film projection works and sharing fun facts about the theater. The screen, for example, is five stories tall. The reel for "The Odyssey" weighs 800 pounds.

"It's a masterwork of engineering," general manager Howard Hoermann told Monday afternoon's crowd.

The intrigue: The 70mm film's picture quality is delightfully crisp, and the IMAX format adds gravitas to Odysseus' long journey home.

Yes, but: Director Christopher Nolan's preferred format comes with trade-offs.

Forget about reclining seats, elbow room and matinee discounts — tickets cost $25.

What they're saying: Oak Cliff resident Elliot Argenbright bought tickets a month ago for his first-ever 70mm IMAX experience on Monday. He said while leaving the theater that the experience was worth the wait and the hype.

"I'm definitely a bigger Nolan fan after having seen this. The colors are like nothing I've seen in a movie before," Argenbright said.

What's next: "Dune: Part Three" comes out in December. Tickets to the special format are already on sale.

"The Odyssey" is still drawing crowds to Cinemark Dallas

Cinemark Dallas is one of only two theaters in Texas showing the film in 70mm IMAX.

Lobby of an IMAX theater with a large illuminated IMAX sign on the left and a big poster for The Odyssey on the right. Two people stand near glass doors as daylight pours in.

The IMAX theater at Cinemark Dallas has just under 230 seats. Photo: Naheed "Aspiring Helen of Troy" Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios

&quot;The Odyssey&quot; premiered a month ago and movie buffs are still flying or driving to Dallas to see the film in its purest form. Driving the news: Cinemark Dallas is one of only two theaters in Texas showing the film in 70mm IMAX. The theater extended its showtimes through Sept. 16 to accommodate the demand.

Culture

Methodist Dallas Medical Center last week pulled off a rare "domino transplant" involving multiple people who donated their kidneys to strangers after their loved ones also received a kidney on the same day. 

Why it matters: The endeavor, which included three donors and three recipients, was the first such procedure for the almost 100-year-old hospital. Doctors say it will help the patients live better lives.

How it works: Last week's transplants took place on the same day, requiring four surgeons, over 13 hours of surgery and extensive lab work to ensure the donors would be good matches for each other. 

"Everything has to come together at the right time. We have to make sure all six people are healthy — the surgeries need to happen the same day, one after the other," Methodist Dallas transplant nephrologist Amna Ilahe said in a statement.

Zoom in: Burleson resident Roxanne Graham donated her kidney to Denton County lawyer Reggie Johnson, who has struggled with kidney disease for almost half of his life.

His wife, Anyiesa Johnson, was not a matching donor for him — instead, she donated a kidney to 38-year-old Irving resident Jerel Reyes.

Reyes' wife, Linh Tran, also was not a match for her husband and donated a kidney to 36-year-old Dallas resident Elam Miramontes.

Group of seven people in a hospital ward posing for a photo; most wear light blue patient gowns and masks, one woman wears a gray sleeveless top; IV poles and equipment visible in background.

From left: Roxanne Graham, Reggie Johnson, Anyiesa Johnson, Jerel Reyes, Linh Tran and Elam Miramontes. Photo: Courtesy of Methodist Dallas Medical Center

The intrigue: Graham's donation helped relieve her pain from "nutcracker syndrome," a rare vascular condition.

"Really, it's a win-win. Everything works out the way it's supposed to," she said when meeting her fellow patients after the procedure.

Fun fact: Hospital staff gave each person a set of dominoes to remind them of their transplant.

The bottom line: "Being a donor is the most selfless act. I'm hopeful that this story helps people have the confidence and the courage to be donors and save a life," Reggie Johnson says.

Methodist Dallas Medical Center pulls off rare "domino transplant"

The kidney transplant involved six people.

Six-panel collage of surgeons in an operating room wearing blue gowns, masks, and caps, performing surgery with monitors, IVs, and bright lights in the background.

Six operating room teams worked from 7am to 8pm to pull off the domino transplant. Photos: Courtesy of Methodist Dallas.

Methodist Dallas Medical Center last week pulled off a rare &quot;domino transplant&quot; involving multiple people who donated their kidneys to strangers after their loved ones also received a kidney on the same day. Why it matters: The endeavor, which included three donors and three recipients, was the first such procedure for the almost 100-year-old hospital. Doctors say it will help the patients live better lives.

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The stars at night may appear bigger and brighter deep in the heart of Texas this month.

The big picture: August is one of the best months for skygazing. The coming weeks are expected to bring  shooting stars and a nearly eclipsed full Moon.

And, fortunately, the Dallas area is forecast to have clear skies over the next several days to support your stargazing endeavors.

State of play: Texans have the opportunity to catch three meteor showers this month.

Dozens of meteors could streak across the sky per hour when the annual Perseids meteor shower peaks this week.

Through Aug. 21, you can also catch glimpses of the more subtle Delta Aquariid meteor shower, which is most visible starting mid-evening.

The Alpha Capricornids, which are known for producing bright fireballs, will be active through Aug. 15, according to the American Meteor Society.

The intrigue: The Perseids meteor shower is especially favorable for viewing because it coincides with a dark new Moon. The best time to watch is from midnight Wednesday to dawn Thursday.

How to watch: Places with low light pollution, such as rural parts of North Texas, will give you the best chance to see the meteoric displays.

Lakewood Village in Denton County has held the designation of an international dark sky community since 2019. The town is hosting a Perseid meteor shower watch party from Wednesday night to early Thursday.

Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, put your phone away and scan the whole sky — meteors can appear anywhere.

Fun fact: Look low in the western sky 30 to 60 minutes after sunset Friday to Sunday to find the brightest "star" in the evening sky. That's Venus! 

Zoom out: A deep partial lunar eclipse will darken nearly all of the full Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 27.

The partial eclipse will begins around 8:30pm and peak around 11pm, when about 94% of the Moon will be covered by Earth's shadow.

Why August is a big stargazing month for North Texans

The coming days and weeks are expected to bring  shooting stars and a nearly eclipsed full Moon.

A pair of Perseid meteors streak across the sky in 2015, in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Nevada. 

The stars at night may appear bigger and brighter deep in the heart of Texas this month.The big picture: August is one of the best months for skygazing. The coming weeks are expected to bring shooting stars and a nearly eclipsed full Moon.

North Texas has had 20 days at or above 100 degrees so far this year, per the National Weather Service.  

The region also hasn't recorded any measurable rainfall in nearly a month. 

Why it matters: The prolonged heat is driving up electric bills in the hottest stretch of the year. The lack of rain is exacerbating the risk of wildfires.

Stunning stat: July 15 was the last day of rain at DFW Airport, with around 0.07 inches recorded.

State of play: North Texas usually tallies 20 days at or above 100 degrees every summer, National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw tells Axios. 

With more 100-degree days forecast over the next week, the region is expected to surpass the norm "a fair amount," he says. 

Pro tip: The Public Utility Commission of Texas has several tips on its website for minimizing your energy use, including maintaining the weather stripping of your doors and windows, using large appliances during off-peak hours and replacing HVAC air filters regularly.

Zoom out: August, which normally gets .67 inches of rain, has been extra dry this year. The airport only got a trace of rain on Aug. 9 and it wasn't enough to move the month's running total past zero.

What's next: North Texas is expected to go without rain for at least the next seven days, and maybe even beyond that, Bradshaw says. 

"It is going to be dry, unfortunately. I wish I had better news," Bradshaw says.

The upside: Most of the Axios Dallas readers who guessed how many 100-degree days our region would see this year are still in the running because of their high counts. 

Take our survey: How do you keep your summer energy bills as low as possible?

North Texas usually tallies 20 days at or above 100 degrees every summer.

Illustration of a seven-day forecast with sunny icons and temperatures of 100 degrees each day, with flames and burning effect along the bottom.

North Texas has had 20 days at or above 100 degrees so far this year, per the National Weather Service. <ul><li>The region also hasn&#x27;t recorded any measurable rainfall in nearly a month. </li></ul>Why it matters: The prolonged heat is driving up electric bills in the hottest stretch of the year. The lack of rain is exacerbating the risk of wildfires.

A new school year begins this week for North Texas families, marking the return to more predictable routines and early bedtimes. Phew.

Why it matters: Whether you are a parent or not, the return to class reconfigures school zone speed limits, traffic patterns and mall crowds.

The latest: Fort Worth started its first academic year on Monday under a state takeover, saying it had no teacher vacancies heading into the first day of school.

The intrigue: Peak travel hours are typically 7-9am and 4-6pm in North Texas, per Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tony Hartzel.

But, when school is in session, those hours shift earlier to around 6:30am and 3:30pm — or even earlier in some areas, Hartzel says.

Threat level: About 870 crashes were reported in Texas' school zones last year, a 12% increase from 2024. Roughly 2,360 crashes involved a school bus, per TxDOT.

Speeding and distracted driving were the most common causes of the crashes. 

What they're saying: Look out for students using crosswalks and speed limit signs around schools. Using a cell phone while in a school zone is illegal, unless you use the device hands free.

"With school zones active and congestion levels increasing, all motorists should give themselves more time to get to their destination," TxDOT says.

The big picture: In other school news, Texas' law requiring the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom is in effect statewide but remains under challenge.

Texas' Education Freedom Accounts program — the state's school voucher system — debuts this school year, with participating families receiving state money for private school tuition and approved education costs.

How school openings shift traffic patterns in Dallas-Fort Worth

Typical traffic hours shift earlier when schools are in session, per TxDOT.

Illustration of a seagull in sunglasses wearing a bucket hat and backpack, and carrying a water bottle

A new school year begins this week for North Texas families, marking the return to more predictable routines and early bedtimes. Phew.Why it matters: Whether you are a parent or not, the return to class reconfigures school zone speed limits, traffic patterns and mall crowds.

Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi

Featured stories

"The Odyssey" is still drawing crowds to Cinemark Dallas

Take our survey: How do you keep your summer energy bills as low as possible?

Why August is a big stargazing month for North Texans

Methodist Dallas Medical Center pulls off rare "domino transplant"

How school openings shift traffic patterns in Dallas-Fort Worth