Axios Dallas

November 17, 2023
Happy Friday! Be mindful.
π€οΈ Today's weather: More fog this morning. High in the 60s.
π΅ Sounds like: "Come Sail Away"
β Situational awareness: A Dallas committee rejected a proposal to rename 6 miles of Jim Miller Road after Santos Rodriguez, a 12-year-old boy who was murdered by a police officer in 1973.
Today's newsletter is 792 cruising words β a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Texas prisons among book-banning leaders
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Texas prison book bans far exceed the well-publicized school and library book bans, per a new PEN America report.
Driving the news: The report, based on open record requests, interviews with prison mailroom staff and narratives from inmates, reveals some of the tactics prisons employ to censor titles, Axios' Shauneen Miranda reports.
By the numbers: Texas banned the second-most books of any state, with 10,265 banned titles. Florida was first, with 22,825 off-limits titles.
Between the lines: The most banned category in prison includes books deemed sexually explicit, a classification used to ban medical, art and drawing books and some popular magazines, according to Moira Marquis, lead author of the report.
- The most banned book is "Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars," detailing how to make different recipes in a cell.
Zoom in: In 2022, the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that covers the criminal justice system, published a page-by-page database of banned books in Texas and other states.
The other side: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice didn't respond to Axios' request for comment.
2. π§³ 4 million Texans to travel for Thanksgiving
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
A busy Thanksgiving travel week begins today, with airlines expecting record numbers of passengers and millions of people planning to hit the road this weekend.
Driving the news: Nearly 3 million people are expected to pass through DFW Airport during the holiday week.
- Dallas Love Field is expecting today to be one of its busiest days for departures leading into Thanksgiving.
The big picture: The Transportation Security Administration predicts this holiday season to be the busiest ever for air travel.
- An estimated 55.4 million people will travel by plane, train or automobile in the next week, per AAA.
- Overall travel is down slightly from 2019, but more people are expected to fly, cruise or ride a train to their holiday destinations this year than before the pandemic.
Details: Airport officials recommend arriving at least two hours before departure time to get through security and the terminals.
- AAA warns that highway traffic is likely to be the most congested from 2-6pm Wednesday, one of the most popular travel days.
By the numbers: Most traveling Texans will roadtrip to their Turkey Day destinations, per AAA.
- 244,000 will fly, a 4% increase from last year.
- 84,000 will travel by train, bus or cruise, a 10% increase.
π· Of note: If you're taking wine, gravy or cranberry sauce, you must pack them in a checked bag, per the TSA.
3. π« Screen Time with Southwest's CEO
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
The holiday season β and impending winter weather β will be a major test for Southwest Airlines and its CEO, Bob Jordan, as the company looks to rebuild trust with travelers.
The big picture: Our Screen Time feature explores how some of the most interesting and powerful people in North Texas interact with technology.
- Axios Denver reporter John Frank recently interviewed Jordan.
Here's how the big boss at Southwest clicksβ¦
π± Device of choice: iPhone 12
π² First tap in the morning: Text messages on operations performance.
π° Go-to news sources: Wall Street Journal and Associated Press.
π What he's reading: "The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)," by Ret. U.S. Navy Adm. William H. McRaven.
πΊ Now streaming: "Only Murders in the Building," "Outlander," "Schitt's Creek," and "Stranger Things."
π§ On rotation: Progressive rock, like Rush, and Greta Van Fleet.
π Favorite place to eat in North Texas: Bob's Steak & Chop House in Grapevine.
4. π Burnt ends: Bite-sized news bits
Grab your day by the horns. Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
π The Dallas Stars are partnering with the city of Farmers Branch to build a multisport youth facility expected to serve about 900,000 visitors a year. (D Magazine)
π« The Pilot Point school board approved a voluntary separation agreement with its superintendent. (KERA)
π¨ A Dallas police officer was shot in the leg while serving a capital murder warrant yesterday. (WFAA)
π Barbie's dream house and camper van will be on display in a pop-up opening today at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco. (NBC5)
5. π₯ One cocktail to go: The Charles
Tastes like Hi-C plus spicy booze. Photo: Tasha "Vitamin Please" Tsiaperas/Axios
The Design District once ended in warehouses, empty lots and a smattering of bail bonds joints. Now it's one of the best dining and drinking neighborhoods in Dallas.
- The Charles is a good example of that. Plus, we're big fans of Duro Hospitality's restaurants, particularly Sister.
Pro tip: If you want just drinks and maybe a snack, head through the restaurant to the adjacent Bar Charles for a cozier, speakeasy feel.
What to order: Rosa Calda βΒ spicy tequila, pink peppercorn and raspberry
Where: The Charles, 1632 Market Center Blvd.
Cost: $21
Six-word review: Very drinkable. Salty, fruity, slight spice.

Bonus review: Try the lemon poppy seed olive oil cake topped with sorbet, berries, mascarpone and pistachios.
- We made sounds while eating this that had the adjacent table say, "I'll have what she's having."
π Know a drink we should try? Hit reply and tell us.
This newsletter was edited by Bob Gee and copy edited by Carolyn DiPaolo.
Our picks:
π Mike is never surprised by how car-centric we are.
π₯² Tasha is emotional after watching "The Boy Who Lived."
π₯ Naheed is voting for her favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
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