What Is 'Critical Race Theory,' And Why Do Conservatives Hate It?

Rise and shine, Dallas! It's Wednesday, Aug. 4.

Your Headlines: We take a deep dive into Critical Race Theory.

Read about the loss of revenue triggered by UT and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12.

Now, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 90, low: 73.

Among the top stories in DFW today:

1. A Dallas firefighter who lied about his COVID-19 diagnosis has been arrested. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
2. Dallas continues its spray campaign against mosquitos carrying the West Nile virus. (Dallas Patch)
3. County Commissioner J.J. Koch had to be removed from a Dallas meeting after he refused to wear a mask. (CBS Dallas / Fort Worth)
4. Dallas’ Parkland Hospital has reduced its visiting hours because of the rise in COVID-19 cases.(CBS Dallas / Fort Worth)
5. Here are the 10 best restaurants in Dallas to get a glass of wine. (CultureMap Dallas)

Today's Dallas Daily is brought to you by our friends at GoodRx — the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

Today in Dallas

“Down and Out Downtown,” St. Vincent’s live stream concert debut. The live stream begins at 8 p.m.

Charlotte McConaghy, featured guest for Arts and Letters Live, discusses her two bestselling books on environmentalism and history at the Dallas Museum of Art virtual event at 7 p.m.

Dallas Patch Notebook

• Dallas Mavericks: "Whether in Tokyo or the U.S., he’s always got LukaVision." (Instagram)
• Dallas Cowboys: "The #DallasCowboys will be back tomorrow! Join us for #CowboysCamp! Admission is free!" (Instagram)
• UT Dallas: "Have a sunny day, Comets!" (Instagram)
• Dallas Farmers Market: "We’re celebrating National Farmers Market Week and kicking off Watermelon Day by having The Shed open one extra day." (Instagram)
• Dallas Zoo: "Cheetahs Brutus and Finnick are settling into their habitat nicely and warming up to guests!" (Instagram)
• SPCA of Texas: "Our current obsession: animals with human names like Travis here! Isn’t this guy perfect?!" (Instagram)
• Dallas Museum of Art: "On this #NationalWatermelonDay, feast your eyes on Rufino Tamayo's still life print." (Instagram)
• Children's Health: "Our patient Zeke qualified for the National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships!" (Instagram)
• SPCA of Texas: "Thank you to our special friends at Oak Farms for the donations! Lots of animals are smiling right now." (Instagram)
• The Dallas Arboretum: "Celebrate summer with an elegant tea service! Through Aug. 31, celebrate the season at Garden Tea with your loved one." (Instagram)
• North Texas Giving Day: "Learn how to activate your network and recruit NTX Giving Day ambassadors for your organization." (Facebook)
• Dallas Zoo: "Nature is the classroom at Dallas Zoo's Wild Earth Preschool!" (Facebook)
• SPCA of Texas: "Sound the alarm — we got a heckin' good boy to feature today! Vincent is our WFAA pet of the day." (Facebook)
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Official DART page): "Bus and Rail Operators hiring event happening now until 4 p.m. at DART Ways, Structures & Amenities." (Facebook)
• City of Dallas - City Hall: "The 14.7 million trees that call Dallas home are the city’s greatest asset." (Facebook)
• Dallas ISD: "We welcomed hundreds of teachers to Dallas ISD at yesterday's New Teacher Academy." (Instagram)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Free Insta-Worthy 30 Min Photoshoots in North Dallas! (August 7)
• Free Insta-Worthy 30 Min Photoshoots in the Dallas Arts District! (August 8)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (August 10)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Kevin Phinney

About me: Kevin Phinney has lived and worked as a writer and editor in Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York City. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in El Paso. Phinney attended college in Austin. He has done television work as a reporter and commentator, and is a former host of a weekday drive-time radio show called "Kevin & Kevin in the Morning" on KGSR-FM (now known as Austin City Limits Radio). He is also the author of "Souled American, " a book tracking race relations in America through music. It was published by BILLBOARD Books, and is often used in college classrooms across the country.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Dallas Daily? I'm all ears. You can email me at kevin.phinney@patch.com.