🕯️ A BBQ burnt ends candle + a government shutdown

October 2, 2025

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Hey y’all,

I know you’ve been curious about H-E-B’s crazy new candle scent: BBQ burnt ends. I checked it out recently, along with the butter tortilla and the BBQ dill pickle, and I can report that it is, indeed, a horrific scent. 🤣 I imagine it’s like being in a butcher’s fridge if a few massive jars of mustard had exploded inside. It makes me queasy thinking about it.

The BBQ dill was also offensive, but the butter tortilla was actually kind of nice, like the scent of something baking.

Before we pivot away from food, make sure you don’t miss tomorrow’s issue, where I’m going to share the best thing you can get at the State Fair of Texas this year. (And it’s not a recommendation you’ve probably seen yet!)

Joi Louviere

Senior Newsletter Editor, COURIER DFW

How the government shutdown could hurt thousands of Texans

A sign announces that the US Capitol Visitor Center is closed on Wednesday, the first day of a partial government shutdown. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

By Matt Hennie

The federal government shut down early Wednesday, meaning nearly 250,000 federal employees and members of the military in Texas won’t receive paychecks, and a chunk of the billions in federal funding earmarked for the state will be paused. Large swaths of the federal bureaucracy will slow down or stop.

The shutdown started at midnight on Wednesday as Congress and President Donald Trump couldn’t agree on legislation funding federal operations. The last government shutdown, which started in late 2018, lasted for 35 days. It’s the third shutdown Trump has presided over as president.

The shutdown’s impact on Texas could be severe.

Keep reading

🐺 Game of Thrones exhibit: The Arlington Museum of Art, in partnership with Warner Bros., has announced a limited-time Game of Thrones exhibit, opening on Saturday. Fans can go behind the scenes with original designs, see props from the show, and learn how the series was developed. (City of Arlington)

📬 Erewhon is shipping: The Los Angeles-based luxury grocery store Erewhon will begin shipping to cities outside of LA, including Dallas. Not all their bougie offerings will be available for shipment—no $23 smoothie could survive the trip—but grocery items will become available tomorrow. (Dallas Observer)

🚀 Y’all Street to grow region: The Texas Stock Exchange just got federal approval, allowing companies to be publicly traded, and therefore creating more jobs and keeping the cost of living low. Read more here. (KERA)