Good morning, DFW,

Today is the day our nation collectively mourns the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s been 25 years, and whether you lived in New York at the time or right here in Texas, the impact was significant, and those feelings are unforgettable.

I took to Nextdoor and asked North Texans what they remember about the day. One man said it was his birthday. Another person said they were waiting to board a flight. Someone else was on a flight. Here are a few other memories folks shared:

“I was heading to work in Northern Virginia, about 20 miles south of the Pentagon off of I-395 when the first tower was hit. My friend felt the shock from the Pentagon hit from 25 miles out, as if on a fault line. Couldn’t contact my son in Oregon by phone, but got him later by email to tell him we were ok in DC. No cell phone service. I remember people were walking across bridges over the Potomac to Virginia because they couldn’t contact their car pools. It was surreal.” — Betty

“I was scheduled to fly back to Dallas that day [from NYC] … That night me and my crew decided to rent a couple of cars and someone nearby told us he could probably get 2 cars to rent … There were 8 of us trying to get back to Dallas so we had just enough rooms for my crew … As we were leaving Manhattan, we could see the huge pillar of smoke. I asked if anyone in my car wanted to listen to the news but they did not. It was a long drive from Manhattan to Dallas, but we finally got home.” — Brooks

A commenter named Lisa ended her recount with, “People came together to take care of and help one another. The way we responded to the attacks was the one thing we could control.” That’s a great reminder to focus on what’s in our control and remember to take care of one another. 

Now, to the news.

The women maneuvering a paper machete representation of Ken Paxton encouraged admirers to enjoy the details. (Noemi Castonon)

Moving through Victory Park for the first ever Republican midterm convention was harder than navigating TSA on a holiday weekend. But after watching a video stream of the event at American Airlines Center, I get what they were protecting—a lot of weird.

President Donald Trump insulted US Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s looks. Again. The crowd booed at the mention of their own Senate majority leader. Trump offered $5,000 for Americans to vote Republican (which Vice President JD Vance tried to walk back later—likely because the proposal would cost more than $1 trillion, and not because bribing people for votes is illegal). Paxton, who’s running in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico, only got 6 minutes to speak. During Ted Cruz’s speech, an attendee shouted that Talarico and other Dems should be shot. Organizers also showed a half-naked photo of a self-described Marxist Twitch streamer on the Jumbotron, and the president repeated “cheat like hell” to close out the convention. 

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Texas Democratic lawmakers rallied supporters for the antithesis. Speakers, including Beto O’Rourke and Tarrant County judge candidate Alisa Simmons, referenced redistricting, anti-Muslim hate, and polling location cuts. A musician sang a song about data centers and flock cameras. Someone gave out free slushies. There was even a jumbo machete Ken Paxton doll (weird or creative?).

Check out more of our coverage on our Instagram page.

🎤 Jimmying free speech: Comedian Jimmy Kimmel announced Wednesday that his interview with US Senate candidate James Talarico wouldn’t air on television. In his monologue, he mentioned President Trump’s influence over the FCC, saying the agency had threatened him and his show “based on simple traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like.” Last night, the interview aired on YouTube. Watch it here. 

🥵 Than the devil’s armpit: August was Earth’s hottest month ever recorded by scientists, and a Texas A&M University climate expert says breaking records is our new norm. See what two factors are to blame for the increase in temperatures. 

✂️ Cold cuts: Arlington, which recently saw 19 Election Day voting sites and one early voting spot cut thanks to a decision by Tarrant County commissioners, might lose more voting locations if a majority of the city council signs off on it in a meeting later this month. See what the mayor had to say here. (Arlington Report)

📣 Carpool cheer: What started as a gesture to lighten the mood after two elementary schools were forced to merge has resulted in two Coppell mothers, and their parking cone outfits, going viral. (NBC 5)

🍨 Your morning scoop: Blue Bell just dropped a new flavor based on a popular coffee drink—white chocolate mocha. Wanna know if it’s any good? The anchors at our local Fox station did a taste test for you. Watch it here.
  (Fox 4)

🎁 Giving Thursday: North Texas Giving Day is on Sept. 17, and thousands of local nonprofits are hoping for your donations. Last year, $78 million was raised for 3,000 charities. Here’s how it works and the list of causes you can support. 

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere was edited by Paula Solis and Kimberly Lawson.

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