Good morning North Texas,

Do y’all remember the Dallas Zoo tiger cub that needed naming a few weeks ago? Well, the votes are in and the little girl was named “Rina.” Rina’s brother has been named “Serasi” by zoo staff to honor a ranger from Sumatran Ranger Project who dedicated his life to protecting wildlife on the Indonesian island before he died in January 2025. Here is a photo of the cubs with their mother Suki. 

If you’re an animal lover and interested in volunteering at the Dallas Zoo, you can find the application here. 

This photo combination shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, in Dallas and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in Austin, Texas, both on March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, Jack Myer)

By Brian McManus

They’re both Texas Republicans who claim the mantle of Donald Trump. Both want the same Senate seat. They cannot stand each other. Ditto their voter bases.

On May 26, four-term US Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a Republican primary runoff that has become one of the most expensive, divisive, and closely watched political contests in the country. To their supporters, the race is not just a primary fight. It is a stress test for the modern Republican Party—and for Texas itself.

It probably shouldn’t be. The choice between the two offers a distinction without a difference. 

The two men represent genuinely different styles, different temperaments, and different Republican tribes. What they do not represent is a genuine difference in policy or politics. As one Republican strategist put it plainly, this is a contest between two guys “who will vote with Trump all the time.” The battle consuming the Texas Republican Party—and threatening to hand Democrats their best shot at a statewide seat in more than 30 years—is, at its core, a fight over personality, not principle.

Some of the table settings at Edylicious are layered with personality, while others can be made more muted. (Joi Louviere/ Courier DFW)

I recently attended a tea party thrown by my alma mater’s local alumni chapter. It was a great excuse to finally try the Edylicious Tea Room in Desoto. I’ve tea partied at many tea houses in the metro, but this one is for private events only. The dining room is a festive, whimsical space. I was glad I dressed the part with a floral dress and a fascinator, because Queen Elizabeth was there.—well, her cardboard cutout. 😂 (R.I.P., Queen)

The tea room isn’t large, but offers four 6-person and 8-person tables that are beautifully decorated with floral linens and an assortments of ornate cups, glasses, and plates. The owner, Edy, and her staff, served us a cold rose tea and two hot tea options over the course of the lunch—they make their own blends and they were incredibly flavorful. 

For food, we enjoyed egg salad, chicken salad, cucumber sandwiches, and freshly-made berry scones that came with a delicious whipped cream and jam. There was also an assortment of cookies and macarons. If we needed anything, we’d simply ring a bell to alert staff. 

This shop would be great for a Mother’s Day brunch, a themed birthday party, or, as my group used it, as a networking event that doubled as a fundraiser. For this three-course experience, you end up paying about $45 person and even more casual lunch experiences for $35 a person. Surprisingly, Edylicious still has dates available for May and June, and if you need a larger space (or want to have this experience in your own space), Edylicious caters. For a more refined happy hour, get those pinkies up and book a tea party with your friends.

Don’t Sleep On is a weekly series where I shout out DFW events and businesses I think you should try. Have a suggestion? Reply to this email.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting by Brian McManus. It was edited by Brook Bolen.

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