EoT: Texas-Sized Demises and ‘Lavishly Brazen’ Redistricting

Lance Armstrong’s doping controversy has dominated headlines on both U.S. coasts, with the Los Angeles Times reporting on the cyclist’s appearance at his LiveStrong charity’s 15th anniversary celebration in Austin, where he called recent events “interesting.” The New York Times ran a lengthier article in which one former Armstrong teammate compared the pressure of the doping cover-up to the Mafia’s code of silence.

From one fallen Texas hero to another, the LA Times reported on the fiery demise of Big Tex, the Texas State Fair’s 52-foot-tall mascot. State Fair President Errol McKoy promises a new Big Tex in 2013 but admits Texans are hesitant to embrace change.

The Atlantic featured Texas in its story on congressional redistricting, calling the state’s redistricting process “reckless” and “lavishly brazen.” The article included statistics underscoring the pivotal role growing minority populations played in earning Texas four new districts.