Special Session + Majestic Theatre at 100 + Dallas CPAC Speakers

Rise and shine, Dallas! It's Wednesday, July 7.

Today's Headlines: Expect a lot of political dust in the air this week as Texas lawmakers return for a special session to pass a historically restrictive voting rights bill; The Majestic Theatre is turning 100 years old, and the celebrations will take an entire year to conclude, and conservatives will swarm the city for this weekend's CPAC fest.

First, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 92, low: 75.

Among the top stories in Dallas today:

1. Dallas toast expert expands empire with toasty new restaurant in Plano. (CultureMap Dallas)
2. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton ring up top Dallas planner, baker, musicians for glamorous wedding. (CultureMap Dallas)
3. Dallas Zoo welcomes baby giraffe, born on the Fourth of July. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
4. Dozens injured in Independence Day violence, 5 dead across Dallas, Fort Worth. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
5. A glimpse of normalcy: Dallas airports improved after difficult start to Fourth of July weekend. (WFAA.com)

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Today in Dallas

• Wellness Wednesday’s – Pure Barre (6:30 p.m.)

Dallas Patch Notebook

• The Dallas Arboretum: "A huge thank you to @housebeautiful for naming us as one of 'The Country's Most Gorgeous Botanical Gardens!' " (Instagram)
• Dallas Park and Recreation Department: "So this happened over the weekend in #DallasParks. Please be patient with our amazing Park Maintenance Staff." (Facebook)
• United Way Dallas: "In 2020, a record 10.2 million meals were served in Dallas and Collin counties. This year, our work continues." (Instagram)
• Dallas Museum of Art: "Happy 114th birthday to Frida Kahlo, who was born #onthisday in 1907!" (Instagram)
• Dallas Zoo: "Meet our first Caribbean flamingo chick of the season! This little one hatched on July 1, and weighs in at 83.2g." (Facebook)
• The University of Texas at Dallas: "Scientists from the Center for Advanced Pain Studies at UT Dallas demonstrated a link between the hormone prolactin." (Facebook)

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Gigs & services:

• Pressure Washing 15 percent off! (Details)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors into the fold. 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? Email all inquiries to me at kevin.phinney@patch.com.