City News Roundup

VisitDallas catches us up on emo and screamo and more Dallas news

VisitDallas is down with Shot Topic.

Courtesy photo

This week's roundup of Dallas news includes some updates, some with happy endings, some unresolved. That includes Dallas' classical music station and the subject of redistricting. Monkeypox has landed in Dallas, and there's wacky stuff on the VisitDallas website.

Here's what happened in Dallas this week:

Latest on redistricting
The Dallas City Council was supposed to vote on the new redistricting map that was approved by the Redistricting Commission, redrawn to address shifts in population since the 2020 Census. Eight possible amendments were proposed to address various concerns, such as not splitting up neighborhoods and making sure there were Hispanic districts. But none of the amendments were approved. The council postponed making a decision until its next meeting on June 22.

WRR -> KERA
The Dallas City Council predictably approved the hand-off of the city-owned classical music station WRR 101.1 FM to KERA, Dallas' NPR partner.

This is an extremely popular and feelgood measure. People love it because WRR is practically 100 years old. And it's classical, which makes everyone feel artsy and cultured. We are such an artsy city! Like other big cities. The Park Cities is very onboard with keeping WRR afloat. But how many people actually listen to WRR?

Selfish jerk
A Dallas man brought monkeypox to town after vacationing in Puerto Vallarta. Mexican health officials said the man checked in to the hospital in Vallarta, where doctors told him to isolate himself. Instead, the man, who they have not identified but whom we'll call "the selfish jerk," took a flight back to home.

Can you imagine being on a flight with the selfish jerk and then getting sick?

Dallas County Health Director Phillip Huang said that the selfish jerk is now in isolation, and won't face legal charges. Officials are tracking down people who were on the flight.

South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund
The South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund (SDFPOF) provides loans and grants of up to $100,000 to promote economic development in neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park. Nonprofit organizations who do programs or services that benefit residents of South Dallas Fair Park are invited to apply for funding.

Proposals should be submitted online by July 8 at 5 pm.

Those interested in learning more about the program can email regina.onyeibe@dallascityhall.com or attend one of the following meetings:

June 15 from 6-7 pm, at Martin Luther King Jr. Center 2922 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Bldg A – Activity Room B, hosted by Diane Ragsdale
June 21 from 6-7 pm, at Salem Institutional Baptist Church 3918 Crozier St, hosted by Pastor Todd Atkins

How to be emo
Visit Dallas, the embattled organization that promotes Dallas as a business and tourist destination, has had criticism levied at its website, for boo-boos like having info that's out-of-date, or worse, hyping businesses not located in Dallas. For example: Their current "Things To Do" page counts Del Frisco's Grille in Plano as one of its top restaurant recommendations.

But one thing you might never have anticipated seeing on Visit Dallas is a post titled How to Be Emo, Screamo, and Punk in Dallas This Summer. Hey hey, what's going on down at VD, covering screamo, a subgenre of emo from the '90s that wiki says emphasizes willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics.

The post suggests you'll be surprised how much of a "throwback city" Dallas can be, before going on to list festivals, concerts, cover bands, and punky throwback hangouts such as Shot Topic.

politics city-news-roundup

money woes

Texas is no longer the No. 1 most financially distressed state in U.S.

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

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After spending an unfortunate year as the No. 1 state with the most people in financial distress, Texas has slightly recovered. But the Lone Star State isn't out of the woods yet: it's still among the five most financially distressed states in America for 2026.

According to WalletHub's 2026 report, Texas sits in the No. 4 spot this year, while Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida moved up to become the top three states with the most financially distressed residents.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states based on residents' average credit scores, the share of people with "accounts in distress" (meaning an account that's in forbearance or has deferred payments), the one-year change in bankruptcy filings from March 2025, and search interest indexes for "debt" and "loans."

Despite improving in the overall ranking, the study found Texas has had the fourth-biggest spike in bankruptcy filings nationally from March 2025 to March 2026. Texas residents also have the 10th worst average credit scores in the country, according to the findings.

This is how Texas ranked across the study's six key dimensions, where No. 1 means "most distressed:"

No. 4 – Change in bankruptcy filings from March 2024 to March 2025 rank
No. 5 – Average number of accounts in distress rank
No. 8 – "Loans" search interest index rank
No. 8 – People with accounts in distress rank
No. 12 – Credit score rank
No. 13 – “Debt” search interest index rank

It feels like inflation and affordability are top-of-mind for many Americans over recent years, and uncertainty around the national economy also adds another level of distress. That's especially true for Dallas residents, which were dubbed the fourth most financially distressed people in America earlier in 2026.

"Americans have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, as inflation, shifting unemployment levels, public health emergencies, and natural disasters have made it more difficult for many households to stay on top of their bills," the report said.

The top three states that have the least financially distressed residents are Maine (No. 50), Rhode Island (No. 49), and Hawaii (No. 48).

The top 10 most financially distressed states in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Lousiana
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – South Carolina
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Georgia
No. 8 – California
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Kentucky