A long-awaited pedestrian and cycling connection from Victory Park to the Design District appears to be moving forward. The plan’s brushstrokes date back at least to 2016, when a nonprofit called the Circuit Trail Conservancy unveiled a 50-mile cycling loop that would extend from just west of White Rock Lake south to the Great Trinity Forest. From there, it would take you to the Design District via the Trinity Strand Trail along the levee and back up through Oak Lawn along the Katy Trail, eventually meeting at the trailhead near White Rock.

We’ve written about many angles of the Loop, from the 17-mile Trinity Forest Spine Trail, the $20 million voters approved during the 2017 bond, and the questions the City Council had about funding for the whole project.

But one of the trickiest connections in the entire system is also one of its smallest. What’s known as the Hi Line Connector is just a one-mile stretch between booming Victory Park and the Design District, which are split apart by Interstate 35E and an elevated rail line.

Despite being a smidgen of the total Loop, it will require more interaction with public right of way than any of the other planned 49 miles, according to Philip Hiatt Haigh, the Conservancy’s executive director. That includes some difficult, major pieces of infrastructure: the roads beneath both Interstate 35E and the elevated DART/TRE rail line as well as the enormous, busy intersection at Oak Lawn and Hi Line in the Design District.

Editor’s note: Suleiman is headed to El Paso this weekend for what he and other faith leaders are calling Moral Monday at the Borderlands. More information can be found here.

If you solely judge us by our immigration and refugee policies, the United States has recently portrayed a cruel and unwelcoming image to nations across the world. Our federal government has shown this at the U.S.-Mexico border—where 18-year-old U.S. citizen and Dallas resident Francisco Galicia has been detained for more than three weeks—and particularly here in Dallas.  Dallas has the largest amount of ICE raids in the nation, and had the largest amount of detainees at its airport in the immediate aftermath of the Muslim ban. As faith leaders and activists in Dallas, we despise the reputation, but we also welcome the opportunity to lead the nation in an unprecedented fashion to create policies that are compassionate to immigrants entering our country.

A couple of months ago, I attended a roundtable with presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke as he revealed his comprehensive immigration reform plan. What stood out to me wasn’t just the immediate repeal of the Muslim ban or the protection of DACA recipients, but his proposed “community visa” that would allow communities to sponsor migrants in ways similar to the Canadian refugee system. This allows private citizens or organizations to sponsor and resettle refugees. Many of our communities around the nation would revel in such an opportunity to host these blessed souls that have been dehumanized for far too long, and who have been subjected to cruel policies that fail to reflect the kindness and diversity that are key pillars of our American democracy.

Hi, I’m Lauren, and I need you to do something for me. (It feels so cool to be the one saying that.) Apply to take my place next semester because my time as an editorial intern at D Magazine is coming to an end. I’d apply again, but my senior year of university awaits.

This Friday, July 26, is the last day to apply for D’s fall internship program. The program starts Wednesday, August 28 and runs until December 4. I know, the application is kind of long, but I swear it’s worth it. This summer I was able to experience a dynamic local newsroom, fact-check all kinds of compelling articles, and write about a wide range of topics. In fact, after you finish the application, you should read my articles in this month’s issue. (Ed. Note: We haven’t started putting August online, but you can buy a copy and get a cool Dirk cover of your choosing.) 

If you’re a college student interested in journalism, this is a great place to be.

Owens, 61, died Saturday from lymphoma. Here is an obituary from Jerome Weeks at Art + Seek, and here is one from her husband and partner Bruce DuBose. Owens was in our 40th anniversary issue five years ago, where she said this:

“The greatest thing you can do is love things deeply, admire fiercely, and stay in touch with what that is,” Owens says. “I suppose that’s a life’s work.”

Fröhlichen Dienstag! That means “happy Tuesday” in German.

What you see here are the two — yes zwei — August covers for our annual Best of Big D issue. The big German you see on the left is Dirk Nowitzki. The big German on the right is also Dirk Nowitzki. Both photos were taken by Sean Berry. Both covers were designed by our own Kevin Goodbar.

As we were producing the August issue, we tested the two covers with our reader advisory panel. They liked the blue cover. But we as a staff couldn’t let the white cover just sit on a hard drive. So, for the first time in D Magazine’s 45 years of publishing, we have printed a split cover. Subscribers will get the white one, and the blue one will roll out on newsstand. I’ve already heard on Twitter from out-of-town folks who want one or the other. If you order a subscription online (12 issues for $18), your first issue will be the white cover. Or you can call our front desk and ask Molly to sell you a single copy (214-939-3636). Sagen Sie uns, welches Magazin das beste ist.

This morning, I went to look for Obed Manuel’s story about Francisco Galicia, 18 years old, born in Dallas at Parkland, a U.S. citizen, who was detained by Customs and Border Protection and has been in custody for since June 27. I saw it last night. But, curiously, it did not occupy one of the 45 slots for stories on the Morning News site. Dan Crenshaw’s editorial about “the outrage incentive dooming our politics” has been there for 24 hours, or very close to it.

ANYWAY, go read Obed’s story. Galicia wasn’t even able to use the phone until he was transferred to ICE custody this weekend.

[His attorney Claudia] Galan said she met with CBP officers last week and presented them with Galicia’s birth certificate and some other documents but was unsuccessful in getting him released. She plans on presenting the same documents to ICE officers later this week.

“I presented then with his original birth certificate and other documents and they ignored them. So now I’ve faxed over all the documents to the ICE agent handling the case,” Galan said. “He’s going on a full month of being wrongfully detained. He’s a U.S. citizen and he needs to be released now.”