This Week's Hot Headlines

Favorite Fort Worth dog-friendly restaurant closes and more top stories

Mutts has closed up shop.

Mutts Canine Cantina Facebook

Editor's note: The top Fort Worth news of the week includes a sudden closure, exciting opening, and patriotic dining deals for the holiday weekend. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then check out our official guide to 4th of July fireworks and fun.

1. Mutts Canine Cantina at Fort Worth's Clearfork suddenly closes. A favorite Fort Worth hangout for dogs and their owners is gone "fur-ever." The owners of Mutts Canine Cantina announced Monday, June 29 they're permanently closing all locations, including Fort Worth's Shops at Clearfork.

2. These DFW restaurants are firing up deals for America's 250th and July 4th. Restaurants across Dallas-Fort Worth are doubling down on their patriotism for America’s 250th birthday and the 4th of July, firing up limited-time deals and celebratory menus.

3. Upscale steakhouse to pair premium steaks with Chinese cuisine in Keller. A new upscale steakhouse is in the works for Old Town Keller from the team behind a nearby restaurant favorite. Called Hops Kitchen + Bar, it will break ground in August and open in summer 2027.

4. Fort Worth shines as No. 2 best city in Texas to celebrate 4th of July. Fort Worth is looking pretty patriotic this summer, having been named the second-best city in Texas for celebrating the Fourth of July.

5. Messi sets World Cup record in Argentina win over Jordan in Arlington. Lionel Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup games while extending his all-time scoring record with his 19th goal in Argentina's 3-1 victory over Jordan on Saturday, June 27.

star-spangled flop

Texas falls flat on new list of most patriotic states in U.S.

Texas Capitol building with state and US flags

Photo by Jessica Wu on Unsplash

Texas ranks 45th for the second year in a row.

Texas has fizzled out once again as one of the least patriotic places in the U.S., according to a new report.

WalletHub's report, "Most Patriotic States in America (2026)", was released just ahead of America's 250th anniversary and compares the military and civic engagement levels across all 50 states. Factors such as the number of veterans per 1,000 civilian residents, the share of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election, volunteer rates, and others, were used to determine which states are the "most patriotic."

The Lone Star State sits at 45th out of 50 for the second year in a row. Texas first earned its surprising rank as the 6th least patriotic state in 2025, after previously ranking 36th in 2024. Texas' performance across the two main categories in the study remain unchanged year-over-year, with the state ranking 13th nationally for its military engagement and 47th in civic engagement.

Texas has the third-highest average number of military enlistees in the U.S., but it has the second-lowest percentage of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the most patriotic states in America — this year they are Virginia, Montana, and Vermont — have high voter turnouts, a large share of residents who are veterans or active military, and boast a large share of the population that volunteer with local or national organizations.

Essentially, patriotism can be found in places where residents are "actively working to improve conditions for your fellow Americans," says WalletHub.

"Being a patriot means loving your country and its people while also recognizing its flaws and striving to make it the best it can be," the report's author wrote.

At least Texas is more patriotic than the bottom five states in the report: Florida (No. 46), Alabama (No. 47), Louisiana (No. 48), New York (No. 49), and Arkansas (No. 50).

The top 10 most patriotic states in America this year are:

No. 1 – Virginia
No. 2 – Montana
No. 3 – Vermont
No. 4 – Colorado
No. 5 – Oregon
No. 6 – North Dakota
No. 7 – Washington
No. 8 – Maryland
No. 9 – Minnesota
No. 10 – New Hampshire

texas wallethub reports 4th of july