Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement following a U.S. federal judge's ruling that the Biden…
Category: Politics
The New Children’s Crusade: Recruiting for America’s Culture War
Wearing a blue America First cap, 19-year-old Max White stood among a dozen protesters, softly mouthing…
‘He Gets Us’ Ad Sponsors Don’t Believe in the Jesus They’re Selling
This year’s Super Bowl included two commercials selling a loving, human Jesus Christ with the tagline…
The State’s Houston ISD Takeover Is Unfair, Racist, and Wasteful
I am a parent and teacher with Community Voices for Public Education, a Houston-based nonprofit rooted…
Texas Is Failing Queer Students
Editor’s Note: The expressed opinion is of the author alone and not endorsed by WTAMU or…
Millions of Texans Are About to Lose Their Health Insurance
Last November, Tiayana Hardy gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Laylani. “She…
Farewell to a Beloved State Park
Mildred Hempel likes to take photographs. She likes to photograph birds, otters, and even the dragonflies…
Aren’t Reporters Supposed to Challenge Authority?
Strike Diary Day 15: The giant rat was drooping. “I think it’s the generator,” said Emily…
A ‘Dark Vision’ of Discipline: Zero Tolerance Makes a Comeback
Improving school safety is a top priority in Texas during this legislative session after last year’s…
Two Executions, Many Questions about Mental Health, Innocence
Editor’s Note, March 6 2023: This story has been updated with information from one of Arthur…
Remembering a Social Justice Lawyer Extraordinaire
Jeff Blackburn’s rough road to redemption and an unconventional kind of legal superstardom in the rough-and-tumble…
‘Border Security’ Is a Financial Black Hole that Will Consume Us All
Call it the iron law of border security funding. Once a Republican starts spending money to…
Abbott Wants to Deny Undocumented Kids a Public Education
Texas’ GOP leaders have a sadistic penchant for booting out immigrant families on holidays. Last Christmas,…
Loon Star State: Nasty Eddie
Ben Sargent / Texas Observer To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star…
The Shot Boosters
In the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines have become more of a life-saving necessity—and yet more controversial. These…
Defense Denied
Public defender Donnie Yandell walked into a West Texas courtroom for the arraignment of defendants facing…
Poem: ‘Cold’
There’s a temptation to see itas deterioration,a shift from perfection,the descent of long daysto long nights,…
Natural Gas Terminal Reopens After Massive Explosion
This report is part of a regular collaboration between the Texas Observer and Inside Climate News.…
Pregnant Texans Now Travel 10 Times Farther for an Abortion
Two years ago, if a Texan needed an abortion, they’d have to travel an average of…
Photo Essay: The Dignity of Work
Democracy is a word on a lot of lips lately, but I’m not sure what it…
A ‘Fairy Tale’ Trip to 1980s Houston
Houston film critic Joe Leydon still remembers when he met the Scottish filmmaker who would make…
‘One of the Most Mentally Ill’ Inmates in Texas Is About to Be Executed
The idea that someone can be too mentally ill to be executed is gaining traction in…
Greg Abbott’s ‘State of the State’ Was a Weird, Alarming Infomercial
On Thursday night, GOP Governor Greg Abbott used his fifth State of the State speech, a…
Uvalde’s Locks Were Its First Line of Defense. They Failed.
In the aftermath of school shootings like the one in Uvalde, what can get overlooked is…
$3 Million Whistleblower Settlement Is Cheap Getaway for Ken Paxton
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that pugilistic legal crusader, is backing down from a battle with four…
The Governor’s Grid Gambit
It’s now been two years since Winter Storm Uri sank Texas into a deep freeze and…
Breaking the Brazos
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of Drifting Toward Disaster, a Texas Observer series about life-changing…
Texas Executes John Balentine Despite Racist Trial
Originally published by the Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that…
Before ‘Lawrence’: From Sodomy to Queer Liberation
On August 17, 1982, LGBTQ+ Texans celebrated “Gayteenth,” as activists called it at the time—a reference…
An Abolitionist Gets Canned for Upholding the Values of Social Work
In December 2022, I was removed from my role as dean of the Graduate College of…
The Lost Reservoir Inside Our Water Infrastructure
Editor’s note: This is part of Drifting Toward Disaster, a Texas Observer series about life-changing challenges…
The Border Patrol’s Power Grab
A high-ranking U.S. Border Patrol official traveled from Laredo to Austin late last year to ask…
A Tree Grows in Texas
When Dagoberto Gilb came to serve as writer-in-residence at the University of Houston-Victoria and found a…
Texas attorney accidentally shot by Cheney during 2006 hunting trip dies
Harry Whittington was sprayed with birdshot pellets to his face, neck and chest by the vice…
Right-wing Reps Promote Racist Conspiracy Theories In ‘Border Crisis’ Hearing
After securing a slim majority in the House of Representatives, Republicans held an hours-long hearing of…
‘Colossal Waste of Money’: Texas Nears $1 Billion in Border Wall Contracts
As Governor Greg Abbott’s scheme to wall off Texas from Mexico quickly and quietly accelerates, the…
Former Star-Telegram Conservative Columnist Spews Hate in Student Chatroom
Update February 1, 2023: Representatives of the Fort Worth NewsGuild (the union which represents many Fort…
From Austin with Zombies
When actor Gabriel Luna first picked up a Playstation controller and played The Last Of Us…
San Antonio to End Use of Coal Within Five Years
In 2010, coal use in the United States was already dropping precipitously in favor of cheaper…
Texas Lawyers Violated Legal Ethics Over Expired Execution Drugs
Earlier this month human rights advocates, legal experts, and other conscientious citizens had their eyes squarely…
Bingeworthy Shows from a Red State Star
Once upon a time, Taylor Sheridan was just a working actor with chiseled good looks. Born…
Cruz control: Texas Republican keeps his distance from 2024 White House hunt
His state’s law would let him seek Senate reelection and the presidency at the same time.…
Strangest State: Petty Drama, Electric Trucks and Hungry Bears
Austin Drue Wagner / Texas Observer The unreliable Texas grid could not stop one man’s pursuit…
Meet the Latest Wingnuts to Join the State Board of Ed
A newly elected band of bankrupt, bought, and criminal-abetting representatives joined the Texas State Board of…
Mexico’s Testosterone Shortage Puts Trans Men at Risk
This story was originally published by Global Press Journal. Global Press Journal is an award-winning international news…
Meditations on Life and Death at Houston’s Rothko Chapel
In a part of Houston famous for its giant live oaks, museums, and million-dollar homes, 3900…