The Latest Breaking News from Texas Observer

Abortion Funds See Dwindling Donations as Demand and Cost Rise

A flood of cash following Roe’s fall has dried up, leaving Texas nonprofits struggling to keep pace with the state’s abortion access crisis.

Texas Observer · Aug 13, 2025

Will a STAAR-Crossed Legislature Finally Enact Real Testing Reform?

It’s on the agenda at the Texas Capitol, but advocates worry heavy-handed "accountability" will remain intact.

Texas Observer · Aug 12, 2025

I Came from Rural Texas to Harvard’s MD-PhD program. Now, Trump Defunded that Program.

These decisions affect not just the archetypal Ivy League student many imagine—they affect people who grew up in places like Lindale.

Texas Observer · Aug 7, 2025

‘Shaky’ Audio Series Is a Messy, Real Look at Disabled Life

Texas writer and director Katherine Craft's Audible comedy depicts a musician's tumultuous return to Plano as she adjusts to new limitations.

Texas Observer · Jul 31, 2025

ICE ‘Task Force’ Agreements Expand to Galveston, Beaumont

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement rolls out necessary training, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office joins a growing list of Texas law enforcement agencies deputizing officers to serve as roving immigration agents.

Texas Observer · Jul 29, 2025

‘The Search Committee’ Is a Subtle Rebuke of the Border Literary Canon

José Skinner’s fast-paced satire delivers sharp insights gleaned from years lived in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley.

Texas Observer · Jul 29, 2025

Rules of the Robe

A sharp-eyed retiree uncovered evidence of judicial misconduct by the chief judge of Houston’s busy bankruptcy court. The unusual story highlights how other complaints against judges go ignored.

Texas Observer · Jul 28, 2025

Floodplains Belong to the Rivers

From Houston to the Hill Country, we Texans keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

Texas Observer · Jul 24, 2025

Penned Poetry: A Formerly Incarcerated Activist’s Turn to Verse

Longtime advocate Jorge Antonio Renaud lyricizes the grit of prison life in his first published collection of poems, The Restlessness of Bound Wrists.

Texas Observer · Jul 24, 2025

The Texas GOP’s ‘Unprecedented,’ Risky Gerrymandering Scheme

A redistricting expert discusses Tom Delay, ‘dummymanders,’ and the long history of racial gerrymandering in the state.

Texas Observer · Jul 23, 2025