In ‘Al Norte,’ a Through Line of Transience That Is Still True Today Juan Palomo offers thoughtful, compelling language to tell the story of his migrant family in his debut book of poetry. Texas Observer · Jul 16, 2021
Home, But Not Free: NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Adjusts to Her Release From Prison Winner’s home confinement is part of the longest sentence ever for leaking material to the press — and her family is seeking clemency. Texas Observer · Jul 15, 2021
Editorial: It’s Time for Texas Police to Ban Bean Bag Rounds at Protests “Justin’s Bill,” named for my brother, would have codified the Austin Police Department’s prohibition on this supposedly “less lethal” munition statewide. Texas Observer · Jul 14, 2021
Texas House Republicans Vote to Track Down Absent Democrats and Arrest Them If Necessary The procedural move carries little apparent weight since the Democrats who fled the state to break quorum are beyond the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement. Texas Observer · Jul 13, 2021
Communities of Color in Houston Will Face Another Hurricane Season Without Adequate Flood Control After nearly $4 billion in county and federal funding for infrastructure projects, the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods still aren't protected. Texas Observer · Jul 13, 2021
The Road Home The Texas Department of Transportation intends to spend $25 billion widening highways to fix traffic in Texas cities. What if we tore them down instead? Texas Observer · Jul 12, 2021
Greg Abbott’s Summer Special Session Sideshow The governor gives second life to the GOP’s elections crackdown, along with a smattering of other right-wing priorities that failed to pass in the spring. Texas Observer · Jul 9, 2021
Poem: ‘Late Night at the Lege’ Milton Jordan writes a poem about late nights working at the Texas Lege. Texas Observer · Jul 8, 2021
Texans With Disabilities Fear Voting Will Get Harder for Them as Special Session on GOP Restrictions Nears The extent to which Republicans’ proposed voting restrictions might affect voters of color has received much attention, but Texans with disabilities also face the prospect of new barriers to the ballot box. Texas Observer · Jul 8, 2021
The People’s Scientist A COVID-19 vaccine developed in Houston is in clinical trials in India and could be ready for global use as soon as late summer. Texas Observer · Jul 7, 2021
Drawing Power In a special session for redistricting, expect the GOP to use aggressive gerrymandering to extend the shelf life of its diminishing white base. Texas Observer · Jul 6, 2021
Moments From the Reopening of Balmorhea Pool The popular West Texas swimming spot has been closed since 2019 for repairs. Texas Observer · Jul 5, 2021
Mapping Indigenous Communities of Texas: Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (kirikir?i:s) The Wichita built towns along Red and Brazos River in North Texas. Those sites remain important to the tribe to this day. Texas Observer · Jul 2, 2021
Undocumented Immigrants Continue to Be Expelled From the U.S. Under Title 42 COVID-19 Measures The Trump-era public health order was issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020 and calls for rapid expulsion of migrants and asylum seekers without the right to trial, citing COVID-19. Texas Observer · Jul 1, 2021
Texas Observer · Jun 30, 2021 A Place Where Two Things Can be True at Once Despite the United Methodist Church’s history of violence toward Indigenous people, the Dallas Indian Mission is a place of cultural exchange and community.
Texas Observer · Jun 29, 2021 A Wrongful Execution in Texas Points to the Fallibility of the Death Penalty A new documentary, ‘The Phantom,’ explores the case of Carlos DeLuna and bolsters the disturbingly convincing case that Texas executed the wrong man.
Texas Observer · Jun 28, 2021 Austin Performer p1nkstar Is Creating New Worlds as a Trans Musician Austin's groundbreaking trans musician p1nkstar presents pop music that centers trans women and femmes.
Texas Observer · Jun 25, 2021 Resignation Letter I didn’t become a teacher for the paycheck. I did it to fight for marginalized students.
Texas Observer · Jun 24, 2021 Profit Before Patient Patients, doctors and former employees claim Modern Vascular, the national arterial disease treatment chain with four Texas locations, pushes unnecessary treatments and patients suffer.
Texas Observer · Jun 23, 2021 “People Are Wiped Out”: Costs Pile Up as Hurricane Season Begins Hurricanes, a winter storm, and spring floods have left low-income Gulf Coast residents exhausted and cash strapped before this year’s season, with no significant aid in sight.
Texas Observer · Jun 22, 2021 A Feminist Rewrite of Lot Set in Hope, Texas, God Spare the Girls subverts the biblical story of Lot, in which a man escapes while women perish.
Texas Observer · Jun 21, 2021 TxO NextGen Program 2021 These articles were produced through the NPR NextGen/Texas Observer Print Scholars program, a new collaboration designed to offer mentorship and hands-on training to student journalists and recent graduates interested in a career in investigative journalism.
Texas Observer · Jun 21, 2021 Entitled To Profit: In Texas, Title Insurance Is a “Total Scam” Title insurance costs more in Texas than in any other state. But what are home buyers actually getting?
Texas Observer · Jun 18, 2021 ‘The Great State of Hate’: Texas Declines to Ban ‘Gay/Trans Panic’ Defense “Are they going to get away with murder? That's the concern.”
Texas Observer · Jun 17, 2021 Threat of Anti-Trans Legislation Makes Gender-Affirming Care Harder To Provide The specter of anti-trans legislation year after year has a chilling effect on medical providers trying to offer longterm health care for transgender people.