The Latest Breaking News from Texas Observer

Coronavirus is Exposing the Faulty Foundations of the Texas Fracking Industry

The oil and gas sector was already having problems, but the fear and uncertainty around a global pandemic could end the Texas fracking boom.

Texas Observer · Mar 13, 2020

Seven Austin Workers on How They’re Scrambling After the SXSW Cancellation

Gig workers reported more than $2 million in lost wages after SXSW was called off. These are their stories about what they lost and what they will do next.

Texas Observer · Mar 13, 2020

U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Trump Administration on ‘Remain in Mexico’

Following weeks of back-and-forth in the courts, SCOTUS has reversed the decision of an appeals court and allowed Remain in Mexico to continue.

Texas Observer · Mar 11, 2020

Following a Protest, ICE Moves Asylum-Seekers For the Second Time in Two Weeks

ICE moved 47 women to Laredo following a protest for better medical care. Last week, more than 100 detainees were sent to Louisiana, where courts are harsher.

Texas Observer · Mar 10, 2020

A Day in the Harris County Eviction Court

Harris County evictions increased dramatically from 2015 to 2016, and then remained higher from 2017 to 2019. No one knows why.

Texas Observer · Mar 9, 2020

Loon Star: About Those Elections…

Ben Sargent's latest takes on the 2020 Texas Primary.

Texas Observer · Mar 9, 2020

Confusion Reigns in Matamoros Migrant Camp Over ‘Remain in Mexico’

Amid a chaotic back-and-forth from the courts, asylum-seekers in Matamoros are still waiting.

Texas Observer · Mar 6, 2020

Trump’s Wall May Have to Avoid Multiple Historic Cemeteries

In a bid to protect a high-profile South Texas graveyard, Congress appears to have shielded other notable cemeteries too.

Texas Observer · Mar 6, 2020

Off the Texas Gulf Coast, Tugboat Crews Are Stuck on Their Boats Without Pay

Bouchard Transportation, a massive shipping firm, hasn’t paid docking fees or worker salaries, leading to a rare quandary in U.S. waters.

Texas Observer · Mar 5, 2020

The Architecture of Gentrification

The rules and systems that have produced gentrification aesthetics—financial ones as well as political ones—create a kind of socioeconomic standardization.

Texas Observer · Mar 5, 2020