Texas Observer

Founded in 1954, the Texas Observer is a #progressive #nonprofit news outlet and print #magazine covering the Lone Star State.

Follow Interim Editor-in-Chief @gusbova
Senior Politics Writer @justinmiller
McHam Investigative Reporting Fellow @josephinelee

Become a member and support our work: https://texasobserver.org/join

#Texas #Politics #Culture

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Last Notes

2024-06-17 15:09:24

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@npub1pak…jkzf Thanks, as always, y'all!

2024-06-07 15:05:46

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@npub1pak…jkzf Thanks for sharing!

2024-06-01 16:32:17

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@npub1pak…jkzf Thanks, y'all!

2024-02-02 16:47:08

Texas is the Strangest State.
From the January/February 2024 issue of our magazine: https://www.texasobserver.org/strangest-state-january-february-2024?utm_campaign=mastodon
#comics #Texas #weird #news #animals #wildlife #extremism
https://sb-m2njfr12vp.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/862/894/414/416/615/original/544ea77f1e7677ec.png

2024-02-02 15:33:27

“Technically, the ICCPR and other human rights treaties are the law of the land, and they should supplant any #Texas law that violates them.”
Last week: These 4 nonprofits are demanding the United Nations intercede on behalf of #LGBTQIA+ residents of the Lone Star state.
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-anti-lgbtq-laws-united-nations-human-rights?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #TXlege #GregAbbott #HumanRights #trans #transphobia #homophobia #law #healthcare #education

2024-02-02 15:12:07

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@npub1jrl…krkx it seems like age has only sharpened her wit!

2024-02-01 19:43:42

“These are not the things that are taught in school. You know how it is—people don’t give you the whole story.”
From the archives: Black fiber artists in San Antonio are preserving personal, political, and historical narratives through the ancestral practice of quiltmaking. https://www.texasobserver.org/underground-railroad-quilt-san-antonio-circle?utm_campaign=mastodon
#BlackHistoryMonth #art #history #quilting #FiberArts #culture #SanAntonio #Texas

2024-02-01 18:36:17

Locals in the historic Forth Worth neighborhood were interested in the proposed Juneteenth museum ... but what they really needed was a grocery store, a health clinic and a pharmacy. Architects and civic leaders worked together to make the new site a part of the community:
https://www.texasobserver.org/juneteenth-museum-fort-worth-opal-lee?utm_campaign=mastodon
#BlackHistoryMonth #History #Texas #museums #Juneteenth #FortWorth #NorthTexas #healthcare #HumanRights #news #culture
https://sb-m2njfr12vp.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/857/665/793/883/935/original/9ba14f4e0fba6a8a.jpg

2024-02-01 17:35:33

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@npub1xrh…pz2h @npub132y…akgs Maybe we can have king cake for our next all-hands meeting?? 🤔🤔🤔

2024-02-01 17:34:45

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@npub14fl…afru @npub132y…akgs lol yea I edited it.

2024-02-01 17:28:06

We got bribed to come into the office today by Baker-in-Chief @npub132y…akgs who brought a pear caramel tart and (not pictured) orange blossom macaroons. #food #journalism #JournoLife
https://sb-m2njfr12vp.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/857/397/229/737/229/original/75ed02d6a0054d45.jpg

2024-02-01 17:03:10

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From our magazine: A network of lobbyists, PACs, and political activists has quietly infiltrated school board elections. In the second part of our School Board Backers series, we uncover the money pouring from boards into highly paid, highly partisan consultants. From Special Investigative Correspondent @npub18l5…2jgj. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-boards-partisan-consultants-pacs?utm_campaign=mastodon
#schools #education #children #news #politics #USpol #Texas #PublicSchools #democracy #voting #elections

2024-02-01 15:44:51

From yesterday: Denying the warming of the planet that we are all experiencing smacks today of lunacy. So, to help protect the most heavily subsidized industry on the planet, Abbott and company need a new form of denialism.
https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbott-border-crisis-climate-change-refugees/
#news #politics #Texas #Mexico #border #ClimateChange #environment #refugees #GregAbbott #USpol

2024-02-01 00:34:35

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@npub1ju0…ukef @npub1unr…smx9 you're right, both parties have contributed to the overall history of this situation through their foreign policy decisions. We do our best to call out them both for their mistreatment of refugees.

2024-01-31 22:03:05

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@npub1g5q…d3fz yes and even some of the Trump appointees dissented here!

2024-01-31 22:02:26

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@npub1t4a…xx69 agreed, essentially any working journalist, especially an Investigative one, has gone directly to an official, bypassing media spokespeople and so on, routinely in their job.

2024-01-31 21:52:24

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@npub1kc0…eut6 citation needed. We cited our sources, please cite yours.

2024-01-31 21:18:38

“This is very, very unsettling ... because they are basically saying you can’t do certain things that are obviously something you would do as a journalist.”
Featured story: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the case of the reporter known as 'La Gordiloca' raises major First Amendment concerns, according to experts we spoke with. https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-journalist-la-gordiloca-fifth-circuit?utm_campaign=mastodon
#journalism #news #politics #Texas #Laredo #FreeSpeech #SCOTUS #media #police

2024-01-31 19:29:49

From yesterday: That this outcome was predictable doesn't make it less disturbing—Teen births are up in #Texas after the end of Roe v. Wade, according to a recent report from the University of Houston. And it will almost certainly get worse. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-teen-birth-rate-after-roe?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #USpol #healthcare #HumanRights #women #abortion #ReproductiveRights #RoeVWade #Dobbs

2024-01-31 15:57:25

Record levels of forced migration are tied to an environmental collapse that Republicans worsened on behalf of the fossil fuel industry. The #Texas governor's escalation of the crisis at the #border helps distract from his own culpability. Reprinted with permission from Greg Harman at @npub1unr…smx9:
https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbott-border-crisis-climate-change-refugees?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #environment #ClimateChange #GregAbbott #politics #USpol #Mexico #EaglePass #immigration #Republicans #refugees

2024-01-30 20:35:26

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@npub1rkj…ufed It feels like we're headed for the emotion-sensing doors from Hitchhiker's Guide as well.

2024-01-30 20:27:33

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@npub1l7v…s9rs @npub1xdl…tp2q Congrats Alex & co!

2024-01-30 19:40:58

“My soul abandoned me in Matamoros, where the northeast corner of #Mexico meets the limits of #Texas. I am almost sure that it remained there, held hostage inside the state of Tamaulipas, where I had just encountered recently discovered clandestine graves.”
Earlier: Senior Writer and Editor Lise Olsen brought us this exclusive translation of an excerpt from Marcela Turati's new book. https://www.texasobserver.org/san-fernando-last-stop-book-excerpt-mexico-mass-grave?utm_campaign=mastodon
#TrueCrime #border #culture #books #crime #CriminalJustice #murder #books
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2024-01-30 18:29:22

Even as rates fall nationwide, teen pregnancies are up in #Texas for the first time in 15 years. Researchers point to one major cause: the end of Roe v. Wade, and they expect the trend to continue to worsen. Senior Writer and Editor Lise Olsen shares the findings of a new report from the University of Houston's Institute for Research on #Women, Gender & Sexuality. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-teen-birth-rate-after-roe?utm_campaign=mastodon
#RoeVWade #healthcare #news #politics #abortion #HumanRights #children

2024-01-30 17:58:24

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@npub10n7…4kvt @npub1dtj…4htu we tend to think of it as a beautiful place, full of lovely people, under the control of a horrible government.

2024-01-30 16:20:20

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@npub1006…dph0 You're right, thank you!

2024-01-30 15:31:57

“The American Indian Native studies course that we’ve developed is heavily focused on modern #indigenous people, both in #Texas and beyond because we do still exist.”
But a Republican has blocked these new teaching standards were about to be implemented, reports McHam Investigative Reporting Fellow @npub1dtj…4htu:
https://www.texasobserver.org/abbott-appointee-slams-breaks-on-k-12-native-studies-course?utm_campaign=mastodon
#education #schools #PublicSchools #NativeAmerican #history #culture #News #politics #USpol

2024-01-29 18:51:06

From the archives: Published shortly after Dobbs, this prescient report looks at the #history of criminalized #abortion in Texas and uses these incidents as an example of what may be coming—and already has arrived—for pregnant people in our state. From Staff Writers @npub1pn3…khxu and Michelle Pitcher ... https://www.texasobserver.org/abortion-before-roe-v-wade-after?utm_campaign=mastodon
#Texas #politics #USpol #TXlege #women #ReproductiveRIghts #HumanRights #healthcare #SCOTUS #RoeVWade

2024-01-29 15:16:04

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From our magazine: "That night, we sat outside until millions of stars appeared, tracing the Milky Way above us. It was one of what we called momentos mágicos along the frontera."
https://www.texasobserver.org/frontera-border-book-us-mexico-sergio-chapa?utm_campaign=mastodon
#books #culture #Photography #border #Mexico #Texas #travel

2024-01-29 01:16:59

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@npub1jsz…42fk it's awful, no other way to describe it

2024-01-28 22:45:19

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@npub1xpa…x7f6 Texas abortion law is among the most restrictive in the country. https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/texas/abortion-policies
Including the infamous "bounty" law passed in 2021: https://www.villanovalawreview.com/post/2229-crossing-state-lines-texas-s-abortion-bounty-hunter-law-implicates-those-who-assist-individuals-to-get-an-abortion-out-of-state-including-employers
As Jasmine Crockett mentioned in the OP, I recommend reading about what happened to Kate Cox recently for an example of how things are going here. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kate-cox-on-her-legal-fight-for-abortion-trisomy-18/

2024-01-28 21:59:41

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@npub1608…d2hp "Christ, what an imagination I've got!"

2024-01-28 21:42:24

Our weekly #newsletter: 'La Gordiloca' loses free speech case in blow to #journalism. http://eepurl.com/iIXgss
Subscribe to get our top headlines and occasional bonus content: https://hype.co/@texasobserver/e7qa82x4
#FreeSpeech #LGBTQ+ #HumanRights #women #Laredo #Texas #news #politics #USpol #abortion

2024-01-28 16:32:10

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@npub1qjs…xp6v voting is such an important step, hopefully people will be inspired to get involved and take action in all kinds of ways

2024-01-28 16:19:17

In an op-ed for us, Representative Jasmine Crockett wrote, "I’m watching #Texas women suffer because of Republican anti-freedom authoritarianism. Today, I possess fewer rights than my mother possessed during her reproductive years. Why and how did we get here?"
https://www.texasobserver.org/abortion-ban-roe-v-wade-election-2024?utm_campaign=mastodon
#abortion #women #HumanRights #healthcare #Republicans #Trump #election2024 #democracy #RoeVWade

2024-01-27 21:49:16

“Right now, queer people in #Texas are dealing with a lot.”
Earlier this week: The laws in our state may be so bad that they violate decades worth of international human rights treaties, according to a letter recently sent to the United Nations by four major orgs. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-anti-lgbtq-laws-united-nations-human-rights?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #transphobia #homophobia #LGBTQIA+ #TXlege #healthcare #trans #UnitedNations #HumanRights

2024-01-27 16:50:09

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From our magazine: Refuge Ranch was meant to serve young #women who had histories of sex work, but instead it raised larger questions about the quality of the state’s efforts to serve sex trafficking victims through residential treatment.
https://www.texasobserver.org/refuge-ranch-sex-trafficking-survivors?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #Texas #HumanRights #religion #USpol #HumanTrafficking

2024-01-26 22:03:32

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@npub1s8f…5f3t yea 🙄

2024-01-26 18:58:00

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@npub1asa…n9sr Aww but think of all the people who profit when folks go to jail. Don't they deserve to earn big and please Wall Street? 🥺

2024-01-26 18:45:13

“The U.S.-Mexico #border is a land of contrast—austere landscapes and lush oases; thunderstorms and rainbows; robust industries and ghost towns; great wealth and aching poverty.”
From our magazine, photographer and journalist Sergio Chapa takes us along a magical journey winding back and forth between two nations: https://www.texasobserver.org/frontera-border-book-us-mexico-sergio-chapa?utm_campaign=mastodon
#photography #books #Mexico #Texas #Arizona #culture @npub1kt3…5004
https://sb-m2njfr12vp.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/823/718/518/029/990/original/61a4d169b47ba73b.jpg

2024-01-26 16:59:02

From yesterday: An #Austin program to give money to the poor helped participants reduce debts, avoid evictions and even become homeowners. A similar program is set to launch in Harris County, potentially reaching many more needy families ... if this GOP state senator doesn't put a stop to it. https://www.texasobserver.org/harris-county-poverty-uplift-austin-houston-uptogether?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #Houston #Texas #GulfCoast #poverty #HumanRights #law #Republicans

2024-01-26 16:46:13

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@npub1tmz…vsgn Never, they'll have to drag us out of here, kicking and screaming!

2024-01-26 15:53:30

“Water to meet environmental needs is frequently the first to be negotiated away.”
Between heat waves, #drought and overuse of its aquifers and rivers, #Texas is on the brink of environmental collapse:
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-reservoir-drought-water-restrictions-2024?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #ClimateChange #environment #water #pollution #GulfCoast

2024-01-25 22:31:25

“Our city always was known for standing for human rights and for progressive values. We need our leaders to stand with us and [against] these horrific crimes that happen to our community.”
Previously: Activists in #Austin, Dallas, #Houston and more are demanding that their city councils support a #ceasefire in Palestine, reports @npub1046…0vq8:
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-gaza-ceasefire-austin-dallas-houston-san-antonio?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #Texas #Palestine #Israel #war #Dallas #SanAntonio #Gaza #HumanRights

2024-01-25 20:47:39

“This is the first program of its kind in a #Texas county and part of our broader strategy to advance economic prosperity for all people.”
But a program to offer money, no strings attached, to impoverished residents of Harris County could be hitting a legal hiccup, if a Republican state senator has his way reports Senior Writer Lise Olsen: https://www.texasobserver.org/harris-county-poverty-uplift-austin-houston-uptogether?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #Austin #Houston #poverty #KenPaxton #TXlege #HumanRights

2024-01-25 19:04:06

From yesterday: Priscilla Villarreal, the controversial citizen journalist from #Laredo, promised to appeal her case to the Supreme Court after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said it was legal to jail her just for releasing public information received through unauthorized channels. Experts suggest it would hurt everyday #journalism if upheld:
https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-journalist-la-gordiloca-fifth-circuit/
#news #politics #USpol #Texas #media #police #FreeSpeech #Louisiana

2024-01-25 17:21:31

“The ICCPR and other human rights treaties are the law of the land, and they should supplant any #Texas law that violates them.”
The Lone Star state could be violating decades of international agreements, and these groups are asking the United Nations to intercede on behalf of #LGBTQIA+ residents, reports Digital Editor Kit @npub1m8a…khgv: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-anti-lgbtq-laws-united-nations-human-rights?utm_campaign=mastodon
#UnitedNations #news #politics #USpol #transphobia #homophobia #TXlege #law #HumanRights #healthcare #schools #education

2024-01-24 23:14:59

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@npub179s…26jp the only problem with this is they've been coming for folks for awhile now!

2024-01-24 21:45:34

Just in: Priscilla Villarreal, the controversial journalist known as La Gordiloca, says she'll appeal her case to the Supreme Court after a ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which could threaten journalists across three states.
From
Correspondent Jason Buch, in collaboration with palabra.: https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-journalist-la-gordiloca-fifth-circuit?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #police #Laredo #CriminalJustice #PressFreedom #FirstAmendment #SCOTUS #Law #Texas #Louisiana #Mississippi #journalism

2024-01-24 21:42:04

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@npub15ma…h9m9 She's appealing: “They violated constitutional rights and someone needed to set these people straight. The Constitution guarantees our basic liberties, and I’m hopeful the Supreme Court protects those liberties here.” https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-journalist-la-gordiloca-fifth-circuit/

2024-01-24 20:37:50

“It’s worrisome when a board takes a really clear partisan position in the sense of hiring a political operative. I think it really erodes the public’s trust.”
Featured story: A deeper look at the PACs, lobbyists, and right-wing consultants hijacking public #schools in #Texas and around the country, via Special Investigative Correspondent @npub18l5…2jgj ... https://www.texasobserver.org/school-boards-partisan-consultants-pacs?utm_campaign=mastodon
#PublicSchools #education #politics #Republicans #democracy #elections #voting #USpol #news

2024-01-24 20:00:34

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@npub1es2…tv6n @npub16sl…e3s3 Yes they'll never act unless they're forced to do so.

2024-01-24 19:43:05

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@npub15ma…h9m9 It'll be interesting to hear what her next steps are, if any.

2024-01-24 19:23:37

Via Correspondent Jason Buch, Priscilla Villarreal, aka La Gordiloca, lost her court case last night.
We'll have an update to her story coming soon, but for now you can catch up on our feature about her from our magazine: https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-la-gordiloca-laredo?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #USpol #FreeSpeech #police #Laredo #Texas #journalism #FirstAmendment #law #CriminalJustice
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2024-01-24 17:43:28

“We're asking them to take a moral stand for humanity.” Activists in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and other #Texas cities are pushing their city councils to weigh in on a #ceasefire in Gaza. They’re determined to be heard, even when they don’t get on the agenda.
Senior Staff Writer @npub1046…0vq8 spoke with pro-#Palestine activists about their recent efforts: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-gaza-ceasefire-austin-dallas-houston-san-antonio?utm_campaign=mastodon
#Palestine #Austin #Dallas #Houston #Gaza #politics #USpol #activism

2024-01-24 16:54:29

“Today, I possess fewer rights than my mother possessed during her reproductive years. Why and how did we get here?”
51 years after Roe V. Wade, Representative Jasmine Crockett reflects on the grave state of #women's rights in #Texas, and the immense dangers of a second #Trump presidency: https://www.texasobserver.org/abortion-ban-roe-v-wade-election-2024?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #RoeVWade #abortion #SCOTUS #democracy #election2024 #USpol #ReproductiveRIghts

2024-01-24 15:27:56

Top story: This Christian 50-acre ranch in Central #Texas was meant to help victims of sex trafficking. Our investigation shows how these organizations fail the vulnerable young #women attempt to save ... https://www.texasobserver.org/refuge-ranch-sex-trafficking-survivors?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #USpol #HumanRights #HumanTrafficking #police #CriminalJustice #religion #Christian

2024-01-23 20:02:54

“Our bays and estuaries are a hugely important part of #Texas and they’re not something that would be easy to go back and fix.”
Experts predict that some of the most vulnerable parts of our state are on the brink of a full-blown #water crisis this year, reports Dylan Baddour at @npub16sl…e3s3: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-reservoir-drought-water-restrictions-2024?utm_campaign=mastodon
#ClimateChange #environment #drought #summer #heatwave #weather #GulfCoast #wildlife #OilAndGas #urban #news #politics #USpol

2024-01-23 18:42:08

“The director [would] beg girls not to make reports to licensing because, quote, they didn’t want to get in trouble.”
Top story: Refuge Ranch was meant to serve young #women who had histories of sex work, but instead it raised larger questions about the quality of the state’s efforts to serve sex #trafficking victims through residential treatment. https://www.texasobserver.org/refuge-ranch-sex-trafficking-survivors?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #HumanRights #HumanTrafficking #Texas #police #politics #USpol

2024-01-22 21:38:10

Featured story: Naomi Shihab Nye told us she's had ”a lifetime, instinctive connection” to #poetry, and deep ties to her roots in #Palestine as well. An interview with our former editor ... https://www.texasobserver.org/palestinian-american-poet-naomi-shihab-nye-gaza-palestine?utm_campaign=mastodon
#poem #children #war #HumanRights #culture #MiddleEast

2024-01-22 17:19:52

“For more than a century, the US has devised one policy after another to keep people out of the country. For more than a century, it has failed.”
Jonathan Blitzer, an #immigration journalist, asks provocative questions about the #border and our human rights record there in his new book, Everyone Who is Gone is Here. Senior Staff Writer @npub1046…0vq8 reviews: https://www.texasobserver.org/central-america-book-migration-jonathan-blitzer?utm_campaign=mastodon
#books #culture #HumanRights #journalism @npub1kt3…5004

2024-01-22 15:38:52

“I don't think they're doing it for the right intentions. I just hope and pray that everything works out for them.”
Refuge Ranch in Central #Texas was supposed to be the “Mayo Clinic of domestic minor sex #trafficking,” according to its founder. But the Refuge wasn’t the sanctuary it was intended to be. From our magazine, this story is a collaboration between the Observer and @npub1cea…ar2r:
https://www.texasobserver.org/refuge-ranch-sex-trafficking-survivors?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #CriminalJustice #HumanRights #women #HumanTrafficking

2024-01-20 18:29:01

Things are escalating quickly at the #border, as the Texas governor continues to openly challenge the authority of the federal government, and the human rights of immigrants.
Here's @npub1046…0vq8's report from earlier this week: https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-new-years-resolution-sow-chaos-at-the-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #immigration #HumanRights #GregAbbott #EaglePass #Texas #Mexico #refugees

2024-01-19 20:50:32

Previously: ”My news is raw. I’m not editing anything. No sugarcoating anything. I put it out there.”
This controversial citizen journalist is striking back against attempts by the city of #Laredo to target her work: https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-la-gordiloca-laredo?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #news #journalism #SocialMedia #police #Texas #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech

2024-01-19 19:17:28

A pretty great list of folks to follow from our friends at @npub1kr6…v7xu: https://journa.host/@thexylom/111545585581143306
#FollowFriday

2024-01-19 17:10:23

“With a real attorney, a real investigation team, we’ve been able to discredit the case.”
But despite the new evidence casting doubt on his conviction, #Texas is still set to put this man to death, reports Staff Writer Michelle Pitcher:
https://www.texasobserver.org/ivan-cantu-is-set-to-be-executed-but-did-he-get-a-fair-trial?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #HumanRights #CriminalJustice #law #prison #DeathPenalty

2024-01-19 15:23:20

“That is not a decision that we agreed to. This is not something that we wanted. This is not something that we asked for as a city.”
Top story: The governor is escalating his deadly war on migrants at our #border:
https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-new-years-resolution-sow-chaos-at-the-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #Immigration #HumanRights #Mexico #GregAbbott

2024-01-18 21:19:30

Starting January 10, Greg Abbott oversaw the state takeover of a city-owned park along the Rio Grande in the town of Eagle Pass. And that was just the beginning of a dangerous, and deadly escalation of #Texas' actions at the #border ... https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-new-years-resolution-sow-chaos-at-the-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
via @npub1046…0vq8
#politics #immigration #GregAbbott #JoeBiden #Mexico #HumanRights #news #politics #USpol

2024-01-18 18:52:04

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@npub1e2y…lp20 it sounds like the opposite is a real possibility

2024-01-18 18:51:45

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@npub1ag2…s0f6 it's a disturbing time, to be sure

2024-01-18 18:28:00

”Organized crime has now extended its tentacles throughout #Mexico. Going down the list of the 32 states, at least half of them are wracked by #crime and violence at the highest levels we have seen in a century.”
Our neighbor to the south will elect a new president this year. Will a new leader bring a safer nation? We spoke to an expert about the coming year: https://www.texasobserver.org/mexico-election-2024-obrador-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#election2024 #voting #democracy #immigration #border #corruption #news #politics

2024-01-18 17:20:18

“The Observer enlivened my interest in #politics and journalism, and I have been a reader, subscriber, contributor, whatever, since junior high.”
Celebrating the Texas Observer at 70: https://www.texasobserver.org/carlton-carl-texas-observer-70th?utm_campaign=mastodon
#history #journalism #Texas #USpol #nonprofit #TexasNeedsAnObserver

2024-01-17 22:08:38

Top story: The governor's move to block Border Patrol agents from, well, patrolling the #border represents a significant on-the-ground escalation of his feud with the Biden administration and his bid to wrest control of #immigration enforcement away from the federal government.
https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-new-years-resolution-sow-chaos-at-the-border?utm_campaign=mastodon via @npub1046…0vq8
#news #politics #USpol #Texas #Mexico #GregAbbott

2024-01-17 19:47:08

“It’s just everywhere—it’s my texture; it’s my material; it’s my body of knowledge; it’s my dream field.”
Naomi Shihab Nye, our former #poetry editor, shared the experience of growing up in America while connecting with her heritage in #Palestine: https://www.texasobserver.org/palestinian-american-poet-naomi-shihab-nye-gaza-palestine?utm_campaign=mastodon
#culture #poem #history #MiddleEast #war

2024-01-17 17:51:14

“I think it’s really important to note that the people crafting these messages and policies often don’t look like the people that they’re supposed to be talking to.”
A network of rich consultants and shadowy PACs is setting the agenda for school boards across #Texas (and the U.S.). The second part of our investigation into the coordinated takeover of #education: https://www.texasobserver.org/school-boards-partisan-consultants-pacs?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #USpol #schools #PublicSchools #Republicans #corruption #democracy #elections #NorthTexas

2024-01-17 16:39:48

Greg Abbott has kicked off the New Year by escalating his ongoing war against immigrants to fresh heights of recklessness. Senior Writer @npub1046…0vq8 investigates the latest horrors and abuses taking place at the #border: https://www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbotts-new-years-resolution-sow-chaos-at-the-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #news #USpol #Mexico #immigration #GregAbbott #Texas #refugees

2024-01-16 22:43:55

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@npub1pnm…y7gt it's such a beautiful space!

2024-01-16 22:43:27

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@npub1ag2…s0f6 the nice thing about the Rothko "chapel" is that it's a space specifically dedicated to art, not worship of any religion, so it welcomes people of any faith or none.

2024-01-16 21:51:55

“The quest for immortality is part of being human.”
From the archives: Meditations on life and death at one of #Houston's most enduring artifacts, a 1971 temple to #art and contemplation ... https://www.texasobserver.org/mark-rothko-chapel-houston?utm_campaign=mastodon
#photography #culture #Texas #sculpture #history #urban

2024-01-16 16:43:46

“People in this state are tired of the same status quo politician telling you this nice word of ‘bipartisanship.’ It’s not real.”
Featured story: Democractic hopefuls are lining up to take their turn at attempting to unseat this key Republican senator from #Texas, but do they have any chance at winning?https://www.texasobserver.org/ted-cruz-roland-gutierrez-senate?utm_campaign=mastodon
#election2024 #politics #news #USpol #Congress #democracy #voting #Democrats #TedCruz

2024-01-16 16:35:25

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@npub1s56…su8d you're not wrong but it's still getting worse.

2024-01-16 15:31:33

Top Story: A network of highly paid lobbyists, PACs and consultants is transforming #Texas school boards into politicized battlefields, reports Special Investigative Correspondent @npub18l5…2jgj in the second part of our series on the Republican transformation of #education ... https://www.texasobserver.org/school-boards-partisan-consultants-pacs?utm_campaign=mastodon
#politics #USpol #news #democracy #elections #corruption #Republicans #schools #PublicSchools

2024-01-15 17:32:50

January 1963: The Night Martin Luther King Jr. Came to #Dallas
https://www.texasobserver.org/night-martin-luther-king-jr-came-dallas/
#Texas #history #MLKDay

2024-01-13 20:13:33

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@npub1uvn…nw7d @npub1wnn…0j59 we're doing our best to improve the discourse lol

2024-01-13 18:53:53

Yesterday: "I was thinking how horrific it is that #children have to suffer these disasters, and I felt like I needed to write something in their honor. That’s how that #poem came to be—but the weird part about that poem is, it’s not obsolete; it’s continued to be relevant all these years."
https://www.texasobserver.org/palestinian-american-poet-naomi-shihab-nye-gaza-palestine?utm_campaign=mastodon
#poetry #culture #history #Palestine @npub13em…flpf #Texas #war

2024-01-13 16:11:52

Our cover story: “All Americans benefit from the First Amendment protection to ask government officials questions, whether they’re a reporter for the New York Times, a citizen journalist from #Laredo, or a concerned mother at a school board meeting. Without that right, we can’t be an informed public.”
https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-la-gordiloca-laredo?utm_campaign=mastodon
#news #politics #USpol #Texas #journalism #police #PressFreedom #FreedomOfSpeech

2024-01-12 21:01:28

"I had a chance to be with so many people who are now not available to us in the flesh, only through their words. I felt them as a wellspring of the spirit of Palestine, and the love and the care for #Palestine."
Our former #Poetry Editor Naomi Shihab Nye on how her heritage shaped her art: https://www.texasobserver.org/palestinian-american-poet-naomi-shihab-nye-gaza-palestine?utm_campaign=mastodon via Francesca @npub1px5…g8mn
#culture #poem #art #Texas #history #children

2024-01-12 18:45:01

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@npub1326…laan @npub1wnn…0j59 @npub13vv…0sze yes he handled it by gracefully continuing to affirm his boundaries, which can be a lesson to all of us

2024-01-12 18:13:21

Texas Library Association apologizes to author Chuck Tingle after disinviting the autistic writer from an event over a mask he routinely wears at public appearances: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/chuck-tingle-tla-conference-18600608.php via our friends at @npub1wnn…0j59
#books #libraries #autism #LGBTQIA+ #fiction #Texas

2024-01-12 15:16:12

According to tallies conducted by civil and religious associations, there were over 35,000 migrants in Ciudad Juárez. Many are now avoiding official shelters and living in abandoned buildings while they await admission to the U.S.: https://www.texasobserver.org/ciudad-juarez-migrants-struggle-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#immigration #border #Mexico #HumanRights #politics #safety #news #USpol

2024-01-12 00:00:25

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@npub1t8h…akgm @npub1m8a…khgv thank you! Should be our next print issue (and online sometime in March most likely)

2024-01-11 23:17:39

“This court does not endorse the cavalier attitude Siegler has displayed regarding her constitutional duty to preserve the fundamental fairness of the trial proceedings.”
Previously: Examining the dark side of true crime through #Houston's star prosecutor ... https://www.texasobserver.org/kelly-siegler-informant-prosecutor-prible?utm_campaign=mastodon
#TrueCrime #news #murder #prison #DeathPenalty #CriminalJustice #law #Texas #media #politics #USpol

2024-01-11 21:08:13

After a devastating fire at a facility for immigrants at the #border, other travelers are avoiding official services and live in abandoned buildings while they await admission to America. From our partners at Global Press Journal:
https://www.texasobserver.org/ciudad-juarez-migrants-struggle-border?utm_campaign=mastodon
#Mexico #Texas #HumanRights #news #politics #USpol #immigration #photography

2024-01-11 18:47:06

“They just have completely failed to actually live up to that promise to stop this—the most abusive, traumatic practice that can be carried out in #immigration enforcement.”
From 2023: Some migrant families still face separation under the #Biden administration, as revealed by #border correspondents Anna-Cat Brigida and John Washington ... https://www.texasobserver.org/the-biden-administration-is-still-separating-kids-from-their-families?utm_campaign=mastodon
#HumanRights #news #politics #Mexico #USpol #Texas #Arizona

2024-01-11 17:38:49

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Our cover story: “I had so many people messaging me and telling me, ‘You basically need to sue the city and the #police department and these individuals as a whole, because what they did to you is not right.’”
From Correspondent Jason Buch, the story of a rabble-rousing citizen journalist's fight for press freedom ... https://www.texasobserver.org/priscilla-villarreal-la-gordiloca-laredo?utm_campaign=mastodon
#PressFreedom #journalism #news #politics #Texas #Laredo #GulfCoast #FreeSpeech #CriminalJustice #law

2024-01-10 21:12:55

The #Houston Landing’s newsroom is “blindsided” by the firing of its top editor and a star reporter https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/01/the-houston-landings-newsroom-is-blindsided-by-the-firing-of-its-top-editor-and-a-star-reporter/ via @npub1hee…t884
#journalism #news #nonprofit #Texas

2024-01-10 20:35:14

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“What is the Observer’s legacy?
I think it’s partly the mission statement. And I don’t think there is a newspaper in Texas today that has a book reviews section. And poetry? Is there another publication in Texas that has poetry?”
https://www.texasobserver.org/carlton-carl-texas-observer-70th?utm_campaign=mastodon
#TexasNeedsAnObserver #journalism #nonprofit #history #politics #news #USpol

2024-01-10 20:32:21

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2024-01-10 19:17:46

"I think we’re seeing glimpses of interest because some members in the GOP are tired of the way a few big money donors play politics. But that doesn’t mean they actually have the courage to take the issue on."
Previously: Inspired by our reporting, this legislator wants to change campaign finance in #Texas.
https://www.texasobserver.org/erin-zwiener-school-board-backers-reform?utm_campaign=mastodon via @npub18l5…2jgj
#politics #news #USpol #education #TXlege #democracy #voting #transparency

2024-01-10 19:11:32

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@npub1a80…n4e5 lots of questions I'd be asking before moving here to be sure!