Books
September 15, 2021
How a Western Comic Series Made Me the Texan I Am Today
To me, Garth Ennis's ‘Preacher’ is about growing past juvenile, self-destructive notions of masculinity.
Politics & Policy
September 9, 2021
Your Questions About Texas’s New Abortion Law, Answered
Who can be sued under Senate Bill 8? What is the “shadow docket”? When will the Supreme Court rule on the merits of the law?
News & Politics
August 31, 2021
Writing “Love Letters” Can Give Home Buyers an Edge—and Open the Door to Discrimination
As home prices skyrocket in Texas, buyers will try anything to stand out—and neuroscience shows these letters work. But housing experts say the implications are troubling.
Best Thing In Texas
August 25, 2021
Waiting on Hold to Claim Unemployment Just Got a Little Less Hellish, Thanks to an Austin Band
Composer Justin Sherburn drew on his own experience to write ‘Texas Workforce Commission Hold Music,’ which the agency officially adopted this week.
Politics & Policy
August 13, 2021
Texas Democrats Are Relying On Politicians Who Lost in 2020 to Carry Them in 2022
Three failed candidates, including Beto O’Rourke, lead ambitious voter-registration efforts. And they're assuming no changes are needed in their positions.
Best Thing In Texas
August 12, 2021
Patrick Mahomes Is Bringing His Love of Whataburger to Kansas City
Most Texans miss Whataburger when they leave the state. Not many of them are in a position to open their own.
Film & TV
August 11, 2021
A User’s Guide to Austin’s New B-List Celebrities
Is that a Hollywood newcomer or just someone who works out a lot? How to tell the difference.
Arts & Entertainment
August 2, 2021
No Tweets for Old Men: Yet Another Cormac McCarthy Twitter Hoax Is Upon Us
The famously reclusive author and former El Pasoan is still not on social media, despite what the latest viral thread suggests.
Style & Design
July 28, 2021
All of H-E-B’s New Scented Candles, From Butter Tortilla to Two-Bite Brownies, Ranked
We’re all very impressed with H-E-B’s ability to go viral with a new product line, but how do these things actually smell?
Meanwhile in Texas
July 8, 2021
A Houston Comic Book Store Filed a Lawsuit in Comic Form
It’s an unconventional but attention-grabbing strategy.
Food & Drink
June 30, 2021
The Great Whataburger vs. Wendy’s Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit Face-off
Four of the best ingredients on Earth. One true champion?
Business
June 29, 2021
The Delivery Robots Are Your Friends, Says Delivery-Robot Company
Our intrepid reporter biked behind the human whose job it is to follow, and help train, Austin’s new pizza-delivery robots.
Sports
June 24, 2021
State Champion Wrestler Fights to Show Fairness in Sports Isn’t Tied to Gender
Mack Beggs, a two-time Texas high school champ, is one of three trans athletes featured in the Hulu documentary 'Changing the Game.'
Energy
June 18, 2021
Is There an “Ethical” Temperature at Which to Set Your Thermostat?
It’s a question we are once more forced to ponder—and one for which we have an answer!
Film & TV
June 11, 2021
‘12 Mighty Orphans’ Is the Cornball Texas Football Movie We Need Right Now
The film, based on a true Fort Worth story and starring Dallas native Luke Wilson, is a welcome post-pandemic balm.
Film & TV
June 9, 2021
Jeff Nichols Is the Perfect Director for the Next ‘A Quiet Place’
The Texas filmmaker has built his career on escalating tension and dread.
Best Thing In Texas
May 26, 2021
Luka Dončić and Dirk Nowitzki Had a Moment Last Night
A photo of the Mavs' past and present superstars during Dallas's win over the L.A. Clippers captured an NBA passing of the torch.
News & Politics
May 24, 2021
A Brief History of Texans Finding a Message in a Bottle
A 2018 note from a Canadian teen washed up on a Port Aransas beach this month, reminding us of other writings found on Texas shores.
Meanwhile in Texas
May 19, 2021
A 9/11-Themed Bar in Fort Worth Is Going Viral
“I don’t want anyone who comes into my restaurant to forget that day,” says Brent Johnson, owner of Bar9Eleven.
Meanwhile in Texas
May 10, 2021
A Brief History of Tigers on the Loose in Texas, 2021 Edition
Joe Exotic has a lot of competition. The big cat seen roaming a Houston neighborhood this week is just the latest.
Film & TV
May 7, 2021
Historic 6666 Ranch Almost Twice the Size of Chicago Gets the Perfect Steward
Imagine all the westerns filmmaker Taylor Sheridan could shoot on 266,000 acres of property.
Meanwhile in Texas
May 6, 2021
Texas GOP Chair Allen West Challenges Tardy Reporter to Drop and Give Him Thirty
He challenged a reporter to perform the calisthenics, then decided to do them himself.
Politics & Policy
May 4, 2021
Some Legislators Want to Drown Out Local Austin Officials by Cranking Up the Volume at Bars
A House bill doesn’t identify the capital city by name, but would make it the lone municipality in Texas whose noise ordinances are set by the Lege.
Politics & Policy
May 3, 2021
What Exactly Does John Cornyn Do All Day? Well, for One Thing, He Tweets. A Lot.
A recent analysis found Texas’s senior senator is the most prolific tweeter in Congress.
Sports
April 29, 2021
Is That a Rejected Pixar Character on a Three-Day Bender? No, It’s Mavrello, the Dallas Mavericks’ New Mascot!
Meet Mavrello, the NBA franchise's latest attempt to engage Gen Z fans and inspire a million memes along the way.
Meanwhile in Texas
April 28, 2021
How Now, Escaped Cow? And Later, Gator. Two Loose Critters Snarl Houston Traffic.
The unrelated incidents both ended safely for the animals.
Sports
April 23, 2021
“You Can’t Fake the Real”
An interview with the outgoing Longhorns quarterback touches on playing through the pandemic and learning to be vulnerable with teammates.
Meanwhile in Texas
April 23, 2021
A McAllen Thief Pilfered $400 Worth of Spider-Man Comic Books
He confessed after someone spotted him in surveillance footage.
Business
April 14, 2021
Outdoor Voices Is Not F***ing Around With Austin Bar Little Brother
The athletic wear giant threatened legal action over the bar’s parody of its famous blue hat.
Sports
April 8, 2021
Look at How Many Fishy Crackers Boban Can Hold in His Hand
The cracker company’s new promotion determined that the 7’4” NBA player can hold 301 Goldfish in one handful.
Sports
April 6, 2021
Texas’s Best (and Weirdest) Minor League Baseball Team Names, Ranked
We salute the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths, the Amarillo Sod Poodles, and their compatriots.
Sports
April 1, 2021
Sports Media Is Blowing the Coverage of Deshaun Watson
From local papers to national NFL media, reporting on the allegations against Watson reads like something from another generation.
News & Politics
March 29, 2021
This Is How Big the Ship That Got Stuck in the Suez Is, in Texas Terms
It’s hard to grasp just how massive the Ever Given is. Fortunately, scale is something our state does well.
Business
March 26, 2021
H-E-B Is Coming to DFW, and People Are Like OMG
The beloved supermarket chain, which has carefully guarded its intentions in North Texas, dropped a bombshell on Friday.
Film & TV
March 24, 2021
A New Genre of Film Is Already Here: COVID Movies
The first COVID films are poised to address a pandemic that isn't through with us yet. Here's why these early, imperfect takes on the past year are still worth watching.
Film & TV
March 23, 2021
Alan Tudyk Is Ready to Be Taken Seriously
After decades of playing goofy sidekicks, the El Paso–born, Plano-bred actor finally has a leading role.
Meanwhile in Texas
March 17, 2021
A Pair of Thieves Broke Into a Houston Art Museum, Then Escaped by Boat
They didn’t manage to steal any art, but they did vanish into a storm drain.
Music
March 15, 2021
Texans Cleaned Up at the Grammys, but Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé Were Snubbed for the Top Prizes
The thrilling night was marred by the continuation of an ugly tradition.
Film & TV
March 11, 2021
How SXSW Transformed a 280,000-Person Festival Into a Virtual Extravaganza
With no long lines, no traffic, and no parties, South by Southwest is going to look a lot this different this year. Here’s how organizers pulled it off.
Sports
March 10, 2021
The Texas Rangers Plan to Fill Their Stadium, Pandemic Be Damned
The team finished in last place in front of cardboard fans in 2020, but it’s the first in American pro sports to reopen to full capacity.
Film & TV
March 4, 2021
Holy Cow, We’re Getting More ‘Party Down’
The cult comedy series is being revived with a six-episode order, more than a decade later.
Politics & Policy
March 2, 2021
Greg Abbott Celebrated Texas Independence Day by Ending COVID-19 Restrictions
The vast majority of Texans have yet to receive a single dose of vaccine, but the state is done imposing public health measures.
Health
February 22, 2021
The Winter Storm Set Texas Far Back in COVID-19 Vaccinations
Infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez describes last week’s statewide disaster as a harmful delay “in the face of an advancing enemy.”
Best Thing In Texas
February 22, 2021
The Best Thing in Texas: Everyone Who Helped Us Survive the Winter Storm
Celebrities and regular folk alike came together to offer hot food, clean water, and warm beds.
Politics & Policy
February 18, 2021
Steve and Ted’s Excellent Adventures
Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler, and the state’s junior senator, Ted Cruz, are the latest Texas politicians to take ill-considered vacations.
Energy
February 17, 2021
Lights, Camera, Reaction: Lit-Up Downtown Skylines Are Enraging Powerless Texans
Texans on social media have kept warm by burning the fuel of white-hot rage.
Health
February 13, 2021
These Texans Started Their Own Testing Facilities as Coronavirus Screening Lagged
Widespread “assurance testing” could effectively end the pandemic before the vaccine does, but a lack of federal coordination has left some citizens to fill screening gaps.
Business
February 8, 2021
The Buc-ee’s Stops Here: Why the Iconic Chain Is Facing a Backlash East of the Sabine
Turns out not everyone loves Texas-size gas stations (or 13 varieties of jerky).
News & Politics
February 4, 2021
Why Is Bill de Blasio Trying to Start a New York vs. Austin Twitter Feud?
The mayor set his sights a little lower in his latest ill-advised social media post.
Best Thing In Texas
January 29, 2021
The Best Thing in Texas: A San Antonio Fifth-Grader Cashed Out His GameStop Stock for $3,200
It's a simple victory in an extremely complex story.