Politics & Policy
August 22, 2019
Of Course Rick Perry Fell For the Instagram Hoax
Plenty of people did, but not all of them are in charge of the nuclear arsenal.
Politics & Policy
Reporting and commentary on the Legislature, campaigns, and elected officials
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Music
August 21, 2019
Beto O’Rourke and Julián Castro’s Campaign Playlists Are Meaningless (But One Is Clearly Better)
An analysis of the two Texan presidential candidates’ rally songs.
Border & Immigration
August 16, 2019
ICE Doctor Defends Force-Feeding Detainees on Hunger Strike as ‘Uncomfortable’ But Necessary
At a hearing on Friday, the El Paso doctor said force-feeding was considered medically unethical, but that ICE's rules required her to do it.
Politics & Policy
August 13, 2019
We Are Firmly in the Boycott Era of Politics
Chick-fil-A won’t be hosting its 2022 convention in San Antonio and Joaquin Castro supporters won’t be eating at Bill Miller.
Politics & Policy
August 12, 2019
Former Ambassador Tony Garza on Mexico, Trump, and Whether Texas Is Turning Blue
The lifelong Texan discusses the need to reintroduce America’s better angels into the immigration debate.
Politics & Policy
August 12, 2019
Workers Defense Project Founder Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez Is the Latest Democrat to Take on John Cornyn
The community organizer is expected to make a play for millennials and young people of color.
Politics & Policy
August 11, 2019
The Scandal Swirling Around House Speaker Dennis Bonnen Is Bad. But Is It Criminal?
The growing controversy around Bonnen's quid pro quo is about much more than palace intrigue. Fundamentally, it concerns unethical, possibly criminal, behavior on the part of the speaker.
Politics & Policy
August 9, 2019
The Speaker and the Creeper: Everything You Need to Know About the Craziest Texas Political Scandal in Years
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offers a masterclass in how to lose friends and alienate your allies in just a few easy steps.
Politics & Policy
August 6, 2019
What the Shooter and Trump Don’t Understand About My Hometown of El Paso
What the rest of the country will see in the days to come is a city of resilience, compassion, and honesty.
Politics & Policy
August 3, 2019
‘El Paso Is Beautiful’: El Pasoans Come Together and Reach Out in a Day of Terror
At a jam-packed blood bank, El Pasoans said they were proud of their hometown and expressed dismay that an outsider could wreak such havoc on their city—one of the safest in the country.
Politics & Policy
August 2, 2019
Would-be Spymaster John Ratcliffe Exits the National Spotlight
Bowing to criticism, the North Texas congressman spent less than a week in line as the next director of national intelligence.
Politics & Policy
August 2, 2019
Congressman Will Hurd on His Surprise Retirement, Whether He’s Running for President, and the GOP’s Big Problems
The Texas Republican stunned the political world Thursday by announcing that he’s not running for reelection. But he says he still has big plans to help his party.
Politics & Policy
August 1, 2019
Julián Castro Is Finally Becoming the Politician He Was Supposed to Be
He's unlikely to win the presidential nomination, but after years of false starts he is becoming a leader in the Democratic party.
Politics & Policy
July 30, 2019
Did House Speaker Dennis Bonnen Really Try to Bribe Michael Quinn Sullivan? An Investigation.
MQS isn't the most trustworthy person in Texas politics, but Bonnen has done a poor job offering an alternative narrative about what transpired.
Politics & Policy
July 30, 2019
Here’s What Texas DAs Think of the New Hemp Law that Effectively Decriminalized Pot
We reached out to prosecutors for all 254 Texas counties to ask whether they will still prosecute marijuana cases.
News
July 29, 2019
Texas Might Kill Obamacare, But State Leaders Don’t Seem to Have a Plan for What’s Next
In the event that millions lose their health insurance and protections for preexisting conditions disappear, the state has no real backup plan.
Politics & Policy
July 24, 2019
Autopsy Offers Jarring New Details About the Death of a 16-Year-Old Guatemalan Boy
Days after he was supposed to be in a children’s shelter, Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez died of the flu near the toilet in his Border Patrol holding cell.
Politics & Policy
July 23, 2019
Trump’s Apostle
No matter how incendiary his latest tweet or policy might seem, Donald Trump can count on evangelical preacher and Fox News fixture Robert Jeffress to defend him. What’s behind the Dallas pastor’s unconditional embrace?
Politics & Policy
July 22, 2019
The 2020 Texas Polling is Much Better for Beto O’Rourke than Julián Castro
O'Rourke and Castro's polling in Texas is virtually unchanged from a month ago. That’s good news for only one of them.
Border & Immigration
July 22, 2019
Should Texas Sue the Federal Government Over Border Costs?
Two Texas Democrats are calling on Republican attorney general Ken Paxton to sue the feds for reimbursement of border security costs. But legal experts think it’s a bad idea.
Border & Immigration
July 18, 2019
More Asylum Seekers Stage Hunger Strikes at El Paso Detention Center
Four Indian men have refused to eat since July 8 in hopes of being released on bonds while awaiting deportation hearings.
Politics & Policy
July 16, 2019
Should Beto O’Rourke Drop Out?
His fundraising is bad, his poll numbers are worse, and some Texans still think he should run for Senate.
Politics & Policy
July 15, 2019
Houston Congressman Al Green’s Impeachment Effort Comes Up Short Again
The vote was 332-95, with eight Texas Democrats voting to move forward on articles of impeachment against Trump.
News & Politics
July 15, 2019
What the Hell Is Happening at the Border? (An Occasional Series, July 15 Edition)
A secret Facebook group full of racist memes includes the head of Border Patrol, Elizabeth Warren promises sweeping reform, and the acting head of Homeland Security contradicts the agency's own watchdog.
News
July 12, 2019
The Last Boy Scout
Long before Texans had heard of “no pass, no play,” and before free trade was a major political issue, H. Ross Perot entered my life as a super-patriot who believed perseverance was the key to success.
Politics & Policy
July 12, 2019
Even Trump Wouldn’t Follow Advice from Ted Cruz and Chip Roy to Ignore the Supreme Court
Congressman Roy and Senator Cruz urged Trump to print the census with a citizenship question despite a Supreme Court ruling. That would’ve been a dangerous precedent.
Business
July 9, 2019
H. Ross Perot (1930-2019) Was a Larger-Than-Life Texan
The eccentric Texan billionaire and former two-time independent presidential candidate leaves an outsized legacy.
Politics & Policy
July 8, 2019
Dallas’s New Mayor on Data, Crime, and Why Dallas Needs to Get Selfish
In a discussion with Texas Monthly last week, Johnson spoke about the crime woes, his intention to make data-driven decisions, plans for ethics reforms, and why Dallas needs to be more selfish in its regional partnerships.
Border & Immigration
July 3, 2019
Q&A with a Texas Attorney on the Frontlines of Migrant Child Detention
“We’re definitely seeing a race to the bottom in terms of the dehumanization of immigrants,” the lawyer said.
Border & Immigration
July 1, 2019
Beto O’Rourke and Julián Castro are Fighting Over Who Gets to Be “The Texan”
“The other Texan” went after the former Senate candidate, who responded by stepping on a long-scheduled Austin rally.
Politics & Policy
June 27, 2019
The (Fake) Beto Diaries, Vol. 4 — Post-Debate
Bienvenidos de Miami.
Politics & Policy
June 27, 2019
The Supreme Court’s Census Citizenship Question Decision Helps Texas—But the Real Work Lies Ahead
Without state funding for census outreach, communities across Texas are trying on their own to make sure everyone gets counted.
Politics & Policy
June 27, 2019
Julián Castro Turns on Beto O’Rourke, and Why That’s Good for Elizabeth Warren
The debate had the feel, at times, of an episode of Survivor—the little guys teaming up to clear their ranks before the real fight begins.
Politics & Policy
June 25, 2019
What the Hell Is Happening at the Border? (An Occasional Series, June 25 Edition)
The acting Border Patrol chief steps down as migrant children go without soap or toothpaste and bodies are found along the Rio Grande.
Politics & Policy
June 20, 2019
How Did the Dallas Courthouse Gunman Get Radicalized?
Brian Clyde, who was killed at the Earl Cabell Federal Building on Monday, swam in the dark waters of internet troll culture.
The National Podcast of Texas
June 18, 2019
Royce Brooks: “Our Priority Is Making the Biggest, Best Run at Flipping Control of the State House”
On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, the executive director of Annie’s List discusses representational democracy in Texas and the debate over how progressive is too progressive.
Best and Worst Legislators
June 18, 2019
Our Favorite Bests, 1973–2019
Passing legislation may be fun. But this compilation shows that writing about passing legislation can be even more fun.
Best and Worst Legislators
June 18, 2019
Our Favorite Worsts, 1973–2019
Passing legislation may be fun. But this compilation shows that writing about passing legislation can be even more fun.
Politics & Policy
June 18, 2019
2019: The Best and Worst Legislators
They called it the kumbaya session, but we still found plenty of scoundrels and statesmen.
Politics & Policy
June 13, 2019
Congressman Henry Cuellar Draws a Primary Challenger from the Left
Can 26-year-old Jessica Cisneros pull off the same sort of political upset as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
News
June 11, 2019
In El Paso, Border Patrol Is Detaining Migrants in ‘a Human Dog Pound’
Immigration officials have resumed the much-criticized practice of keeping people outdoors for weeks to relieve dangerous overcrowding.
Politics & Policy
June 10, 2019
South Texas Was Hotter than Death Valley Last Week
Falcon Lake hit a balmy 116 while the heat index in Brownsville was an eyeball-melting 128 degrees, nine degrees warmer than Death Valley.
Politics & Policy
June 10, 2019
Texas Parks Are Broke. But There’s Good News: Voters Can Rescue Them.
A constitutional amendment on the ballot in November aims to shore up funding for Texas’s system of state parks and historic sites.
Politics & Policy
June 7, 2019
North Texas Cops Caught Being Racist Online
A non-profit compiled racist, sexist, and xenophobic social media posts from police in Dallas and Denison.
Politics & Policy
June 5, 2019
Early Presidential Poll Shows that Texas May Be In Play in 2020
Seven Democratic hopefuls are within striking distance of Trump, with Joe Biden leading the pack.
Politics & Policy
June 4, 2019
Trump Is Threatening to Slap Tariffs on Imports from Mexico. That’s a Huge Deal for Texas. Here’s Why.
Everything you need to know about what tariffs could mean for the Texas economy, politics, and Chipotle burrito prices.
Politics & Policy
June 3, 2019
Congratulations, You’re a Plumber Now
Thanks to the the Texas Legislature, you and your plumber will soon have the same credentials.
Politics & Policy
May 31, 2019
Now We Know What the Venn Diagram of Ted Cruz and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Looks Like
Ted Cruz and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez both want to stop members of Congress from going on to become lobbyists.
Politics & Policy
May 30, 2019
Inside the Legislature’s High-Stakes Deal to Save Texas Public Schools and Cut Property Taxes
Texas's top lawmakers managed to put together an $11.5 billion package, but they did it in a way that all but guarantees a tax hike in 2021.
Politics & Policy
May 29, 2019
How Texas’s Powerful Police Union Went to War Against Criminal Justice Reform
In one of the worst legislative sessions for criminal justice reform in years, bipartisan legislation got caught between an ugly fight between the police lobby and prominent Democrats.