Energy
August 18, 2022
Texas Leaders Shut Renewables Out in Planning the Power Grid’s Future
On a state advisory committee, only one member has experience developing wind or solar power. And he’s voiced some eyebrow-raising ideas.
Politics & Policy
Reporting and commentary on the Legislature, campaigns, and elected officials
Health
August 16, 2022
When Does the Life of a Pregnant Texan Count Under the State’s New Abortion Ban?
We asked for clarification from 99 Texas legislators who support the law, plus the attorney general who will enforce it, for clarification. Only one granted an interview.
Politics & Policy
August 12, 2022
The Trump Raid’s Newest Victim: The Texas GOP
After the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, state Republicans near-unanimously lined up behind the former president—before details of the investigation left them silent.
Politics & Policy
August 10, 2022
Austin Tice Has Been Held Hostage Longer Than Any American Journalist Ever. His Texas Family Is Still Fighting for His Return.
The freelance journalist disappeared in Syria in 2012. His family in Houston hasn’t given up on seeing him come home.
Politics & Policy
August 8, 2022
The Houston Doctor Who Foretold America’s Health Care Woes in 1995
When a family doctor spoke out about insurance companies ruining his practice, few expected his appeal would still resonate 27 years later.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Politics & Policy
August 8, 2022
In Dallas, Donald Trump Provided a Violent Blueprint for Seizing Power
In a week marked by militant rhetoric at CPAC—including Ted Cruz’s promise to “fight the barbarians”—the former president vowed to inflict a “crippling defeat” on his enemies.
Politics & Policy
August 5, 2022
Will the Alex Jones Verdict Change the Conspiracy Culture He Popularized?
The damages awarded this week in Austin are only the beginning of the likely end of Jones and Infowars. But it remains to be seen what that means for other purveyors of misinformation.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
August 5, 2022
In Dallas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Got a Standing Ovation From the Trump Faithful
“The globalists can all go to hell,” the authoritarian populist said at CPAC. “I have come to Texas.”
Politics & Policy
August 4, 2022
Almost No One Thought George W. Bush Was the Real Deal. Except Paul Burka.
Even when Bush was a complete political newcomer, Burka could see his potential to change Texas and usher in a yet-to-end Republican dynasty.
Politics & Policy
August 2, 2022
The Lawyers in the Alex Jones Trial Nearly Came to Blows
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Bankston and F. Andino Reynal, who represents Infowars in the case, both have distinct challenges. Last week, their tensions boiled over.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
August 1, 2022
Why Molly Ivins Matters More Than Ever
Fifteen years after the popular journalist’s death, we’re living in the world she saw coming—and struggling to follow her example of joyful opposition.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Politics & Policy
August 1, 2022
A New Book Exposes the Junk Science That Leads to Wrongful Convictions. Its Unlikely Hero Is a Texan.
On Wednesday in Austin, the head of the Texas Forensic Science Commission will interview the author of the latest forensic-science takedown.
By
Michael Hall
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Politics & Policy
July 28, 2022
The Free Speech Elephant in Alex Jones’s Courtroom
The trial this week in Austin to determine what Infowars owes in damages for defaming Sandy Hook parents could have had huge free-speech implications. Because of Jones’s choices, it won’t.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
July 28, 2022
Cruz Watch: Ted Becomes a Strange Bedfellow of Those Pushing to Overturn Texas’s Sodomy Law
In the wake of the Dobbs opinion, Ted Cruz said he supports repealing a 1974 Texas law criminalizing gay sex.
By
Dan Solomon
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Ben Rowen
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Politics & Policy
July 27, 2022
Kim Ogg Wants a Democratic Socialist Judge Thrown Off the Bench
Franklin Bynum has tried to reform the Harris County criminal justice system from within. That's made him a target of the district attorney.
Politics & Policy
July 26, 2022
The Korean War Memorial Dedicates Its Wall of Remembrance—Mistakes and All
Two brothers in Dallas tried for years to correct the misspellings and omissions. Now they’re heartbroken.
By
Michael Hall
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Politics & Policy
July 26, 2022
What Does Alex Jones Owe the Sandy Hook Families He Defamed?
A jury in Austin, selected on Monday, is about to grapple with that surprisingly complicated question.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
July 25, 2022
Is This a Typical Texas Heat Wave or the Coldest Summer of the Rest of Our Lives?
Across the state, Texans are experiencing record-high temperatures, but we might be recalling this summer fondly someday.
Politics & Policy
July 21, 2022
What Happens When Texans Protest Their “Mind-boggling” Property Taxes?
Homeowners in hot housing markets got a nasty surprise when their appraisals arrived this spring. Here’s what happened when some of them tried to get reductions.
Politics & Policy
July 19, 2022
A January 6 Fugitive Was Arrested on a Property Connected to the Kinney County Attorney
Lucas Denney was staying on a ranch that documents suggest is connected to an official who helped pen the border county’s recent “invasion” declaration.
Politics & Policy
July 18, 2022
Texas Democrats Know They Need a New Leader. They Settled for the Old One.
At this weekend’s convention in Dallas, a contentious election for party chair revealed racial and gender-based fault lines.
Politics & Policy
July 15, 2022
The Korean War Memorial’s New Wall of Remembrance Appears to Forget Hundreds of U.S. Casualties
Dallas brothers Hal and Ted Barker, who have spent decades studying Korean War deaths, believe the wall is riddled with omissions and errors.
By
Michael Hall
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Politics & Policy
July 14, 2022
The Uvalde Officer With the Punisher Logo on His Phone Is Not the Problem
After KVUE and the Austin American-Statesman published video from inside Robb Elementary, one policeman incorrectly became a symbol of larger failures.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
July 14, 2022
A Texas Mother’s Choice: Seek an Out-of-State Abortion or Let Her Baby Die a Slow, Agonizing Death
A severe pregnancy complication and the state’s strict limits on abortion combined to leave an expectant mother with few options—none of them good.
Politics & Policy
July 13, 2022
Democrats Took Control of Texas’s Largest County. Then Party Leaders Went to War With Each Other.
Long-brewing tensions between Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and District Attorney Kim Ogg have come to a head months before an election.
Energy
July 12, 2022
Solar Power Is Bailing Texas Out This Summer
Enjoying that AC? Thank the mighty power of the sun and the renewable energy source keeping the grid afloat.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
July 11, 2022
Tips to Stay Cool During Record Heat and Potential Blackouts in Texas
Experts and an eleventh-generation Texan give advice on how to ensure safety and comfort in extreme heat.
Politics & Policy
July 7, 2022
After the Gun Bill, John Cornyn Is Now Less Popular Than Ted Cruz
Big John’s approval rating has taken a serious blow in the month after the Uvalde shooting—driven largely by Republicans and independents.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
July 5, 2022
You Have Been Sued for Profiling “the Most Hated Woman in America”
Lawrence Wright gives us the story behind his Texas Monthly story on Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
Politics & Policy
June 30, 2022
The Supreme Court Rules for Biden Over Texas. But the Dangers for Migrants Remain.
Thursday’s decision won’t stop the border crisis or the kinds of deaths we saw on Monday.
Politics & Policy
June 30, 2022
The Proud Boys Want to Enlist a New Recruit: Bucky the Beaver
The lovable Buc-ee’s mascot appears to be the latest victim of “hatejacking,” when an extremist group adopts a popular brand to advance its agenda.
Politics & Policy
June 29, 2022
The Tragedy in San Antonio Was Part of a Historic Migrant Death Crisis
Border crossers are perishing in trucks, in the Rio Grande, in falls from border walls, and in remote locations. And neither Greg Abbott nor Joe Biden has a serious solution.
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
Ken Paxton Wants to Ban Abortions Before Texas’s Trigger Law Kicks In. A Judge Has Said No, for Now.
Some clinics are resuming abortion services while waiting for the state’s trigger law to go into effect. Paxton says he’ll appeal.
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
An Afghan Family Came to San Antonio Seeking a Safer Future. Then Their Child Went Missing.
Six months ago, three year-old Lina Sardar Khil disappeared. The search for her has been hampered by Islamophobia.
Politics & Policy
June 28, 2022
Ten Years of Magical Thinking
Gilberto Hinojosa has led the Texas Democratic Party through a decade of failure. Some Democrats think that’s long enough.
Politics & Policy
June 27, 2022
The Rogue Court That Paved the Way for Roe’s Demise
The Fifth Circuit is led by four judges who got their start in Texas politics. For these activists, overturning the right to an abortion is only the beginning.
By
Michael Hall
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Politics & Policy
June 24, 2022
Freedom Is Now More Fragile in Texas
Democrats are bracing for attacks on contraception, in vitro fertilization, and other reproductive and sexual rights.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Politics & Policy
June 23, 2022
A Latina Republican Won in South Texas. So Did a Left-Leaning Latina Democrat.
Victories by Mayra Flores and Michelle Vallejo illustrate the complex crosscurrents at work as the Tejano vote grows and splinters.
Politics & Policy
June 20, 2022
Yes, the 2022 Texas GOP Platform Is Extreme. But Little of It Is New.
Observers cite the party’s convention as evidence that state Republicans have gone “full MAGA.” But if anything, MAGA folks are following Texas.
Politics & Policy
June 14, 2022
After Years of Victory Laps, the GOP Has Actually Won a Big South Texas Race
Mayra Flores won a special election to serve as the first Republican in the U.S. House from the Rio Grande Valley since 1871.
Politics & Policy
June 14, 2022
What Does the Senate’s Gun Safety Deal Mean for Texas?
John Cornyn helped wrangle other senators from both parties to advance a spate of provisions. But will the Texas Legislature follow his lead?
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
June 14, 2022
Farewell to the Last Frontier
For decades, Terlingua was a refuge for cowboys, wanderers, and weirdos. Now it’s an increasingly popular getaway for well-heeled urbanites.
Politics & Policy
June 10, 2022
When It Comes to Recounts, It’s Not Henry Cuellar’s First Rodeo
The nine-term U.S. congressman from Laredo first came to power after a bitterly contested recount that led some to call the election stolen.
Politics & Policy
June 8, 2022
Alex Jones’s Legal Meltdown
In a last-ditch bid to avoid paying massive damages to the Sandy Hook families he defamed, the Infowars host sought bankruptcy protection—and failed to win it.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
June 7, 2022
Greg Abbott Once Promised to End School Shootings, but After Uvalde His Tone Has Changed
After ten Texans were murdered at Santa Fe High School in 2018, the Legislature passed seventeen school safety bills. They didn’t work.
Politics & Policy
June 7, 2022
Louie’s Back, Baby! And He’s Got Some Very Specific Complaints.
Follow along with the latest sayings and doings of Louie Gohmert, the Republican congressman for Texas’s First Congressional District.
By
Dan Solomon
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Politics & Policy
June 6, 2022
Paul Burka’s Profile of Clinton Manges Exemplifies an Unrivaled Career
No one had a deeper understanding of Texas power—its heroes and villains, its uses and abuses—than Paul.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Politics & Policy
June 3, 2022
Making Sense of Greg Abbott’s Reaction to the Uvalde Shooting
The governor has long struggled with crisis management, in part because he always strives to avoid taking political risks.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Politics & Policy
June 1, 2022
How COVID Has Changed Homelessness in Texas
Pandemic relief funds provided a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” for homeless support programs. But what happens when the money dries up?
Politics & Policy
May 27, 2022
Most Texas Republican Politicians Avoided the NRA Convention in Houston. But Democrats Poured In.
John Cornyn and Dan Patrick pulled out after Uvalde. Greg Abbott appeared by video. As Ted Cruz spoke, Beto O’Rourke led a protest.