Medicine
June 14, 2023
Plasma Donation Is a Bloody Business at the Border
Thousands of Mexicans routinely cross into Texas to sell their vital bodily fluids for cash. Is that arrangement symbiotic—or exploitative?
Brownsville
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Critters
April 3, 2023
All the Ways Ben the Bear Is Plotting to Bust Out of the Brownsville Zoo
A serial escape artist, he’s coming to Texas after the Saint Louis Zoo couldn’t handle his wily ways.
Style & Design
March 24, 2023
They’re Not Pajamas. They’re Sleepwear, and These Texas Brands Are Doing Them Right
These homegrown designers see no reason not to look cute while you snooze.
Being Texan
March 9, 2023
At Brownsville’s Annual Grito Contest, It’s All About Yelling Your Heart Out
Every year, residents of the Texas border city compete to see who can give the best scream.
Tacos
February 9, 2023
The Rio Grande Valley Taco Trail
Where to find the region's specialties, from mammoth breakfast tacos to old-school barbacoa.
The Stand Up Desk
January 27, 2023
An Author Believed Elon Musk Would Benefit Brownsville. Not Anymore.
National Book Award finalist Domingo Martinez was optimistic about Musk and SpaceX in 2016. Now, he says, “it feels like we sold our souls.”
Tacos
January 24, 2023
This Mexican Border City’s Signature Taco Is Best Devoured In Two Bites
In the Mexican city near Brownsville, tacos with various cuts and preparations of beef stand out, including tacos estilo Matamoros.
Books
January 18, 2023
Brownsville’s New Independent Bookstore Is an Oasis in the Desert
Búho, opening in the historic district, is one element in the revitalization of the border town.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The U.S.-Mexico Border Is Not Just a Line on a Map
As a child, I experienced the boundary between Texas and Mexico as its own distinct place. Now I know why.
Texas Country Reporter
July 20, 2022
A Visit to Vera’s, the Last Bastion of Barbacoa de Cabeza
An interview with Armando Vera in Brownsville, who owns the only restaurant in Texas to offer traditional, buried-in-the-ground, coal-smoked barbacoa.
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.
Meanwhile, in Texas
April 9, 2022
Meanwhile, in Texas: A Bat Disrupted a Showing of ‘The Batman’
Plus, authorities seized 31 pets from an animal hoarder, and two MMA fighters wrested away a shooter's weapon.
Politics & Policy
April 6, 2022
A Democratic Congressman’s Gift to the GOP
By chasing an early retirement and triggering a special election, veteran Rep. Filemon Vela of Brownsville has opened up a big opportunity for Republican candidate Mayra Flores.
Texas Country Reporter
March 18, 2022
This Costumed Brownsville Historian Will Warm Your Heart
Gene Fernandez has an outfit for every story, but his infectious love for local history is the star of the show.
Tacos
February 17, 2022
Don’t Panic Over the Avocado Embargo
After a death threat on a U.S. official halted the importation of Mexican avocados this week, restaurants and grocers remain optimistic.
Politics & Policy
February 11, 2022
In a Newly Competitive South Texas, Democrats Are Clashing Over the Best Way Forward
The race to replace state senator Eddie Lucio Jr. features four candidates, each with a competing vision for the future of their party.
Business
December 27, 2021
Will Elon Musk Austin-ify Brownsville?
Some folks in Texas's poorest city see a new downtown mural funded by the billionaire's foundation as the writing on the wall.
Politics & Policy
December 9, 2021
Texas Election Officials Went Looking for Illegal Voters. They Found Some U.S. Citizens.
Nearly 12,000 registered voters have received letters demanding proof of citizenship as part of Texas’s newest effort at “voter list maintenance.”
Style & Design
November 9, 2021
How a Texan’s Jewelry Line Attracted Celeb Fans From J-Lo to Gwyneth Paltrow
Brownsville native Beth Bugdaycay takes the concept of a good luck charm to a whole other level with her Foundrae line of handmade gold chains, medallions, and more.
Food & Drink
October 13, 2021
Five Texas Eateries Are on the 2021 ‘New York Times’ Favorite Restaurants List
Selections from Brownsville, San Antonio, Bellaire, and more showcase the wide variety of vibrant foods in the Lone Star State.
Film & TV
April 6, 2021
Sesame Street’s Newest Muppet Is Played by a 22-Year-Old Texan
As a kid in Brownsville, Bradley Freeman Jr. taught himself puppeteering. Now he’s educating preschoolers about race through his role on the beloved PBS show.
Energy
March 31, 2021
America’s Offshore Wind-Powered Future Begins in a Texas Shipyard
In announcing an ambitious renewable-energy push this week, the Biden administration highlighted a vessel under construction in Brownsville as proof of the economic opportunities of going green.
Food
March 8, 2021
“A Matter of Life and Death”: Latino Food Workers Are Terrified as COVID-19 Restrictions End
They fear that the end of the mask mandate and the influx of spring break crowds is a recipe for danger.
Style & Design
March 3, 2021
This Queer Modeling Agency Is Serving Looks and Creating Opportunity in Brownsville
Founded by Fish Fiorucci, Lady Gaga’s former muse, the f10 modeling agency is focused on building a fashion community in the Rio Grande Valley.
Tacos
December 10, 2020
Gas Station Tacos Aren’t What You Think
We set the record straight and offer several favorite options to fill your belly while fueling up your tank.
Health
December 2, 2020
This ER Doctor and Brownsville Native Is Advising Biden’s COVID-19 Response
Robert Rodriguez tended to patients in the Rio Grande Valley as cases surged last summer, and he’s taken that experience to serving on the president-elect’s pandemic task force.
Travel & Outdoors
October 30, 2020
Tour de Texas: I Just Biked Around the Entire State
I finished my crazy adventure after two months, circumnavigating Texas—all 3,000-plus miles—by bicycle.
Politics & Policy
October 8, 2020
In the Shadow of the Border Wall, Rio Grande Valley ‘Dragtivists’ Fight for Equality
South Texas queens who put on a wig, makeup, and heels are rebelling against a culture that has long been steeped in machismo.
Music
July 31, 2020
Charley Crockett Wrote Songs About Hard Times in America. Then 2020 Happened.
On his latest album, the Texan country musician sings of endurance within a fraught system.
Tacos
May 19, 2020
Taco of the Week: Bistek at Taqueria El Ultimo Taco
This taco is so beloved that it was part of a thorny trademark dispute.
Tacos
May 14, 2020
Taco News Roundup: Restaurant Reopenings, Representation (or a Lack Thereof), and a Taco Robot
Plus: the history of Sweden's “Taco Friday.”
BBQ
April 15, 2020
BBQ News Roundup: Where to Find Takeout, Who Is Giving Back, and Which Places Are Closed for Now.
Plus: They're back! Joints that have reopened in some capacity.
Border & Immigration
April 9, 2020
A Minister on the Border Tries to Keep Despair at Bay
There are about 2,000 migrants in the camp now. It changes every day—20 new families arrive, then 40 leave. Two months ago, the government made everyone move from the plaza—a park near the bridge—to the river bank. They were
Tacos
March 19, 2020
How to Support Your Favorite Taquerias and Mexican Restaurants
Show your local joints some taco love during this crisis. They need it.
Tacos
March 17, 2020
Taco of the Week: Sirloin al Pastor at El Fogón Tacos & Beer
Among the Brownsville taqueria's impressive array of tacos is one using tender beef from a trompo.
BBQ
February 19, 2020
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que Named an American Classic by James Beard Foundation
The 65-year-old Brownsville restaurant specializes in traditional underground pit-smoked cows’ heads.
Being Texan
January 22, 2020
A Snowball’s Chance in South Texas
The Wall Street Journal investigates what happened to the snowballs people froze after a historic 2004 snowfall.
Border & Immigration
December 18, 2019
The Best Things in Texas: The New Freedom Riders
Volunteers from across Texas, the U.S., and abroad have been making the trek to the border to help immigrants trapped in legal limbo.
Tacos
November 19, 2019
Taco of the Week: Machacado con Huevo a la Mexicana at Sylvia’s
The tortillas de harina at this Brownsville restaurant are amazing, but just one is more than enough.
Border & Immigration
September 19, 2019
The Angry Tías y Abuelas Are Feeding and Fighting for Asylum Seekers at the Border
Situated on the frontlines of the immigration crisis, the Angry Tias y Abuelas group acts as the eyes and ears of the border.
Travel & Outdoors
September 18, 2019
Rich With History, Brownsville Steps Into the Future
A revitalized downtown and a new network of hiking, biking, and paddling trails add to the appeal of this border town by the beach.
Border & Immigration
September 17, 2019
Migrants Stuck in Squalid Mexican Tent Camps Begin Asylum Process
At hearings in tent courtrooms this week, migrant families were confused and fearful about their prospects.
Border & Immigration
September 12, 2019
The Trump Administration Is Blocking the Public From Attending Asylum Hearings in Brownsville
On the first day of “return to Mexico” hearings, attorneys and journalists were turned away from the tent courtrooms where the hearings are taking place.
Art
August 27, 2019
‘We Exist, We Have Voices, We Have Stories’: A New Festival Confronts the Borderland’s Complexity
Art and activism intersected at the Rio Grande Valley’s first Encuentro en la Frontera.
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.
Food & Drink
May 22, 2017
The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas
Welcome to the golden age of Texas barbecue.
Border & Immigration
April 19, 2017
The Urban Pileup Effect of NAFTA
An economic boom in Mexican cities bordering Texas has created an "urban pileup effect." Here's what that looks like.
Being Texan
April 19, 2017
What Wall?
How a civic-minded, cowboy-themed party came to represent an identity that’s not so easily split.
Sports
January 15, 2017
How “America’s Team” Became South Texas’s Team
Why Mexican Americans love the Dallas Cowboys.
Travel & Outdoors
September 29, 2016
A Border Wall to Unite, Not Divide
On the campus of the Orange Show, in Houston, is a new three-dimensional immersive folk art experience that’s a whimsical explosion of colors, textures, and community spirit.