Energy
May 8, 2023
The Texas GOP’s War on Renewable Energy
What’s behind the Legislature’s relentless campaign against wind and solar power, which are saving Texans billions?
By Russell Gold![Russell Gold's Profile Photo]()
News & Politics
News & Politics
May 8, 2023
A Driver Crashed Into Pedestrians Outside a Brownsville Migrant Shelter. Eight People Were Killed.
Police have detained the driver but are still investigating whether the crash was intentional or accidental.
Uvalde
May 7, 2023
Amor Eterno
One year ago, before the school shooting in Uvalde, Kimberly Mata-Rubio had never been on a plane or given a public speech or scolded a U.S. senator right there in his office. A year in the life of a grieving mother.
Politics & Policy
May 5, 2023
Does a “Family Values” Agenda Include Keeping New Moms Healthy?
Progressive faith leaders and women’s health advocates are adopting the messaging to push for a 12-month Medicaid extension for postpartum care.
Business
May 3, 2023
It’s No Surprise SpaceX Blows Up Rockets in Texas. That’s Why It Came Here.
Environmentalists have filed a suit looking to block Elon Musk’s company from doing what state leaders invited him to do at Boca Chica.
Politics & Policy
May 2, 2023
Who Is Colin Allred, the U.S. Rep Planning to Take on Ted Cruz?
The former Baylor linebacker and NFL player has won the last three elections in his Dallas congressional district.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
News & Politics
May 1, 2023
Reality Check: There’s Almost Certainly No Serial Killer in Austin
What began as a baseless theory has turned into a social media frenzy, with the power to frighten the public and hamper police investigations.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
News & Politics
May 1, 2023
The Search Continues for the Texas Gunman Who Killed 5 Neighbors in San Jacinto County
In the face of mass shootings in Texas, state leaders have made it easier to access guns.
Texas History
April 27, 2023
Why These Ugly, Abandoned Longview Homes May Be Worth Saving
Behind the run-down exteriors of these concrete houses lies the story of an East Texas innovator and his one-of-a-kind machine.
News & Politics
April 27, 2023
One Aspiring Mother’s Nightmare in Post-Roe Texas
After learning that their long-awaited baby wouldn’t survive childbirth, two parents suffered the pain of finding maternal health care out of state.
Politics & Policy
April 25, 2023
For Texas’s Antiabortion Movement, the Chilling Effect Is Working
While extremely limited, avenues for abortion access exist in Texas. That’s where fear tactics from antiabortion activists come into play.
By Mimi Swartz![Mimi Swartz's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 25, 2023
Dan Patrick Tries Out a Trumpy Nickname for Texas Speaker Dade Phelan
Amid a debate over competing property tax–relief plans, the lieutenant governor isn’t holding back. But is “California Dade” a good insult?
By Forrest Wilder![Forrest Wilder's Profile Photo]()
![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 21, 2023
Sex, Threats, and Late-Night Phone Calls: The Allegations From Inside Jolanda Jones’s Legislative Office
Last month, the entire full-time staff of the state representative from Houston resigned. They broke their silence to tell Texas Monthly their story.
Politics & Policy
April 20, 2023
Texas Secessionists Rail Against Censorship. Now One Is Suing a Republican Lawmaker for Calling Her Treasonous.
A right-wing First Amendment lawyer is representing a plaintiff suing representative Jeff Leach of Plano for harsh tweets about a TEXIT backer.
By Ben Rowen![Ben Rowen's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 19, 2023
“Our Resolve Has Never Been Stronger”: The Relatives of Uvalde Victims Advocate for Gun Control in the Lege
Families of Texas mass shooting victims waited more than twelve hours to testify on a bill that would raise the age to purchase certain guns.
Politics & Policy
April 14, 2023
Cruz Watch: The Senator Attempts to Dunk on Pop
Our man picks a fight with a San Antonio icon. Maybe they should settle this on the court—or in the 2024 election?
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
![Ben Rowen's Profile Photo]()
Business
April 14, 2023
Buying a Home in Texas Often Requires Outbidding Big-Money Investors
A pair of bills at the Lege seek to help Texans compete for real estate against these deep-pocketed companies.
Politics & Policy
April 13, 2023
Texas Cattlemen Have Taken Their Beef With Cell-Cultured Meat to the Lege
Scientists have figured out how to grow meat in a lab. Cattle farmers insist it’s not the real thing.
Politics & Policy
April 12, 2023
San Antonio’s ‘Justice Charter’ Vote Is Another Fight Between State Power and Home Rule
In a post-Roe Texas, cities such as San Antonio have tried to protect reproductive health care—but a state government big on preemption has other plans.
The Stand Up Desk
April 12, 2023
Behind the Scenes of Our Lively New Hotel Package
Meet Texas Monthly executive editor (and travel and lifestyle guru) Kathy Blackwell.
By Dan Goodgame![Dan Goodgame's Profile Photo]()
The Stand Up Desk
April 12, 2023
Roar of the Crowd: May 2023
Reader letters published in our May 2023 issue.
Politics & Policy
April 12, 2023
In Texas, You Can Rent a Machine Gun for the Price of Dinner
Customers “tell me it’s better than therapy, actually, and cheaper, too,” said a trainer at one rental facility.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 11, 2023
Now That He’s Ruled on the Abortion Pill, What Will Judge Kacsmaryk Do Next?
Coming up on the docket of Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Amarillo judge: cases involving ESG investing, press freedoms, and workplace harassment.
Politics & Policy
April 10, 2023
One Angry Man
Governor Greg Abbott wants to overrule a jury’s conviction of Daniel Perry, who murdered a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Politics & Policy
April 7, 2023
A Federal Judge in Amarillo Just Suspended Approval of a Key Drug Used in Medication Abortions. But the Situation Is Complicated.
The unprecedented move means that access to abortion across the country could, in some ways, be restricted like it is in Texas.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 7, 2023
As Lawmakers Turn Their Sights on Drag Shows, LGBTQ Spaces Have Been Disappearing Across Texas for Decades
There are fewer gay bars in Texas today than there were in the eighties. Owners of those that remain say they aren’t going anywhere.
Politics & Policy
April 6, 2023
What Does a Legislative Troll Look Like, and What Happens When He’s Absent?
Update: An ethics complaint against Representative Bryan Slaton, who skipped the session’s most consequential debate, has been filed alleging an “inappropriate relationship.”
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
April 4, 2023
Texas Has Declared War on Fentanyl. Drug Experts Say It’s Making the Same Old Mistakes.
Fentanyl killed more than 5,000 Texans last year. The Legislature is taking the epidemic seriously, but first responders and policy experts are skeptical.
Health
April 3, 2023
These Tiny Beads May Offer Big Hope to Ovarian Cancer Patients
A Rice University bioengineer’s mini “drug factories” could save thousands of lives.
Politics & Policy
March 31, 2023
Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, and Ken Paxton All Invoked George Soros in Denouncing Trump’s Indictment. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
The Jewish billionaire has long been the target of antisemitic attacks from the far right. What are Republican leaders signaling when they single him out as the main force behind the former president’s woes?
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 30, 2023
How Texas Drag Queen Brigitte Bandit Exposed the Absurdity of Proposals to Criminalize Drag Performers and Shows
This week, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs advanced two bills that would criminalize many drag performances. The bills, both filed by Republican Bryan Hughes of Mineola, take aim at men or women who use “clothing, makeup, or other similar physical markers” to “exhibit” as
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 30, 2023
The Lege Could Unravel a Hard-Fought Patchwork of Protections Against Predatory Payday Lending
In the ongoing push to preempt progressive policies at the local level, the GOP-controlled Legislature could undo protections against predatory payday lending.
Health
March 30, 2023
A Lifeline for Rural Texas Hospitals Comes With Strings Attached
Federal help could keep facilities open in several small towns, but they'll be forced to cut back to offering only emergency care.
Politics & Policy
March 30, 2023
Biden’s Buggy Asylum App Doesn’t Work for Refugees—but It Serves His Political Interests
The administration’s new border policy has slowed the flow of asylum seekers, while frustrating those who are trying to follow the rules.
The Stand Up Desk
March 29, 2023
March 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn?
You’ve had all month to read the latest issue of Texas Monthly. Take this monthly quiz and we’ll tell you how you stack up at the end.And if you got this quiz from a friend: Hello! We hope you enjoy it. If you do: become a subscriber today, and we’ll send
Politics & Policy
March 29, 2023
“It Smells of Despair”: What’s Going On Inside the Harris County Jail?
After 28 men and women died in custody last year, officials are throwing money at the overcrowded facility. Advocates for inmates say reforms are needed.
Politics & Policy
March 28, 2023
Texas’s Tampon Tax Has Contributed to Widespread Period Poverty. Is the Lege Finally Ready to Repeal It?
Menstrual products are subject to a sales tax, and Democrat Donna Howard has tried to change that since 2017. With support from powerful Republicans, this could be the year.
Border & Immigration
March 28, 2023
A Fire in Juárez Killed Dozens of Migrants, Some Fleeing Danger en Route to Texas
It’s not yet clear what caused the fire at a migrant center near El Paso that claimed 39 lives and injured 29 men.
News & Politics
March 28, 2023
Forty Years Later, Wrongfully Convicted James Reyos Has Another Day in Court
Those in the office that prosecuted him agree the soft-spoken Native American did not murder a priest back in 1981. His case is back before a district court judge.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 27, 2023
In Waco, Donald Trump Parties Like It’s 1993
The rhetoric at the former president’s rally hearkened back to the fringe, anti-government messaging of the nineties Texas right wing.
Politics & Policy
March 24, 2023
Why Is Donald Trump Kicking Off His 2024 Campaign in Waco?
During the thirtieth anniversary of the Branch Davidian tragedy, no less.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 23, 2023
Fearing That State Leaders Want Them “Eradicated,” Some Transgender Texans Embrace Firearms
As lawmakers consider bills targeting their livelihoods, queer Texans say more members of their community intend to defend themselves.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 23, 2023
The New Streets of Laredo
As state politicians focus on danger and cartel violence, the border town's downtown is undergoing a renaissance.
Politics & Policy
March 22, 2023
Loathsome Dud: Jared Patterson’s School-Library Bill Would Ban Larry McMurtry’s Novel
The lawmaker from Frisco has rallied right-wingers by promising to remove “sexually explicit” books from shelves. But he may lose them by targeting a beloved Texan classic.
Politics & Policy
March 22, 2023
Texas Jails Are Crowded, Understaffed, and Dangerous. The Legislature Is Poised to Send Them More Inmates.
Two bipartisan bills would make it easier for judges to incarcerate defendants before trial. Criminologists say that’s bad for public safety.
Politics & Policy
March 21, 2023
A Republican Lawmaker Wants (Certain) Texans to Have a Lot More Babies
Taking a cue from authoritarian leaders, state representative Bryan Slaton has proposed property tax relief for some large families. White, straight, property-owning couples would be the primary beneficiaries.
Business
March 20, 2023
The GameStop Generation Would Like Some Respect
Long before it became a meme stock, the Grapevine-based video game retailer lodged itself in the hearts of a generation entranced by the storytelling it found inside those plastic boxes.
Business
March 20, 2023
Can SpaceX Rocket Past Mattress Mack in Our Brand Bracket?
The tech titan and the furniture maven are more alike than you may think.
Business
March 20, 2023
The Ice Chests Cometh: How Igloo and Yeti Defined Texas Cold
The coolers we keep say something real about the state we’re in.
News & Politics
March 17, 2023
Matamoros Was Once Relatively Safe for Texans. That Seems to Be Changing.
The recent kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in the Mexican border city appears to mark the end of a period of relative peace.