The Texas Observer

End of an Error
by Tom Zoellner
Apr 27, 2015
East of Brownsville, an unassuming patch of ground hosted the final, pointless battle of the Civil War. Full Story
A House Divided
by Patrick Michels
Apr 20, 2015
A generation after Texas legalized home schooling, a new crop of leaders fights for the booming education movement's future. Full Story
West, Texas Blues
by Kelsey Jukam and Forrest Wilder
Apr 17, 2015
Two years after the West fertilizer plant disaster, few ammonium nitrate facilities have made critical changes. Full Story
The Lite Guv and the Frack Master
by Steven Bodzin
Apr 07, 2015
The man who calls himself the Frack Master has become the media's go-to Texas voice in favor of fracking, but it wasn't until he got involved in politics that his profile really started to rise. Full Story

Multimedia

Eye on Texas: UT-Austin’s Petawatt Laser
by Texas Observer Staff
Apr 27, 2015
Once the most powerful laser in the world, the Texas Petawatt Laser lies beneath the University of Texas, and continues to awe scientists around the world. Full Story
State of Texas: How Truancy Is Turning Kids into Criminals
by Forrest Wilder
Apr 24, 2015
The truancy system in Texas proves that sometimes the best intentions have the worst consequences. A law designed to keep kids in school is now responsible for keeping them out. Full Story
State of Texas: Taking Stock of Prison Reform
by Patrick Michels and Forrest Wilder
Apr 14, 2015
While criminal justice reform efforts in Texas have gotten lots of positive press, incarceration trends are complex. Full Story
State of Texas: Government by the Few
by Kelsey Jukam and Patrick Michels
Mar 16, 2015
Texas is an incredibly diverse state, but you can't say the same for the Texas Legislature. Full Story
Eye on Texas: Coonhounds in Central Texas
by Brandon Thibodeaux
Mar 03, 2015
Farmers who once hunted raccoons for the supplemental income their pelts brought were among their few natural predators, and they're hunted now mainly for sport. Full Story