A Light the Darkness Cannot Extinguish
At the close of an awful year, a religion scholar offers reflections on resisting despair in dark times, for the religious and non-religious alike.
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Labor ⋆
At the Texas AFL-CIO, a Changing of the Guard in a Time of Growth
“No one has done more than Rick Levy for the modern-day labor movement in Texas.”
Under Operation Lone Star, Texas State Police More than Doubled Their Drone Fleet
The Department of Public Safety has acquired an army of unmanned aerial vehicles—nearly as large as the U.S. Border Patrol’s.
Politics ⋆
Everyone Knows Jasmine Crockett. Could That Be a Good Thing?
Her critics would prefer a lesser-known candidate who can concoct a bipartisan pitch. But the Dallas congresswoman believes she’s starting “on second or third base.”
Mirando hacia el futuro: Los combustibles fósiles en el Valle del Río Grande
Mientras el sur de Texas se prepara para su primera instalación de exportación de gas, comunidades alrededor de la costa del golfo ofrecen relatos de advertencia.
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Politics
Ex-Con Congressman Attempts a Texas Comeback
Steve Stockman, the felonious GOP politician, wants to return to Washington with a bid for a newly gerrymandered Houston-area district.
With Primary Field Still in Flux, James Talarico Pitches His Big Tent Revival
“I’m not interested in tearing down my fellow Democrats, because we are all on the same team … but I think that I’ve got a compelling case to make.”
In Tarrant County, a Grassroots Coalition Pushes Back on Christian Nationalists
The GOP’s recent redistricting of the county commissioners court has galvanized progressive organizers heading into 2026.
Border and Immigration
The High Cost of Targeting International Students in Texas
The Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions are derailing the academic dreams of students who carry out important research—and sometimes pay hefty tuition—to attend Texas institutions.
Prosecutors Drop Only Criminal Cases from Hays County Airbnb Raid
Pending drug charges have been abandoned from the multi-agency April operation that supposedly targeted Tren de Aragua and led to multiple deportations.
Texas Turns Its Sprawling State Police Force Into Immigration Agents for Trump
The notorious 287(g) task force program has finally reached DPS, raising fears of widespread racial profiling.
Culture
‘Mija, Solamente Me Importa Clint’
A daughter’s attempts to help her elderly father understand why his hometown doesn’t look like home anymore
At Barton Springs, Trans Existence Becomes Resistance
Following a transphobic incident earlier this year, community members gathered to “protect trans joy.”
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January/February 2026
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