Lina Hidalgo Had a Vision. Harris County Won’t See It.
Her anti-climactic exit from office caps a saga of waning power and growing discord. But what her rise once promised is worth remembering.
Featured Stories
The Latest
Nowhere to Go: Inside the Texas Boarding Home System Where Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Are Widespread
“There is no interest in safeguarding this population by those in control. If there were, they would do it.”
Essays ⋆
A Trip Through Willie Nelson’s Golf Course, His Unorthodox Rules, and His Uncertain Tribal Identity
My wife Monica and I had different reasons for journeying to Pedernales. She’s a fan. But our visit to Willie’s golf course was partly for my research on a book on Native-owned golf courses.
Remembering David Richards, 1933-2025
“If there’s anything good in Texas—academic freedom, labor, voting rights, education, politics—his litigation facilitated it.”
Petrochemical Expansion in Texas Will Fall Heavily on Communities of Color, Study Finds
Researchers in Houston analyzed the locations of 114 proposed industrial projects related to oil and gas in Texas, most of them involved in plastics production.
Politics ⋆
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.”
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Politics
Texas’ Top Voucher Vendor Taps Abbott Allies in Contract Bid, Program Rollout
The New York firm Odyssey is now running the state’s lucrative voucher scheme with a little help from the governor’s friends.
Why the City of Austin Wants Voters to Hike Their Property Taxes
And what Prop Q could mean for the future of local governments in Texas
‘Failures and Grift’: Gina Hinojosa Wants to Stop Greg Abbott from Making History
The five-term Austin state representative will wage an underdog campaign to deny the powerful Texas governor an unprecedented fourth term—and the chance to further entrench his “corruption.”
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
Jane Goodall, the Natural World, and Why I Track Skunks
Whenever I see one, I think: fashion show. Something from Chanel. A bit of art deco. That black and white aesthetic.
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November/December 2025
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