How the Texas Legislature Reached a Dangerous Stalemate on Vaccines
Even as outbreaks of preventable diseases worry public health officials, anti-vaccination activists blocked legislation to address the problem.
Alex Hannaford
Articles by Alex Hannaford
Texas’ Failure on Birth-Certificate Gender Changes Is an International Problem
Texas, along with Iran, China and North Korea, is blacklisted by the U.K. for its undefined process for transgender people to change birth certificates.
No Exit
Under Texas' harsh sentencing laws, people convicted of relatively minor crimes — such as stealing a sandwich — can get life in prison.
Feathering Their Nest
A Cottonwood family resurrects the once-hot business of raising ostriches.
Above the Law
Pamela Elliott was the new sheriff in town. But instead of law and order, she brought chaos.
‘Refugees Are Victims of the Very Thing You Are Afraid Of’
Despite an uncertain welcome in Texas, these Syrian families are trying to rebuild their lives after fleeing civil unrest and violence half a world away.
Letters from Death Row: The Biology of Trauma
New studies show that trauma biologically alters the brains of young boys in ways that affect their adult behavior.
Letters from Death Row: Faith Behind Bars
An informal Observer survey finds complex religious beliefs among death row inmates.
Letters from Death Row: Alone on the Inside
In an informal Observer survey, death row inmates describe a world of extreme isolation, where mental illness is both cause and symptom.