Gus Bova
By Gus Bova:
Who Are the People Still Marching for Trump in Texas?
At a march in Austin, an odd coalition of out-of-staters, white supremacists and the ordinary supporters who maintain his GOP approval ratings.
More than a year into Donald Trump’s scandal-plagued tenure, what sort of person would show up to march in the streets in support of the president? On a Saturday in early March in deep-blue Austin, the answer was a menagerie … Read More
State’s SB 4 Complaint System Filled with Rants of ‘Illegals’ and ‘Thugs’
Lawmakers and attorneys challenging the “sanctuary cities” ban say the complaints show the law has inflamed anti-immigrant prejudice and wasted taxpayer dollars.
Ever since Texas’s “sanctuary cities” ban was first proposed in late 2016, the measure’s Republican backers have painted it as a public safety measure targeting criminals — without racist or anti-immigrant intent. But records obtained by the Observer reveal that … Read More
How Ken Paxton, Twitter Celebs and National Media Botched Coverage of the Austin Bombings
As details about the bomber continue to emerge, it’s worth examining who kept us grounded in facts during the explosive saga, and who led us astray.
Mark Conditt, suspect in the series of bombings that rocked Texas’ Capital city over the last few weeks, is dead. The 23-year-old’s alleged campaign included at least six explosions that killed two and wounded five. His death — self-inflicted by … Read More
Asylum-Seeker’s Release Shows Activists Can Win Under Trump’s ICE
But it ain’t easy.
It took more than four months, a bombardment of letters and calls and protests, an FBI investigation, a federal lawsuit and the intervention of at least 46 members of Congress — but Laura Monterrosa, a 23-year-old Salvadoran asylum-seeker who alleged … Read More
Medicare for Y’all: Meet the Socialist Metalhead Stumping for Single-Payer
Timothy Faust is touring the country promoting health care reform with a mix of impassioned f-bombs and unrepentant eggheadedness.
Timothy Faust, a 29-year-old socialist metalhead, isn’t your typical health care policy wonk. Sporting shoulder-length hair, a bandana and a Lone Star flag tattoo on his arm, Faust is neither a medical professional, a lawmaker nor an academic. But the … Read More
‘Alt-Right: Age of Rage’ Is a Thoughtful Ode to Anti-Fascism
At SXSW, a new documentary dissects the ideology of those who battle the alt-right with as much precision as it exposes the hate of Richard Spencer and his ilk.
It’s August 12, 2017. We’re in the immediate aftermath of the deadly far-right rally in Charlottesville. We see police lights, caution tape, smashed-up cars and Daryle Lamont Jenkins. A 49-year-old anti-fascist activist from Philadelphia, Jenkins sits on a concrete bench … Read More
Mixed Results for Berniecrats in Texas
It wasn’t a bad thing to be a Berniecrat candidate in the Texas Democratic primaries this year – but it wasn't a great thing, either.
UPDATE: A handful of candidates have been added to the list. It wasn’t a bad thing to be a Berniecrat candidate in the Texas Democratic primaries this year. Not that it was a great thing — but it definitely wasn’t … Read More
‘Guerrilla Warfare’: A Long-Shot Campaign to Unseat Brownsville’s 17-term State Rep
René Oliveira faces two challengers in the Democratic primary this year. One is counting on poor people, an anti-corruption message and 20-hour days to see him through.
In a parking lot next to a middle school in one of Brownsville’s poorest neighborhoods, Arturo Alonzo steps out of his beat-up 2010 Dodge Nitro, lights a Marlboro Red and starts talking. On a Saturday morning, five young volunteers have … Read More
The ‘Liberty-Loving Latino’ Who Uses Talk Radio to Make Texas Great Again
"As a Latino American I want American citizens to be put first; all immigration should be halted until this government takes seriously the threat of illegal immigration."
Editor’s note: With the far right ascendant in Texas politics, once-marginal ideas and people have found a place in the political mainstream. Our recurring Fringe Factor series is an introduction to the often-unknown, but influential activists, thinkers and operatives who play a … Read More