Hannah McBride
By Hannah McBride:
Blackface Photos Spark Controversy Over Racism at Houston High School
White students say peers who painted their faces black and Snapchatted a photo with the caption "Black niggas" aren't racist, but rather wearing "shadow." Read More
Austin Poised to ‘Ban the Box’
The City Council is expected to approve a jobs ordinance that will push conversations about felony convictions later in the hiring process.
The City Council is expected to approve a jobs ordinance that will push conversations about felony convictions later in the hiring process. Read More
‘Tower’ Animates America’s First Mass School Shooting
As Texans hotly debate the impact of looser gun restrictions, the new documentary 'Tower' looks back at one of the first mass shootings in the country. Read More
Will Texas Turn Green? Pot Panelists Say the State Is Ready
At SXSW, advocates say Texas lawmakers could add some financial cushioning to the budget by legalizing — and taxing — marijuana.
At SXSW, advocates say Texas lawmakers could add some financial cushioning to the budget by legalizing — and taxing — marijuana. Read More
Austin Improv Show Gets Serious on Social Issues
Improvisers take on race, gender and cultural prejudice in a new sell-out show that satirizes the "white savior" genre of do-gooder films. Read More
Years After Voter ID Law, Alternative IDs Confuse Texas County Officials
Critics say rarely issued election identification certificates are more 'illusion' than 'remedy.'
After calling dozens of counties, the Observer found that many state employees don't know how to get Texans the alternative voter IDs the law allows them. Read More
Texas to Offer GED Alternatives After Test Costs Triple
The State Board of Education voted to implement two new GED alternatives in the spirit of "free enterprise," after a for-profit company tripled GED costs. Read More
The Year in Disasters: Fracking, Fires and Floods
In 2015, we didn't have to fear acts of God — our disasters, fueled by climate change, were man-made.
Climatologists and other experts note that these cycles of heavy rain and intense drought are linked to climate change, which at this point is undoubtedly human-driven — no matter what billionaire coal miners say. Here’s a roundup of the damage our unique combination of human ingenuity and greed did to Texas, our Texas, this year. Read More
Postcard from the Incredible Electric Oyster Reef
Scientists hope to heal Corpus Christi's troubled waters.
Now, just offshore from the edge of the university’s campus, a Texas A&M project is underway to turn back the impact of time and development. A few feet under the water in Corpus Christi Bay is a grid made of thin steel bars, or rebar, and attached to it are solar panels, their poles planted underneath the waves. Read More