Editorial
A Time for Radical Thinking
As a Son of Slaves and the Confederacy, I Implore Governor Abbott to Remove the Capitol’s Deceitful Plaque
Heritage is the word most often given for the celebration of Confederate monuments. But my heritage must also be respected.
In 1837, my white great-great-great-grandfather bought my black great-great-great-grandmother for $800. In 1871, his son — the half-brother of her son — bec...Read More
After Years of Working with ‘Ritmo’ Detainees, I Know the Inhumane Facility Doesn’t Deserve a Second Chance
A facility with such horrible history should not be allowed to reopen under the same management.
The news that Management & Training Corporation (MTC) plans on reopening its detention center to house immigrants for the Trump administration in Raymondvil...Read More
As a Pediatrician, I Know There’s No Way to Jail Migrant Families Without Hurting Kids
If we really care about migrant kids, we can’t stop at ending the obvious atrocity of family separation at the border.
In my daily life as a pediatrician, I sometimes care for kids who have been removed from their homes — just the day before, or even that same day — by Child...Read More
It’s Time to Decriminalize Immigration
Congress should repeal the law that allows for kids to be ripped away from parents and for migrants to be criminalized en masse at the border.
This week, the news has been dominated by horrifying scenes from the border of children being ripped apart from their parents who the federal government is crim...Read More
Militarization of Texas-Mexico Border a Sign of Complacency, but Not From Border Residents
You can come back to Brownsville, but be ready to put in some work.
Earlier this week, the Observer published a piece by Domingo Martinez titled, “I Grew Up on the Texas-Mexico Border, but Now I Barely Recognize It.” Martine...Read More
Meet the Oil-Friendly Federal Panel that Could Give Drillers a Sweetheart Deal
Will a state rep with industry ties go to bat for energy titans or everyday Texans?
Meet the Oil-Friendly Federal Panel that Could Give Drillers a Sweetheart Deal Will a state rep with industry ties go to bat for energy titans or everyday Texan...Read More
Could Austin’s Paid Sick Leave Victory Be the Start of a Progressive Labor Movement in Texas?
Progressive activists can take a lesson from Austin’s paid sick leave campaign, which succeeded in part because it reached people typically excluded from politics.
In my nearly three years covering city government in Austin, I’ve seen a lot of big crowds show up at City Hall. But the hundreds who showed up last Thursday ...Read More
Four Things to Watch as Election 2018 Gets Underway in Texas
Above all, this is a time for nutty, weird politics.
We have extremely bad news for you: It’s election season again. It has been a year filled with too much Politics, but more is coming, and will keep coming, ad...Read More
Something Yuuuge was Missing From Franklin Graham’s Waco Revival
At a Waco rally, evangelist Franklin Graham signaled rock-solid support for the GOP agenda. But support for President Trump? Maybe not so much.
In mid-October, evangelist Franklin Graham and his “Decision Texas” entourage stopped off at Baylor University in Waco, mainly to bring souls to Jesus but a...Read More