Free Tickets, Familiar Jokes, and an Unsettled Party Grasping for Unity—and a Fight
At the unusual midterm convention, Republicans pleaded with voters not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Donald Trump
The Texas Observer’s Best Features of 2018
Our favorite longreads of the year.
Border Congressman Makes Last-Minute Move to Save Butterfly Center, State Park, Chapel from Trump’s Wall
The three sites, all near the town of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley, are high on the government’s list for wall construction.
In South Texas, the Catholic Church vs. Trump’s Border Wall
A charismatic priest and the local diocese hope to save a 120-year-old chapel near the Rio Grande.
‘Damn Right, I’m a White Nationalist’ Declares Texas GOP Platform Committee Member
A connected tea party activist says white nationalism has nothing to do with race supremacy — it’s just part of Trump’s “America First” vision.
How Climate Change Is Driving Central American Migrants to the United States
In the poor, violent Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, worsening floods, drought and storms are pushing a growing number of migrants north.
Dear Beto and Julián, Please Don’t Run for President
Most failed presidential campaigns are high-risk bids for personal glory and a waste of time and money.
Trump Administration Report: Climate Change Is Hurting Texas
If greenhouse gasses aren’t curbed, the Texas economy will likely face devastating consequences from climate change.
Border Residents Protest Trump’s Wall in Hidalgo County
Activists and landowners called on Rio Grande Valley residents to resist construction of a wall and protect property rights and wildlife.
Texas is a Purple State Now. The Proof is in Last Night’s Results.
Tuesday’s midterm was the best election result for Texas Democrats since at least 1994, and gives a lot of reasons to think that something has meaningfully changed in this state.