An Inside Look at Taser Use in Texas Prison
The sound of electricity sizzling and crackling broke the silence. To me, it looked like the electric chair was officially back in the prisons.
Essays
70 Years of Skewering
The “magic dust” of adding funny drawings to words has been an important part of the Texas Observer.
Texas Exotic Hunts Are Dangerously Unregulated
Some hunting ranches in Texas routinely offer hunts of endangered or threatened exotic species. This should not be allowed.
Pregnant Workers’ Health and Livelihoods Face a New Threat
A Texas federal court has struck down a 2023 law creating protections for pregnant state workers based on its paltry costs.
Uninsured Country: Affordable Health Care Eludes Many Family Farmers and Ranchers
Americans who operate small family farms and ranches often cannot get adequate health care and insurance. A journalist who spent her summers on her family’s Texas ranch writes about family members’ struggles and the challenges rural residents face today.
Texas Mother-Daughter Books Are More a Shot of Whiskey than a Sip of Tea
Undoubtedly, mother-daughter relationships are as varied in the Lone Star State as anywhere else on the planet, but in my experience, Texas moms are tough.
Top 20 Stories From the Year We Nearly Went Under
After roaring back with an issue on women’s health, we exposed heat deaths at Tesla and USPS, went after Angela Paxton, and broke news on queer rights.
McCarthyism Rides Again at Texas Universities
A&M’s shameful treatment of Kathleen McElroy is the start of a backward-turning era for higher education.
On Making News
Renowned journalist Kathleen McElroy made headlines after Texas A&M University reneged on a high-profile job offer. She’s still processing that experience.
Impossibly Low Wages Hurt Community-Based Caregivers and Clients
Texas Health and Human Services Commission and legislators don’t stick up for disabled Texans and those who care for them.