Health Care
Texas Expands Access to Medical Cannabis—But Advocates Say It’s Not Enough
Texas has one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country, leaving veterans like Viridiana Edwards struggling to manage chronic pain and PTSD.
This article was produced through the NPR NextGen/Texas Observer Print Scholars program, a new collaboration designed to offer mentorship and hands-on traini...Read More
In the Drill Zone, Children’s Health Is Looking Bleak
More than a decade ago, the U.S. made a big bet on natural gas as a path to reduced emissions and energy independence. But has that bet gone bad for communities—and the climate?
This story was produced by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. When Wanda Vincent looks out the windows of her day care center in Arlington, Tex...Read More
Editorial: Even ‘Turning Texas Blue’ Won’t Fix Us If We Don’t Face Some Hard Truths
This year has shown us that the way we care for one another, or for some and not others, isn’t about who we are as Democrats or Republicans but about what we believe as people.
From the May/June 2021 issue. “This is like the Hunger Games!” some version of this exclamation, often peppered with curse words and red-faced anger e...Read More
Portraits of the Pandemic: Part Two
One year in, we revisit Texans who shared their COVID-19 stories last summer.
By Texas Observer Staff Illustrations by John Jay Cabuay From the March/April 2021 issue. O ne year into the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Texans have now been...Read More
Editorial: Texas Wasn’t Prepared for the Statewide Vaccine Rush
My elderly parents’ experience getting the COVID-19 vaccine highlights problems with Texas’ overall pandemic response.
When my parents, Joe and Zelma Brockman, arrived at a Grand Prairie clinic for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, they were expecting a wait. They’d dr...Read More
COVID-19’s Deadly Toll on Texas Workers
As COVID-19 devastates workers unable to stay home, families are left struggling for justice.
Graveyard Shift As COVID-19 devastates workers unable to stay home, families are left struggling for justice. By Gus Bova January 18, 2021 From the January/Febr...Read More
COVID-19 Response has Been Starkly Different for Indigenous Communities in Texas
While coronavirus rates remain high, officials have taken unprecedented actions not found anywhere else in the state.
On March 23, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas issued its first stay-at-home order. In April, the tribe would restrict out-of-state travel, and in May, offic...Read More
After Sarah Davis’ Election Defeat, Texas Reproductive Health Advocates Worry About Losing a Powerful Republican Ally
Democrats hoped to turn the Texas House blue. Instead they flipped just one seat: the most moderate Republican and only one to support abortion rights.
It was a Friday night in May 2019 when a six-hour House debate over a reproductive health bill ended the relative calm of Texas’ last legislative session. The...Read More
For Families That Lost Loved Ones or Jobs to the Pandemic, Thanksgiving Carries an Extra Weight This Year
This year’s pandemic has brought untold suffering to families across Texas. Making things worse: At a time when they might take solace in the company of friends or family, public health authorities are urging them to stay apart.
This story was originally published by the Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans—and engages wit...Read More
How We Got Here
Texas’ health system has been underfunded, understaffed, and unprepared for years. Here, COVID-19 found the perfect place to spread.
Texas’ health system has been underfunded, understaffed, and unprepared for years. Here, COVID-19 found the perfect place to spread. By Sophie Novack November...Read More