Human Rights
Why Dallas is One of the Few Places Killer Cops Could be Held Accountable
After Five Years in Exile, Mexican Journalist Fears He’ll Never Be Able to Go Home
“Every time they murder journalists, my heart hurts because I think of their families,” Miguel Lopez Solana said.
One month ago today, award-winning Mexican journalist Javier Valdez was gunned down in front of RioDoce, the newspaper he’d helped found in 2003 in Culiacán,...Read More
Two Blatant Lies from Governor Greg Abbott’s ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Op-Ed
The governor published a counterfactual editorial Friday about the anti-“sanctuary cities” bill.
Governor Greg Abbott published an editorial in the San Antonio Express-News Friday defending Senate Bill 4 — the anti-“sanctuary cities” law that critics ...Read More
In Passing ‘Bathroom Bill,’ Joe Straus’ House ‘Rolled’ By Dan Patrick
“We are being rolled by the Senate, and trans children are part of that bargain,” said Representative Celia Israel.
In the final days of the 85th Texas Legislature, the House bent to the will of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick by approving a version of the anti-transgender ba...Read More
CPS Caseworker: Lawmakers Are ‘Shifting the Blame’ by Privatizing Child Welfare System
“We saw what happened whenever prisons were privatized,” the caseworker told the Observer.
Vivian Farinazzo For Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers, no two days are exactly the same. Jennifer, a CPS worker in Houston, juggles more than a dozen...Read More
We Were the Safety Net
From Rachel Pearson's "No Apparent Distress: A Doctor’s Coming of Age on the Front Lines of American Medicine," this excerpt is featured in our April issue.
We Were the Safety Net As a medical student in Galveston, Rachel Pearson learned as much in her work at St. Vincent’s, a student-run charity clinic, as in...Read More
On Mother’s Day, Hundreds Protest Senate Bill 4 at Governor’s Mansion
Hundreds marched against the anti-'sanctuary cities' bill that many say could tear immigrant families apart.
On Mother's Day, more than a hundred protesters march from Austin City Hall to the Governor's Mansion in protest of Senate Bill 4 — the anti-&qu...Read More
Texas Lege on Farmworker Housing Crisis: Better Luck Next Time
Nine in 10 Texas farmworkers lack access to licensed housing, and many live without running water, electricity or ventilation.
Nine in 10 Texas farmworkers lack access to licensed housing, and many live without running water, electricity or ventilation....Read More
Sandra Bland Act Passes Senate Unanimously After Key Provisions Dropped
“I would’ve preferred a more robust bill, but I’m happy — I’m elated — that there is a bill,” said author Garnet Coleman, D-Houston.
The version of the Sandra Bland Act that unanimously passed the Texas Senate Thursday afternoon isn’t the uncompromising criminal justice overhaul it was once...Read More
House Votes to Expand Religious Freedom at the Expense of Foster Children, Critics Say
“Denying [kids] access to things they need or forcing your culture on them at the expense of theirs is not in the best interest of the children,” one foster parent said.
Patricia Murphy, a single foster mother in Austin who is certified to care for the children with the highest needs in the state, says her guiding principle is t...Read More