New Leads in an Infamous Corpus Christi Cold Case
An open-source review unearths fresh details about a Texas oilman’s murder.
Investigations
The Vet, the Cattle Prod, and the ‘Guttural Wail’
An equine surgeon and Texas A&M professor has been convicted of animal cruelty after repeatedly shocking a horse in front of students, among other misdeeds, exposing the shaky ethics training of some veterinarians.
Border 911: The Misinformation Network Profiting Off the ‘Invasion’ Narrative
Dark money and charity organizations led by former intelligence officers and ex-feds have been spreading propaganda and laying the groundwork for presidential election challenges.
The GOP Megadonor Behind the Bid to Break Dallas City Government
Conservative hotelier Monty Bennett and a California-based company that offers protesters-for-hire have seeded an “astroturf” right-wing influence network that has kicked into overdrive to push controversial “Dallas HERO” city charter amendments.
The Company You Keep
Ken and Angela Paxton have ties to a jet-setting lobbyist-turned-CEO caught in a tangled web of alleged fraud involving a powerful business clan and a commercial shipping giant.
After Hurricane Beryl, Cooling Centers Were Few and Slow to Arrive for Houstonians of Color—Some Died of Heat Exposure
During the power outage following the storm, a shocking lack of support in vulnerable communities reflected a larger breakdown in coordination between the state, CenterPoint Energy, and local governments.
This State Program Collects Money from the Deceased. Families Pay the Price.
For nearly two decades, the state’s Medicaid Estate Recovery Program has filed repayment claims against Medicaid recipients after they die, threatening the inheritances of vulnerable Texans.
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Mike Miles Moved Texas School Funds to Colorado Through a Possible Shell Corporation Without a Paper Trail
An Observer investigation has found irregularities in how the Houston ISD superintendent's Colorado charter school nonprofit did business in Texas.
The Heist
A massive theft of pre-Columbian art reveals troubling truths about Texans’ role in the illicit antiquities trade.