The Fall of Hope Rising
The demise of a Brenham nonprofit intended to help young victims of trafficking is a cautionary tale about Texas’ overreliance on religious organizations to fix its troubled foster care system.
Investigations
Rules of the Robe
A sharp-eyed retiree uncovered evidence of judicial misconduct by the chief judge of Houston’s busy bankruptcy court. The unusual story highlights how other complaints against judges go ignored.
The Adoption Trap
Private foster care and adoption agencies in Texas are brokering contracts for moms to turn over their children in a murky legal world, spawning protracted civil custody battles.
New Leads in an Infamous Corpus Christi Cold Case
An open-source review unearths fresh details about a Texas oilman’s murder.
Texas Already Gives Public Ed Dollars to Private Operators. Here’s How That Worked Out.
The state created “Texas Partnership” charter schools to turn around struggling public campuses, but an Observer investigation has uncovered numerous academic and financial issues.
Texas’ War on Drug Users
A mass overdose event in Austin reveals the state’s backward approach to the ongoing crisis spurred by fentanyl and other super-potent substances.
Brownsville Elected Officials Are Doing PR for Embattled LNG Megaproject
The mayor, county judge, and others are parroting talking points provided by liquefied natural gas developer NextDecade, as the company faces another legal hurdle.
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.