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
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.
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.