News

Observer Masthead Additions and a Farewell

Indigenous Group Sues to Stop Big Bend Border Wall on Religious Grounds

by Candice Bernd

Last Year, a Corpus Christi Cryptomine Guzzled over 11 Million Gallons. Now, Its Water Usage Is Being Kept Secret.

by Candice Bernd

Can James Talarico Do Better than Beto?

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, a Latinx woman in a white dress, gives a thumbs up to the camera, showing the ink on her thumb. Photojournalists crowd behind her with their cameras.

Tense Elections in Mexico and U.S. Endanger Democracy

Tense presidential elections could bring upheaval to both nations, according to a recent report.

Gov. Greg Abbott, right, visit an unfinished section of border wall, in Pharr, Texas, Wednesday, June 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Greg Abbott’s New Year’s Resolution: Sow Chaos at the Border

The governor plants hints of a constitutional crisis in Eagle Pass after discussing shooting migrants.

Texas Observer Poetry Editor Naomi Nye poses for a portrait after the Poetry Out Loud competition at Texas Spirit Theater in the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Saturday, March 11 in Austin, TX. She's an older woman wearing a red dress with an autumn leaf pattern, and her blonde hair hair in a side pony tail.

Naomi Shihab Nye: Life As a Palestinian-American Poet

"Palestinians are all haunted. We’re haunted by what used to be, what could have been."

by Francesca D’Annunzio

A Latinx mother and her waist-high daughter stand embracing by their home, a cement, graffiti covered ruin separated into makeshift shelters using hanging fabric.

Immigrants in Ciudad Juárez Struggle for Survival

Migrants hoping to reach the U.S. are steering clear of government facilities—and facing a dangerous journey on their own.

by Lilette Contreras

A dramatic close up of Priscilla Villarreal, wearing a scoop neck black tee, a cameo necklace, large silver hoop earrings and bold makeup.

La Gordiloca Goes to Court

An unconventional citizen journalist stands up for free speech by suing the Laredo public officials who had her arrested.

Kelly Siegler, in a suit jacket and pants, stands with her arms crossed in front of columns similar to the kind found outside courthouses. A dramatic black and white film filter was applied to the photo.

Kelly Siegler: The Prosecutor and the Snitch Ring

Here's what happened when star prosecutor Kelly Siegler was accused of running a jailhouse informant scheme.

by Jordan Smith and Liliana Segura

A color photo of Eddie Bernice Johnson, wearing a blue jacket, gold hoop earrings and a rainbow scarf.

The Era of EBJ Comes to a Close

Longtime Dallas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson passed away after a career that will be etched into the history of Texas politics.

by Justin Miller

A latinx woman in a black t-shirt reading "Allergic to Pendebrajas" stands in her suburban neighborhjood in West Dallas.

How Texas Commission On Environmental Quality Helps Polluters Evade Federal Law

Environmental lawyers say the state watchdog agency lets polluters escape regulation through legal loopholes.

by Dylan Baddour, Martha Pskowski, and Alejandra Martinez

A collage image of Colin Allred, Ted Cruz and Roland Gutierrez. Cruz is centered in black nd white, while Gutierrez and Allred are behind him, with a cold blue filter on their photos. Abstract circls and brackets make up the background.

Cruzin’ for a Bruisin: Can Anyone Defeat Ted?

After 12 years in office, the junior senator podcasts more than he legislates. But history suggests Texans will give him six more years to talk.

by Justin Miller