A Texas Austerity Crisis Is Playing Out City by City, School by School
Texas' local governments are facing growing fiscal pain. What’s that mean for the 2026 elections—and the 2027 session?
Political Intelligence
Dallas Is What Happens When People Can’t Trust Police
Botham Jean’s death led to greater community oversight of the Dallas Police Department. Amber Guyger’s murder trial last month shows why that’s necessary.
The Private Prison Industry (Finally) Faces an Uncertain Future
Traditionally, for-profit jailers have drawn bipartisan support. But Trump, the sector’s ostensible savior, has made the industry a lightning rod.
Trump’s USDA Lets Animal Abusers Off the Hook
A South Texas facility has been repeatedly penalized for violating animal treatment standards. Under newly loosened rules, will it and other offenders be held to account next time?
‘My Congregation Trusts Women’: Progressive Faith Groups Counter Anti-Abortion Narratives
Conservative Texas groups and lawmakers have cited their faith to back abortion restrictions, but polling shows that majorities across many religions actually support abortion rights.
Texas (Kinda, Sorta) Accidentally Decriminalized Weed. Now What?
How harshly you’re punished for pot possession depends on where you’re caught, even more so now that a new law legalizing hemp has sowed confusion.
Texas Workers Are Dying on the Job at Alarming Rates
“Literally, we’re not holding employers liable for the lives of their workers.”
A Poor Defense
A countywide public defender's office would've saved Victoria County $1.3 million in its first two years alone. So why did the new DA kill the proposal?
‘A Mockery of Public Trust’: Bexar Sheriff Cleans House, Angers Deputies’ Union
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar is feuding with his deputies' union in the midst of a bout of scandals.
The Cost of Carve-Outs
Lawmakers passed an omnibus school finance and property tax reform bill this session, but didn’t include a way to pay for it past 2021. One place to look: corporate tax breaks.