Politics
Confederate Monument Protests Draw Hundreds in Houston and Dallas
Despite Self-Congratulation, Lawmakers Did Virtually Nothing about Maternal Mortality Crisis
Governor Greg Abbott said he was “committed to doing everything we can to combat the maternal mortality rate,” but lawmakers ignored specific recommendations to reduce pregnancy-related deaths.
Jen Reel From the way the governor and top Republican lawmakers have been talking, you’d think the Legislature was taking bold steps toward solving the state...Read More
Will Hurd’s Guide to Running as a Republican in 2018
During a tour of Dairy Queens in his district, the West Texas congressman offered a master class in the rhetorical skills many Republicans are going to need this cycle.
It’s the best of times and the worst of times to be Will Hurd, the Republican who represents the 23rd Congressional District of Texas, a giant swath of Texas ...Read More
Santa Ana’s Last Stand?
Wildlife biologist Ken Merritt lost his job trying to save the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge a decade ago. Now the “jewel” of the national wildlife refuge system is under threat again.
Ken Merritt, 65, knows what it’s like to stand between a threatened wildlife habitat and a border wall. In 2007, the Bush administration wanted to construct a...Read More
Houston City Employees are Fighting to Uphold Marriage Equality in Texas
Couples turn to the federal courts after Texas’ highest court ruled against benefits for same-sex spouses of government employees.
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, Texas couples are still fighting for marriage...Read More
Special Session a ‘Battle Royal’ for Dominionists Who Seek Christian Rule
Thanks to Dan Patrick, those seeking conservative Christian dominion over government keep a seat at the table in this summer’s special session.
Nicknames for this summer’s special session have proliferated faster than hashtags and lapel pins. It’s been called “30 days of horror,” the “special ...Read More
How ‘Mad Moms in Minivans’ Injected Themselves into Texas’ Anti-Vaccine Debate
Fringe Factor How a ‘group of mad moms in minivans’ injected themselves into Texas’ anti-vaccine debate In 2015, Jackie Schlegel, a coffee-fue...Read More
National Butterfly Center Founder: Trump’s Border Wall Prep ‘Trampling on Private Property Rights’
Staff discovered workers with chainsaws on the center's private sanctuary clearing the way for Trump’s border wall in South Texas.
On July 20, Jeffrey Glassberg discovered that the Trump administration planned to build a wall through the National Butterfly Center in South Texas — a 100-ac...Read More
New San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Priorities, Progressives and the Legislature
Nirenberg doesn’t identify with a specific political party, but thinks future-focused candidates are in a prime position to take back the state.
Ron Nirenberg assumed office in June after defeating former Mayor Ivy Taylor with 54 percent of the vote in a runoff election. Like Taylor, Nirenberg’s job pe...Read More
Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz and Dan Patrick’s Obsession with George Soros is Weird and Kind of Dangerous
Texas politicians share their Soros obsession with some of the country’s most cartoonish lunatics, like Alex Jones.
A spectre is haunting Texas — the spectre of Soros. Let’s talk for a minute about how to use political rhetoric responsibly, shall we? For most of the last ...Read More