Texas Has a Water Shortage and a Water Glut. They’re the Same Problem.
Every day the Permian Basin brings up more water than nearby communities use, and treats most of it as waste. The state can no longer afford to do so.
Rural Texas
The Rural Health Care Crisis, Mapped
Texas is facing a rural health care crisis. How many doctors are in your county?
Driving My Life Away
As physicians leave small towns, rural Texans must travel farther and farther for health care.
Scenes from a Rural Hospital’s Final Day
Chillicothe Hospital closed its doors on July 22. Its closure reverberated through the community in both expected and surprising ways.
Potter County Criminal Defense System is Lambasted in a New Report
A 200-page report produced by the Sixth Amendment Center exhaustively shows how the long arm of the law gives poor people in Amarillo the short end of the stick.
Critical Condition
A TEXAS OBSERVER SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
A Dying Town
When a rural hospital dies, the community around it starts to follow suit.
Landowners Got One Hill Country Oil Pipeline Moved. But Can They Do It Again?
Rule No. 1 of averting pipeline routes: Always bring a high-powered, politically connected oil and gas executive to the negotiating table.
The Creature of Martin Creek Lake Won’t Die
The Martin Lake coal plant in East Texas is the biggest sulfur dioxide polluter in the nation. And unlike other regional super-polluters, this one is still chugging along.
Public Camping Bans Won’t Solve Homelessness. But Could They Get Us Talking About Real Solutions?
In Victoria, an anti-camping ordinance stands to harm the homeless. But it could also lead to important conversations about a statewide problem.