Editor’s Letter: Introducing Our September/October 2026 Issue
A note from the editor-in-chief
The Issue
The Blacklist
Screened out by automated background checks, tenants who face eviction can be denied housing for years to come.
Solar Energy is Hitting a Growth Spurt. So Is The Disinformation Around It.
Anti-renewable energy campaigns are nothing new in the Lone Star State. A new wave of disinformation could spell trouble for the state’s fledgling solar industry.
After Sarah Davis’ Election Defeat, Texas Reproductive Health Advocates Worry About Losing a Powerful Republican Ally
Democrats hoped to turn the Texas House blue. Instead they flipped just one seat: the most moderate Republican and only one to support abortion rights.
Fort Bend County Will Soon Have Its First Black Sheriff Since Reconstruction
Eric Fagan, elected during a larger national reckoning on race and law enforcement, will lead an office that has been under fire for racial profiling.
How to Die in Texas
The funeral industry has long been characterized by shady practices. In Texas, the bereaved are starting to look for new options.
Strangest State: Everybody Loves Whataburger
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
Short Story Winner: ‘Immaculate’
Nellie Downer’s story checks every box on the list of attributes guest judge Bryan Washington appreciates in short fiction: “stories with distinct voices, a keen sense of place, and a palpable intimacy.”
Bringing the Dead Home
Thirty years after Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, only a fraction of human remains held by Texas’ museums and universities have been returned.
Eye on Texas: The Essential Women of Austin
A portrait series by Sarah Wilson explores how women deemed essential workers stay safe during the pandemic.