Could This State Senate Runoff Be a Tipping Point for Tarrant County?
The special election in Senate District 9 pits “people power” against mountains of conservative cash and the rising influence of Christian nationalism.
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Opinion ⋆
When Local Police Collaborate with ICE, Children Pay the Price
I know exactly what message the recent deportation of an Austin mom and her 5-year-old sends to kids. They learn that calling 911 is dangerous.
The Texas AI Boom Is Outpacing Water Regulations
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet, Texas does not require these tech firms to disclose projected or actual water consumption.
Opinion ⋆
How to Cause a Dysfunctional Government
On RFK Jr., Trump v. Slaughter, and the serious flaw of the right’s unitary executive theory.
Culture ⋆
A Reporter’s Religious Quest in Houston Suburbia
At a Hindu temple hidden in Pearland, I found lessons about community, womanhood, and alienation.
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Politics
In Ink and on Airwaves, Texas Media Grows Ever More Concentrated
Hearst’s acquisition of struggling newspapers in the state may seem like welcome news. But bigger doesn’t always mean better.
At the Texas AFL-CIO, a Changing of the Guard in a Time of Growth
“No one has done more than Rick Levy for the modern-day labor movement in Texas.”
Border and Immigration
Trump’s Plan for Venezuelan Oil Raises Prospects of Paramilitary Violence
Latin America has lots of experience with private military contractors protecting foreign companies in lawless conflict zones. It seldom goes well.
Congressman Tries to Cut Pay of ICE Prosecutor with Racist X Account to $1
Last week, the prosecutor James Rodden returned to Dallas immigration court a year after the Observer’s original investigation into his social media. Congressman Marc Veasey’s amendment did not receive a committee vote Wednesday.
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
James Rodden, identified by the Observer last year as the operator of an account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
Culture
Austin’s Willy Baltazar Is a Man of Many Masks
From Veracruz to Texas, he keeps a centuries-old tradition alive.
In Dallas, Spanish-Inflected Shakespeare Adaptations Experiment with Language
Two plays challenge their source material and speak to today’s audiences.
‘Black Bird Redemption Song’: A Fort Worth Artist’s Work on Confinement, Freedom, and Fred Rouse
An exhibition at the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum in Austin runs through January 25.
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January/February 2026
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