‘Earth Has No Sorrow’: Visions of a Caldwell County Long Gone
The Observer resurfaces a 50-year-old collection of fine arts photography and unique oral history.
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The Latest
Despite Surge in Prison Overdoses, State Agency Requests No New Treatment Funding
“Funding drug interdiction alone is a misguided approach,” one state senator told the Observer. “The state must also address the ongoing problem of addiction in our prison system through treatment and rehabilitation, in addition to prevention.”
Politics ⋆
School Vouchers Take Center Stage in Texas’ Most Flippable State House District
On San Antonio’s South Side, a progressive Democrat faces off with an architect of the new private school voucher program.
Politics ⋆
Jim Hightower’s Revenge? A Long-Shot Bid Could Restore Left Populism to the Agriculture Commissioner’s Office.
Clayton Tucker is pitching a throwback style of politics the Texas electorate hasn’t embraced in decades. Is 2026 just crazy enough for it to work?
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Politics
A ‘Politically Motivated Cover-Up’: Why the State’s Maternal Death Report Was Pushed Until After Midterms
Advocates and lawmakers warn the state health agency’s decision to delay releasing the annual report will further harm women—and make it harder to enact necessary laws in 2027.
Hasan Piker’s UT Appearance Put Campus Protection Act to the Test
Although parts of the state law were ruled unconstitutional last year, key elements created barriers for Democrats and Republicans drawn to the controversial event.
Angela Paxton’s Message: Elect the Elephant at All Costs
Her appeal to put party loyalty above character and accountability ignores the price women will pay if Ken Paxton becomes a U.S. senator.
Border and Immigration
What Will It Take to ‘Get ICE the Fuck Out of Austin’?
Shootings by federal agents are proliferating since Donald Trump took office in 2025, several of them in Texas. To stop it from happening again, local elected officials and prosecutors are hunting for options that aren’t already foreclosed.
Santa Ana’s Last Stand
Congress repeatedly shielded the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge from the border wall. Now, construction has begun—and an irrigation district lawsuit may be the only option left to buy time for lawmakers to act.
ICE Contractor for Controversial Camp East Montana Is Trailed by Fraud Allegations
To continue running the deadly El Paso detention center, the feds turn to a company that’s faced numerous lawsuits from labor unions and former employees and is actively fighting a whistleblower in court.
Culture
Houston’s ‘Living Archive’ of Migration
At Fresh Arts, photographer Violeta Álvarez created a space where immigrant families in Houston can see their own histories reflected back to them.
Houston’s Historic Black Theater at 50
For five decades, the Ensemble has brought Houstonians together to laugh, cry, and talk back to plays representing all aspects of African-American life.
Can We Survive Naomi Klein’s Depiction of ‘End Times Fascism’?
Klein and co-author Astra Taylor’s new book is too bleak and unfocused for our shameless and sharp-edged political moment.
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September/October 2026
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