Texas Observer
@texasobserver.org
A nonprofit newsroom covering Texas through investigative journalism & narrative storytelling since 1954.
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Follow our journos: https://go.bsky.app/EdSL3Co
🤠Learn more about us: https://linktr.ee/texasobserver
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The Molly Awards Submissions
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN. The MOLLY Investigative Journalism Prize is an annual award of $5,000, open to national print and digital outlets. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM CST on Friday…
www.texasobserver.org
Our MOLLY Award Submissions are now OPEN! Our annual prize for investigative journalism is open to both print and digital outlets, with an annual award of $5000.
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
From Monday, by @josephinelee.bsky.social: "I regarded Pearland as a bleak place to endure as part of my sacrificial motherhood. So I was surprised to find a temple here where women were both being celebrated and celebrating with so much joy."
A Reporter's Religious Quest in Houston Suburbia
At a Hindu temple hidden in Pearland, I found lessons about community, womanhood, and alienation.
www.texasobserver.org
February 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
From Monday, by @josephinelee.bsky.social: "I regarded Pearland as a bleak place to endure as part of my sacrificial motherhood. So I was surprised to find a temple here where women were both being celebrated and celebrating with so much joy."
Have you read the January/February 2026 issue of our magazine? www.texasobserver.org/issues/janua...
February 8, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Have you read the January/February 2026 issue of our magazine? www.texasobserver.org/issues/janua...
Featured story, from Michelle Pitcher: Between January 2020 and July 2025, at least 189 Texas prisoners died of drug-related causes—and each year through 2024 was deadlier than the last. In 110 cases, synthetic cannabinoids were confirmed or suspected.
In Texas State Jails, a Rising Death Toll and a Broken Promise
Once billed as rehabilitative alternatives to prisons, these facilities are the sites of fatal overdoses—like that which ended the life of a Texan named Jackie Wiley.
www.texasobserver.org
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Featured story, from Michelle Pitcher: Between January 2020 and July 2025, at least 189 Texas prisoners died of drug-related causes—and each year through 2024 was deadlier than the last. In 110 cases, synthetic cannabinoids were confirmed or suspected.
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet Texas does not require data center operators to disclose projected water use or report actual consumption. This makes research difficult and limits visibility for water-stressed municipalities.
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.
www.texasobserver.org
February 8, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet Texas does not require data center operators to disclose projected water use or report actual consumption. This makes research difficult and limits visibility for water-stressed municipalities.
"A melting, a chili pot OF
TEXAS OH TEXAS. Created here and here and all the way
over and down there.
IN.
The Gulf and
engulfed and gulping and drinking
the water with no lights no
home for the home of the brave Natives.
TEXAS OH TEXAS. Created here and here and all the way
over and down there.
IN.
The Gulf and
engulfed and gulping and drinking
the water with no lights no
home for the home of the brave Natives.
Poem: Oh, Texas Our Texas,
We are living here...
www.texasobserver.org
February 7, 2026 at 10:00 PM
"A melting, a chili pot OF
TEXAS OH TEXAS. Created here and here and all the way
over and down there.
IN.
The Gulf and
engulfed and gulping and drinking
the water with no lights no
home for the home of the brave Natives.
TEXAS OH TEXAS. Created here and here and all the way
over and down there.
IN.
The Gulf and
engulfed and gulping and drinking
the water with no lights no
home for the home of the brave Natives.
Let’s begin with a definition, by example, of dysfunctional governing: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary.
How to Cause a Dysfunctional Government
On RFK, Jr., Trump v. Slaughter, and the serious flaw of the right’s unitary executive theory.
www.texasobserver.org
February 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Let’s begin with a definition, by example, of dysfunctional governing: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary.
"I grew up undocumented in this country. From an early age, I learned how fear can live quietly inside a child. I learned to listen for sirens, notice unfamiliar cars, and worry whether a normal school day would end with my family separated."
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.
www.texasobserver.org
February 7, 2026 at 6:34 PM
"I grew up undocumented in this country. From an early age, I learned how fear can live quietly inside a child. I learned to listen for sirens, notice unfamiliar cars, and worry whether a normal school day would end with my family separated."
Our top story: “He’s a union leader, veteran, very disciplined on his messaging and very hyper-focused on the working class and making life better for people. Leigh is a zealot who spends all of her time denigrating public school teachers and trying to dismantle public school institutions.”
Does Taylor Rehmet’s Victory Foreshadow an Anti-MAGA Wave?
As the dust settles, Texas Dems and Republicans weigh the lessons from the shock upset in Senate District 9.
www.texasobserver.org
February 7, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Our top story: “He’s a union leader, veteran, very disciplined on his messaging and very hyper-focused on the working class and making life better for people. Leigh is a zealot who spends all of her time denigrating public school teachers and trying to dismantle public school institutions.”
When children witness classmates detained, hear about neighbors deported, or watch a parent disappear after a routine interaction with police, the damage ripples outward. Entire communities retreat into silence.
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.
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 11:00 PM
When children witness classmates detained, hear about neighbors deported, or watch a parent disappear after a routine interaction with police, the damage ripples outward. Entire communities retreat into silence.
Featured story: Propelled by an army of 100,000 volunteers who took on the city’s political machine from below, the question now is not whether someone like Zohran Mamdani can win but whether his victory can carry beyond the borders of the Big Apple.
In Texas Cities, Let a Hundred Mamdanis Bloom
Our state has long-term lessons to learn from the New York socialist’s rise.
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Featured story: Propelled by an army of 100,000 volunteers who took on the city’s political machine from below, the question now is not whether someone like Zohran Mamdani can win but whether his victory can carry beyond the borders of the Big Apple.
“For the first time in a very long time, Democrats were operating as a team, moving in the same direction with the same goal, and that’s to win an election.”
New from Tyler Hicks: What can we learn from the historic upset in Tarrant County?
New from Tyler Hicks: What can we learn from the historic upset in Tarrant County?
Does Taylor Rehmet’s Victory Foreshadow an Anti-MAGA Wave?
As the dust settles, Texas Dems and GOP weigh the lessons from the shock upset in Senate District 9.
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 7:50 PM
“For the first time in a very long time, Democrats were operating as a team, moving in the same direction with the same goal, and that’s to win an election.”
New from Tyler Hicks: What can we learn from the historic upset in Tarrant County?
New from Tyler Hicks: What can we learn from the historic upset in Tarrant County?
#ICYMI, MOLLY Award Submissions are OPEN! Our annual prize for investigative journalism is open to both print and digital outlets, with an annual award of $5000.
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
The Molly Awards Submissions
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN. The MOLLY Investigative Journalism Prize is an annual award of $5,000, open to national print and digital outlets. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM CST on Friday…
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
#ICYMI, MOLLY Award Submissions are OPEN! Our annual prize for investigative journalism is open to both print and digital outlets, with an annual award of $5000.
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
Stories can be submitted until March 20. Find out how to enter your work here:
Reposted by Texas Observer
Talarico's Super Bowl ad is an ad showing people alone on their phones/tablets watching footage from the same staged speech used in a prior ad.
I make no comment on the effectiveness, only on what it implies about the state of our one precious lives on this planet www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_1...
I make no comment on the effectiveness, only on what it implies about the state of our one precious lives on this planet www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_1...
Billionaires
YouTube video by James Talarico
www.youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Talarico's Super Bowl ad is an ad showing people alone on their phones/tablets watching footage from the same staged speech used in a prior ad.
I make no comment on the effectiveness, only on what it implies about the state of our one precious lives on this planet www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_1...
I make no comment on the effectiveness, only on what it implies about the state of our one precious lives on this planet www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_1...
More on James Rodden:
February 6, 2026 at 5:48 PM
More on James Rodden:
Reposted by Texas Observer
Is religious liberty in jeopardy in Texas public schools? Baker Institute's Michael O. Emerson interviews me on how faith-based politics, Christian nationalism, and recent legislative actions are reshaping classrooms across Texas www.bakerinstitute.org/research/rel...
Religion and the Battle for Texas Public Schools | Baker Institute
Baker Institute fellows Michael O. Emerson and David R. Brockman unpack how faith-based politics, Christian nationalism, and recent legislative actions are reshaping classrooms across Texas.
www.bakerinstitute.org
February 5, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Is religious liberty in jeopardy in Texas public schools? Baker Institute's Michael O. Emerson interviews me on how faith-based politics, Christian nationalism, and recent legislative actions are reshaping classrooms across Texas www.bakerinstitute.org/research/rel...
Reposted by Texas Observer
Plans for the border wall now cut through wildlife refuges and cultural sites in the Rio Grande Valley insideclimatenews.org/news/0402202...
Rio Grande Valley Advocates Urge Congress to Restore Protections for Public Lands in Path of Border Wall - Inside Climate News
After years of bipartisan carveouts from Congress, plans for the border wall now cut through wildlife refuges and cultural sites in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.
insideclimatenews.org
February 5, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Plans for the border wall now cut through wildlife refuges and cultural sites in the Rio Grande Valley insideclimatenews.org/news/0402202...
Reposted by Texas Observer
My latest at @thebarbedwire.com ... I spent weeks interviewing current and former students, faculty, nonprofits and others about the way queer campus life has suffered over the past 2 years and how, in some cases, community members have stepped up to help.
EXCLUSIVE: When Senate Bill 17 went into effect in 2024, Texas universities were forced to enact anti-DEI policies. Since then, 12 queer resource centers or programs have closed — along with layoffs or transfers of at least 100 people.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/c...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/c...
‘Communities Ripped Apart’: On Texas College Campuses, LGBTQ+ Services Have Been Completely Decimated
Across the state, public universities that were once making strides toward inclusivity and support have faced devastating cutbacks.
thebarbedwire.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:32 PM
My latest at @thebarbedwire.com ... I spent weeks interviewing current and former students, faculty, nonprofits and others about the way queer campus life has suffered over the past 2 years and how, in some cases, community members have stepped up to help.
Reposted by Texas Observer
Texas AG Ken Paxton has announced legal action against the Houston area Screwston Antifascist Committee, alleging commission of terrorism and doxing. Their account has been quiet for some time, but this was one of their last posts — identifying a neo-Nazi.
February 6, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Texas AG Ken Paxton has announced legal action against the Houston area Screwston Antifascist Committee, alleging commission of terrorism and doxing. Their account has been quiet for some time, but this was one of their last posts — identifying a neo-Nazi.
New from Ebony Stewart: WE are living here
ALL heavy and wet and flat and obsessed with the heat and sweat and
sneezing and Bar-b-Que and winter shorts and holding on and smiling
next to bluebonnets or driving and stopping at Buc-ee's.
ALL heavy and wet and flat and obsessed with the heat and sweat and
sneezing and Bar-b-Que and winter shorts and holding on and smiling
next to bluebonnets or driving and stopping at Buc-ee's.
Poem: Oh, Texas Our Texas,
We are living here...
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 4:47 PM
New from Ebony Stewart: WE are living here
ALL heavy and wet and flat and obsessed with the heat and sweat and
sneezing and Bar-b-Que and winter shorts and holding on and smiling
next to bluebonnets or driving and stopping at Buc-ee's.
ALL heavy and wet and flat and obsessed with the heat and sweat and
sneezing and Bar-b-Que and winter shorts and holding on and smiling
next to bluebonnets or driving and stopping at Buc-ee's.
Only China has more gas power projects in development than Texas. Nearly half of all upcoming gas power projects in Texas, totalling 40 GW of capacity, are planned to directly power data centers.
Country’s Largest Air Pollution Permit Issued to Power Plant for Data Centers in West Texas, Developer Says
It’s among a handful of similarly colossal ventures announced during 2025, making Texas the global epicenter of a gas power buildout.
www.texasobserver.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Only China has more gas power projects in development than Texas. Nearly half of all upcoming gas power projects in Texas, totalling 40 GW of capacity, are planned to directly power data centers.
From our magazine: On the back porch of his Southeast Austin home, Willy Baltazar displays a vibrant Día de los Muertos-style altar that honors more than just ancestors.
It's here he's helping preserve the masked spirit of the Xantolo festival ...
It's here he's helping preserve the masked spirit of the Xantolo festival ...
Austin’s Willy Baltazar Is a Man of Many Masks
From Veracruz to Texas, he keeps a centuries-old tradition alive.
www.texasobserver.org
February 5, 2026 at 11:04 PM
From our magazine: On the back porch of his Southeast Austin home, Willy Baltazar displays a vibrant Día de los Muertos-style altar that honors more than just ancestors.
It's here he's helping preserve the masked spirit of the Xantolo festival ...
It's here he's helping preserve the masked spirit of the Xantolo festival ...
Previously: The expansion raises questions long-term about the size, strength, and investigative firepower of the state’s press corps—particularly at the Capitol. Is it in fact a good thing that Hearst now runs the papers servicing the four largest metros in Texas?
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.
www.texasobserver.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Previously: The expansion raises questions long-term about the size, strength, and investigative firepower of the state’s press corps—particularly at the Capitol. Is it in fact a good thing that Hearst now runs the papers servicing the four largest metros in Texas?
These celebrations to honor Durga and other goddesses—devoted mothers, fierce warriors, and the divine sources of creativity and wisdom—happen throughout the Indian diaspora, from stadiums in Gujarat and ancient Tamil Nadu temples to community halls in England & an unlikely spot in Texas: Pearland.
A Reporter's Religious Quest in Houston Suburbia
At a Hindu temple hidden in Pearland, I found lessons about community, womanhood, and alienation.
www.texasobserver.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
These celebrations to honor Durga and other goddesses—devoted mothers, fierce warriors, and the divine sources of creativity and wisdom—happen throughout the Indian diaspora, from stadiums in Gujarat and ancient Tamil Nadu temples to community halls in England & an unlikely spot in Texas: Pearland.
Featured story: By converting a digital camera to reveal infrared light, photographer Jordan Vonderhaar turns surveillance tech back on itself, with bright foliage highlighting the intensity of Texas' border militarization. www.texasobserver.org/the-river-an...
February 5, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Featured story: By converting a digital camera to reveal infrared light, photographer Jordan Vonderhaar turns surveillance tech back on itself, with bright foliage highlighting the intensity of Texas' border militarization. www.texasobserver.org/the-river-an...
Reposted by Texas Observer
here's the thing. do data centers use far less water than ag? yes, absolutely, and ag is horribly wasteful in much of the country. but is adding a lot of water use *in places hydrogeologically not equipped* a smart call?
"We have no way of reconciling what these cases will do to water supplies."
New from Miranda Williamson: The world’s largest artificial intelligence data center complex is being built in Amarillo, and it’s almost seven times the size of Central Park.
New from Miranda Williamson: The world’s largest artificial intelligence data center complex is being built in Amarillo, and it’s almost seven times the size of Central Park.
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.
www.texasobserver.org
February 4, 2026 at 10:36 PM
here's the thing. do data centers use far less water than ag? yes, absolutely, and ag is horribly wasteful in much of the country. but is adding a lot of water use *in places hydrogeologically not equipped* a smart call?