Notices by Texas Observer (texasobserver@texasobserver.social)

Earlier: What does it say about us when we tolerate—or even support—policies that traumatize, neglect, and abuse children? How much cruelty will we inflict—or passively allow our nation’s leaders, laws, & institutions to inflict on our behalf—on #children? https://www.texasobserver.org/republicans-immigrant-children-budget-court/

#HumanRights #immigration #ICE #Republicans #politics #USpol #news #fascism

The administration is trying to kill every program that pops up in a search for the word “climate.” In the process, the heart is being cut out of agencies that produce information that the state needs to manage its environmental threats. https://www.texasobserver.org/trump-texas-doge-cuts-disaster-aid/

#weather #Trump #FEMA #politics #USpol #news #Texas #environment #ClimateChange

From Justin Miller in our magazine: As the GOP has grown ever brasher in its pursuit of a radical conservative agenda, the fruits of #Democrats' inside strategy have become ever-less bountiful.
https://www.texasobserver.org/dems-89th-legislative-session-what-now/

#Texas #politics #USpol #news #TXlege

In the Valley, we are no strangers to being the backdrop of political power wars. With frames meant to reduce our stories and humanity, we’re often made out to be these powerless one-dimensional caricatures that don’t know any better and can’t advocate for ourselves. https://www.texasobserver.org/rio-grande-valley-lgbtq-pride/

#LGBTQIA+ #SouthTexas #border #culture #pride #politics #USpol #Trump #ElonMusk

“It’s a safe space to be yourself regardless of who that is. I don’t understand why people want to smother that.”

From 2022: Drag Queen Story Hour? Over 150 people crowded into a West Texas cafe for this small town's first such event. https://www.texasobserver.org/wolfforth-lubbock-drag-queen-story-hour/

#drag #pride #politics #culture #USpol #news #Texas #WestTexas #children

Earlier: "This isn’t a removal. It’s not lawful under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It doesn’t conform to anything that was previously passed in legislation ... Essentially, he was disappeared forcefully." https://www.texasobserver.org/el-salvador-austin-immigration-lawyer-teen-forced-disappearance/

#politics #USpol #news #ICE #immigration #HumanRights #Trump #Austin #Texas

Yesterday: Many might find themselves surprised at the abundance and depth of the #LGBTQ+ community in the Rio Grande Valley, and this just scratches the surface. https://www.texasobserver.org/rio-grande-valley-lgbtq-pride/

#LGBTQIA+ #SouthTexas #culture #politics #USpol #pride #border

@jeff ”Make your own instance, and they will follow you.”—John Mastodon

Featured story, from Kit @oconnell: “This industry has really grown and is starting to achieve some maturity, and there’s so many good actors and quality products on the market that this [ban] is going to devastate them. This is going to devastate their livelihood.” https://www.texasobserver.org/dan-patrick-texas-devastating-thc-ban/

#TXlege #Texas #Republicans #politics #USpol #news #cannabis #marijuana #drugs #economy

Featured story: "As a proud first-generation, undocumented graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a lifelong product of #Texas public schools, I am outraged—but not surprised—by the latest cowardly attack on our immigrant community." https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-dream-act-paxton-trump-immigrant-rights-movement/

#Austin #politics #USpol #immigration #HumanRights #education #law #TXlege

When politicians take away clinics, birth control, abortion access, and trusted community providers, they’re not saving lives. They’re putting people in danger. And disproportionately, they’re endangering Latinas. https://www.texasobserver.org/cuts-women-healthcare-reproductive-rights/

#politics #USpol #news #abortion #healthcare #Texas #TXlege #women

“Who loves this the most are criminals and the cartels, because all the profit just got put right into their pockets.”

This week's top story, from Kit @oconnell: Texas is renewing its commitment to a draconian state tradition— marijuana prohibition— with a new law that will cost 10,000s of jobs if it goes into effect.
https://www.texasobserver.org/dan-patrick-texas-devastating-thc-ban/

#politics #hemp #cannabis #drugs #economy #news #TXlege #Texas #USpol

"In Texas, nearly half of Latinas live in medically underserved areas. Nearly one in four of us who are of reproductive age lack health insurance." https://www.texasobserver.org/cuts-women-healthcare-reproductive-rights/

#Texas #healthcare #women #politics #USpol #news

Ronnie Dugger, founding editor and longtime publisher of the Texas Observer and for many years the crusading conscience of the progressive movement in Texas and beyond, died of complications of dementia at a hospice center in Austin on May 27. He was 95. https://www.texasobserver.org/ronnie-dugger-1930-2025/

#politics #USpol #journalism #RIP #Texas #media #history #news

New from Joelle DiPaolo: “They’re trying to control every aspect of #trans and queer Texans’ lives. This kind of legislation really just feels like a way to push people out of the state and make them feel like they don’t belong here.” https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-2025-anti-lgbtq-bills-passed/

#LGBTQIA+ #queer #transgender #fascism #TXlege #Texas #politics #USpol #news

Immigrant rights organizations and others have voiced concerns that more local police and #ICE collaboration will lead to racial profiling, an erosion of trust between cops and immigrants, and immigrants staying home for fear of encountering police. https://www.texasobserver.org/legislature-sheriffs-ice-cooperation-jails-streets/

#police #HumanRights #Texas #TXlege #politics #USpol #news #immigration #Trump

New from Michelle Pitcher: “Bills in this package are going to swell the Texas pretrial population. That’s going to impact counties first. Local jails, which are already having to send people out of county or out of state in order to keep their populations manageable are going to find they have an even worse problem on their hands.” https://www.texasobserver.org/abbott-house-bail-legislature/

#prison #TXlege #Texas #politics #USpol #Law #news #GregAbbott

"This isn’t a removal. It’s not lawful under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It doesn’t conform to anything that was previously passed in legislation ... Essentially, he was disappeared forcefully."
https://www.texasobserver.org/el-salvador-austin-immigration-lawyer-teen-forced-disappearance/

#politics #USpol #Texas #news #TXlege #immigration #HumanRights #ICE #ElSalvador #CECOT

New from Peter Barth, in collaboration with @Bellingcat: The murder of William “Bill” Asher Richardson Jr., a wealthy Texas oilman, on August 1, 1971, remains unsolved. The case is one of an overwhelming number of unsolved homicides in the U.S. An open source review has turned up new leads, including potential ties to organized crime. https://www.texasobserver.org/new-leads-in-an-infamous-cold-case/

#news #Texas #history #law #OilAndGas

From the archives: “We’ve issued a whole lot of water rights—basically more water rights than there really is #water in the river during dry years.” https://www.texasobserver.org/dow-brazos-river-pollution-nurdles/

#politics #USpol #news #ClimateChange #pollution #environment #OilAndGas