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The Latest Breaking News from Texas Observer

Carlton Carl, 1945-2025

Carlton was a patriot, feminist, Democrat, journalist, bibliophile, philanthropist, entrepreneur, art enthusiast, history buff, and more. He was a staunch supporter of his family and community, of organizations including the Observer, and of the town of Martindale.

Texas Observer

The Scientist and the Serial Killer: Cracking the Case of Houston’s ‘Lost Boys’

More than 50 years later, some Houston families still wait for confirmation that their sons and brothers were among the victims of serial killer Dean Corll.

Texas Observer

Texas’ AI-Powered Surveillance Arsenal Has Ballooned. Proposed Laws Provide Few Guardrails.

Operation Lone Star has turbocharged DPS’ surveillance capabilities. Lawmakers say they want to prevent Texas from becoming a police state but have filed only modest legislation to regulate use of AI.

Texas Observer

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Congressman Denounces ICE Response About Prosecutor Operating Racist X Account

In response to the Observer’s reporting, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey demanded answers he has yet to fully receive—while ICE refuses to clarify the prosecutor’s current job status.

Texas Observer

Republican Abortion Laws Are ‘Torturing Women.’ Can the GOP Fix Its Own Crisis?

Too late for many pregnant Texans, lawmakers might finally clarify exceptions to the state’s deadly bans—but advocates fear the current bills could also pose a new threat.

Texas Observer

‘This Town Has Nothing’: Rural Texas’ Mental Healthcare Crisis

Against long odds, Sweetwater’s public hospital recruited counselors to help address a wave of mental health crises in rural Texas—yet struggles continue.

Texas Observer

The Massive Energy Requirements of Treating Texas’ Oilfield Wastewater

One company wants small nuclear reactors to power the energy-intensive process of purifying vast volumes of toxic “produced water” for use in agriculture and industry.

Texas Observer

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‘We’re Not Just Some Bureaucrats’: DOE Employees on How Their Work Helps Texas Students

Department of Education workers and union leaders in Texas say kids will pay the price for Trump’s decision to “break this system.”

Texas Observer

These Librarians Won’t Let America’s Fever Hit Fahrenheit 451

A new documentary shows us our local guardians of intellectual freedom in battle.

Texas Observer

Texas’ First Abortion Arrests Stem from Monthlong Attorney General Investigation

These represent the first criminal charges under Texas’ near-total abortion ban.

Texas Observer

The Texas Border Is the New Frontier of Film

After years of having their stories told by outsiders, locals are fighting back with their own cameras and building much-needed infrastructure. But they need more support.

Texas Observer

An Inside Look at Taser Use in Texas Prison

The sound of electricity sizzling and crackling broke the silence. To me, it looked like the electric chair was officially back in the prisons.

Texas Observer

Marathon Hearing on School Vouchers Features Intense Bipartisan Opposition

“There is a disconnect between the rhetoric and what the bill actually says,” Democrat James Talarico summarized of House Bill 3.

Texas Observer

Earth Orbit Is Filling Up with Junk. Greenhouse Gases Worsen the Problem.

By the end of the century, a shrinking atmosphere could create a minefield for satellites, like those deployed by SpaceX's Starlink.

Texas Observer

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Texas Observer

How Voucher Vendors Could Make Millions from ‘School Choice’ in Texas

The Legislature’s current proposals put a handful of private contractors in the driver’s seat. Other states have already seen problems.

Texas Observer

What Ever Happened to Ethics Reform?

The House speaker battle wasn’t really about cleaning house.

Texas Observer

Amid Texas Measles Outbreak, Conservatives Double Down on Anti-Vax Crusade

Spread of the virus is due to low immunization rates in certain communities. Meanwhile, some legislators are cheering for more “medical freedom.”

Texas Observer

ICE Raids on Beloved Bakery Reverberate Through Rio Grande Valley

Homeland Security Investigations arrests at Abby's Bakery shake up a small town in politically shifting Cameron County.

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Texas Observer

David Wood, Set for Execution, Says He Was Never the ‘Desert Killer’

Wood’s attorneys have requested that more than 100 additional pieces of evidence be tested for DNA, but the state has opposed the request for over a decade.

Texas Observer

What a Drag: Nate Schatzline

The Fort Worth state rep spends another session waging a “spiritual battle” in the Texas House, with bad bills and incessant posting.

Texas Observer

Abbott’s Border Splurge

There is now a powerful, well-heeled constituency that has built up around Operation Lone Star.

Texas Observer

From Bullion to Bitcoin: Crypto Reserve Is Latest Fiscal Folly in Texas

Why?

Texas Observer

Editor’s Letter: Introducing Our March/April 2025 Issue

A note from the Editor-in-Chief

Texas Observer

Local and State Police Are Joining Trump’s ‘Deportation Force’

Texas law enforcement agencies and others around the nation are reviving a long-dead "task force" program that led to racial profiling in the past.

Texas Observer

Congressmen Demand Investigation of ICE Prosecutor Running Racist X Account

Following the Observer’s reporting, three U.S. House members have demanded accountability, while James Rodden still appeared on an ICE court schedule this week.

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