The Texas Observer

A converted digital camera can use infrared light to reveal Texas border militarization—in the same way the armed forces once scanned for enemies from the sky.

The Texas Observer

THE RIVER AND THE FEVER DREAM ↗

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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.

The Texas Observer

IN TEXAS STATE JAILS, A RISING DEATH TOLL AND A BROKEN PROMISE ↗

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A scheme to relocate the unhoused out of one Texas city's downtown sheds light on a larger right-wing takeover of federal homelessness policy.

The Texas Observer

A DALLAS MEGADONOR, A NEW NONPROFIT, AND THE WAR ON ‘HOUSING FIRST’ ↗

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Nonfiction that's meant to be started, finished, and leave you with something to show for it

The Texas Observer

OUR BEST LONGFORM STORIES OF 2025 ↗

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At the close of an awful year, a religion scholar offers reflections on resisting despair in dark times, for the religious and non-religious alike.

The Texas Observer

A LIGHT THE DARKNESS CANNOT EXTINGUISH ↗

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As deep South Texas prepares for its first gas export facility, communities along the Gulf Coast offer cautionary tales.

The Texas Observer

PEERING INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY’S FOSSIL FUEL FUTURE ↗

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Her anti-climactic exit from office caps a saga of waning power and growing discord. But what her rise once promised is worth remembering.

The Texas Observer

LINA HIDALGO HAD A VISION. HARRIS COUNTY WON’T SEE IT. ↗

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The recent redistricting of the county commissioners court has galvanized progressive organizers heading into 2026.

The Texas Observer

IN TARRANT COUNTY, A GRASSROOTS COALITION PUSHES BACK ON CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS ↗

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