Over the years, Texas legislators have declined to pass at least three bills that would create siren or alert systems, a tool that Kerr County officials tried to secure for years before the July 4 flooding.
texas
The IRS Says Churches Can Now Endorse Candidates. That Could Give Texas Pastors More Power Than Ever.
While the IRS move applies across the country, Texas — with more than 200 megachurches — will be the epicenter for pastors and congregations to test out their new influence, one expert said.
https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-churches-endorse-candidates-texas?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
❄️ Even investigative journalists need a little holiday cheer
🎄This season, we’re grateful for a community that believes in truth-telling in Texas—especially when it matters most.
👉 Double your gift: https://texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/join/?campaign=701UQ00000bxAKbYAM
(🎄🧵 1/3)
#SupportLocalJournalism #TexasObserver #HolidayGiving #IndependentMedia #DoubleYourImpact #nonprofit #fundraising #Texas #journalism
Edited 30d ago
Texas Private Schools Hire Relatives and Enrich Insiders. Soon They Can Do It With Taxpayer Money.
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An investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found more than 60 instances of nepotism, self-dealing and conflicts of interest among 27 private schools that likely would have violated state laws had the schools been public.
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-vouchers-private-schools-conflicts-of-interest?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Education #Texas #School #Law #Ethics #Students #Teaching
Introducing the September/October 2025 issue of Texas Observer magazine, with cover art by Adrià Volt, and stories by Michelle Pitcher, Julie Poole, Francesca D'Annunzio and more.
Become a member to get our magazine 6 times per year: https://texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/join/
#journalism #media #HumanRights #healthcare #Texas #politics #USpol #news #disability #nonprofit
“This is the most massive secrecy grab in #Texas since the adoption of the Public Information Act.”
New today from Michelle Pitcher: A move to "standardize" #police personnel files could have devastating consequences for #transparency. https://www.texasobserver.org/secrecy-g-file-police-records-texas-legislature/
#news #politics #USpol #fascism #TXlege #journalism #HumanRights #news #democracy
Join Mother Jones, Capital B, and the Texas Observer in #Houston for The Lingering Storm: Stories of Hope and Action—a powerful in-person event reflecting on Hurricane Katrina’s legacy and how communities are rising in the face of climate change and displacement.
Where: Julia Ideson Building, Houston, #Texas
When: Wed., Sept. 10 | Doors 6:30PM | Program 7–9PM
Donation-based RSVP (suggested $5): https://bit.ly/KatrinaEvent2025
(🧵 1/2: See reply for lineup!)
#events #TheLingeringStorm #ClimateJustice
Edited 150d ago
A Tarrant County resident who has worked as an election judge criticized the county’s move to cut more than 100 polling sites.
“You’re not saving money,” she said. “You’re sacrificing democracy to save a buck.”
#News #Texas #TarrantCounty #Vote #Elections #Democracy #Voting
The Texas #Redistricting Fight Has Been the Testing Ground for the #Trump Administration’s Latest Legal Strategy
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The administration has been testing a strategy of using the courts as leverage to force political outcomes. In #Texas, the state’s leaders and conservative activists have been willing, if not eager, collaborators.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Elon Musk is “one of the only people in the world” who could build Houston’s much-needed tunnel system for flood water mitigation.
But his company, Boring, has never completed a major public project in Texas.
https://www.propublica.org/article/elon-musk-wesley-hunt-houston-tunnels-boring-co?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
New records show that Uvalde school leaders initially planned to defend Police Chief Pete Arredondo after the Robb Elementary shooting.
The details were revealed in over 25,000 pages the district released after a legal fight with news outlets.
https://www.propublica.org/article/uvalde-pete-arredondo-new-records?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Trump Says America’s Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries’. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells.
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The oil industry touts Texas as a success story in controlling climate-warming methane emissions. The state’s regulator, however, grants nearly every request to burn or vent gas into the atmosphere.
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-methane-oil-emissions-climate?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Faith Family Academy is one of eight Texas charter school districts on track to be shut down at the end of the year after receiving an “F” rating.
Board members paid its superintendent a peak annual compensation of $560,000 in recent years.
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-charter-superintendent-pay-performance?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Texas #Education #School #Parents #Family #CharterSchool #Superintendent
In response to our investigation that raised questions about the effectiveness of Boring’s pitch to build tunnels to ease Houston flooding, Musk said tunnels can be added if more floodwater needs to be moved. Engineers said it is not that simple.
#News #ElonMusk #Texas #Houston #Flood #Infrastructure #Engineering
ProPublica and Other News Organizations Fight to Unseal Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Divorce Records
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A group of eight state and national media organizations are arguing that the records are of public interest, especially in light of Paxton’s bid for a U.S. Senate seat.
https://www.propublica.org/article/ken-paxton-divorce-case-records-unseal?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Are you interested in covering politics in the Lone Star State? The Texas Observer is hiring an intern to help us cover the 2026 elections! Apply here: https://www.texasobserver.org/jobs/
#journalism #jobs #Texas #politics #USpol #elections #democracy
Democratic and Republican lawmakers across the country tried to push through bills to tighten gift limits, toughen conflict-of-interest provisions or expand financial disclosure reporting requirements. But many of the measures were derailed.
#News #Ethics #Law #Government #Virginia #Texas #NewMexico #NorthDakota #Connecticut #Maine
Despite falling crime rates, leaders at a nonprofit argued Dallas was descending into anarchy to sell voters on increasing police.
Some residents now fear the push could be used as a playbook for other cities.
https://www.propublica.org/article/police-dallas-hero-crime-proposition?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Out today from Gus Bova: Highlights of our newest issue include criminal justice reporting from Michelle Pitcher, exploring #Houston culture with @josephinelee, the war over homelessness policy with @stevanzetti, and much more. https://www.texasobserver.org/editors-letter-january-february-2026/
#journalism #media #HumanRights #Texas #politics #USpol #culture #GulfCoast #law
Six months after ICE apprehended 47 people, including nine kids, in Hays County, Tex., County Judge Ruben Becerra says DHS has ignored his attempts to get answers:
“We’re not told why they took them, and we’re not told where they took them. By definition, that’s a kidnapping.”
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dhs-ice-secret-police-civil-rights-unaccountable?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #USPolitics #Government #DHS #Immigration #ICE #Trump #Texas