THE TRUTH ABOUT: 76 | History Defined

Construction Workers Labor on, Vulnerable and ‘Essential’

While white collar professionals work remotely, and laid-off service workers seek unemployment, construction laborers are still reporting to work sites.

Texas Observer · Apr 3, 2020

COVID-19 is Buying Time for Gulf Coast Towns Fighting Oil and Gas Projects

In Surfside Beach, Port Aransas, and elsewhere, contentious new infrastructure projects may be stalled by the accelerating pandemic.

Texas Observer · Apr 3, 2020

A ‘Stay-at-Home’ Order by Any Other Name

At a time when clear and decisive action is paramount, Governor Greg Abbott has delayed, deferred, and equivocated, likely costing lives.

Texas Observer · Apr 2, 2020

Loon Star: ‘Let’s Get Back to Work’

Ben Sargent's latest cartoon takes on the Republicans like Dan Patrick who are urging the American public to go back to work—despite public health restrictions.

Texas Observer · Mar 31, 2020

Families of Sick Prisoners Plead for Compassionate Release as Coronavirus Spreads Behind Bars in Texas

Advocates for incarcerated people are urging Governor Abbott to release parole-eligible people who are elderly or have chronic illnesses.

Texas Observer · Mar 31, 2020

Scientist Peter Hotez on Why Vaccine Development is ‘Critical to the Security of Our Nation’

Several years ago, Hotez and his colleagues developed a vaccine that may have prevented the new coronavirus—but they couldn’t get it funded.

Texas Observer · Mar 30, 2020

In a Pandemic, Poor Defendants Could Pay With Their Lives

COVID-19 lays bare the fundamental inequalities that a cash bond system creates, and highlights the unsafe conditions our jails and prisons have designed.

Texas Observer · Mar 30, 2020

‘Trust Me’ Tackles Politics, Power, and Perception

Austin author Richard Z. Santos’ debut thriller takes readers behind the scenes of corruption and scandal.

Texas Observer · Mar 30, 2020

In a New West Texas Novel, Women Kick Ass and Take Names

Set in the 1970s Odessa oil boom, Elizabeth Wetmore’s debut novel, Valentine, is a revelation not for what it explores but for how.

Texas Observer · Mar 27, 2020

In Migrants Camps Along the Texas-Mexico Border, Close Quarters and Closing Borders Raise Concerns

Advocates and lawyers warn new measures implemented along the southern border in response to COVID-19 are putting vulnerable migrants at higher risk.

Texas Observer · Mar 27, 2020