INSANE: 8 | Vintage Vibes

Mythbusting Texas’ Reactionary Past

A new book doesn't romanticize our state's history, but it does establish a neglected throughline of solidarity.

Texas Observer · Mar 25

Climate Activists Confront Iran War Profiteering at Big Oil Confab in Houston

Meanwhile, the U.S. energy secretary tries to soothe an anxious American oil industry, urging them to ramp up production amid shock to global markets.

Texas Observer · Mar 24

After 20 Years of Resistance, Trump Is Walling Off the Rio Grande Valley

Even sites once protected by Congress, including a butterfly refuge and a historic church, are slated for fencing funded by the “one big beautiful bill”—while the river itself is transformed by a floating barrier.

Texas Observer · Mar 24

A Wall That’s Worth Defending

Some evangelical Christians are hammering away at the very church-state separation that allowed them, and other believers, to first flourish in America.

Texas Observer · Mar 17

In Texas Senate Primary, the Influencer Class Was (and Is) the Problem

The content creators undeniably have a role in the political ecosystem nowadays. The issue is when they obscure—or even consume—a compelling race.

Texas Observer · Mar 16

Man v. Nature

Federal appellate courts are enacting an anti-environment agenda—especially in the ultraconservative 5th Circuit, new analysis shows.

Texas Observer · Mar 16

In Rural West Texas, Renewable Energy Brings a Windfall for Seniors

How officials in Crockett County are using wind investments to help older residents age in place

Texas Observer · Mar 12

How a High School Librarian in Abilene Fought Back Against Moms for Liberty

I entered this profession just as the storm clouds of the current book-banning push were starting to gather; now I’m in the middle of it.

Texas Observer · Mar 11

American Citizenship and Other Myths

We shouldn’t ignore the protofascism brewing on the JD Vance-aligned right. But the status quo ante isn’t good enough either.

Texas Observer · Mar 10

Consider the Rattle

In a state that still hosts grisly “rattlesnake roundups,” human Texans should learn to see something of themselves in their ancient, slithering kin.

Texas Observer · Mar 9