New from @jlbuch.bsky.social: First Amendment advocates are horrified at the decision in the legal case of this citizen journalist and provocateur, and its implications for media everywhere. But Priscilla Villarreal remains defiant.

Thrilled that the @texasobserver.org has co-won this year's Izzy Award for Independent Media, named for I.F. Stone: www.parkindymedia.org/winners-of-t...

(10) We are continuing to report on ICE conditions, deaths and medical care. Please reach out to me and Colleen DeGuzman (contact info below.) We take your confidentiality seriously. @texastribune.org www.texastribune.org/2026/02/19/i...

Covering immigration is hard — and a federal court’s restriction on accessing immigration records doesn’t help. @rcfp.org is urging the court to immediately address the problem so the press and public can more easily monitor the government’s actions.

Thirty-two people died in ICE custody nationwide last year, surpassing the previous high of 20 in 2005, according to federal data. Nearly a quarter of last year’s deaths occurred in Texas.

New from @jlbuch.bsky.social: “That facility is, like, terrible, horrible. There’s a lot of people in there. A lot. Each room has like 45 capacity. And they’re putting like 60 people in each room. The restroom is a mess. Dirty. People are sleeping on the floor, people are sleeping in the restroom.”

@rcfp.org's statement on the arrest of independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who were charged with violating federal law while covering a protest inside a Minnesota church. 🔗 Read more: www.rcfp.org/lemon-fort-a...

#BestOf2025 from @jlbuch.bsky.social: The first deaths passed largely unnoticed by anyone other than the families and friends of those who consumed the tainted substances. A clearer picture wouldn’t emerge until 911 calls began flooding in the following morning.

New from @jlbuch.bsky.social: Earlier this month, the San Antonio-area enclave of Castle Hills agreed to pay $500,000 to former city council member Sylvia Gonzalez, who had alleged that political opponents in the local government orchestrated criminal charges to silence her.

New from @jlbuch.bsky.social: Research suggests a harm reduction approach helps drug users stay healthier and enter recovery. But doing this work on the border has become more dangerous and difficult as troop presence increases.

Across the border from El Paso, Chihuahua is setting up a massive surveillance network. In the past, intel collected by Mexican law enforcement (or provided by the U.S.) has gone straight to the cartels. Now Texas wants to participate. www.texasobserver.org/texas-chihua...

ICYMI: The real-life consequences of DOGE. How DOGE Left Mohammad Halimi’s Life in Tatters

Our top story, from @michellepitcher.bsky.social: Advocates for police transparency say a new bill would supercharge cops' ability to shield misconduct from the public. www.texasobserver.org/secrecy-g-fi...

Since Democratic lawmakers left Texas to delay Republicans’ new map, state leaders have challenged the limits of traditional democratic norms to break the impasse.

Unauthorized immigration is at a record low and former Pres. Biden, who TX Gov. Greg Abbott claimed opened the border, is out of office, yet the Texas lege just renewed a controversial border security grant for local governments. So for @expressnews.com I investigated how that money is being spent.

Texas DPS director’s son is still an active trooper weeks after injuring bystander in 101 mph crash www.statesman.com/politics/tex...

Went to Seguin for some interviews on a feature I’m working on spec. Picked up these classics

Under Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott has distributed $177 million in border security grants to 115 Texas counties and cities. Explore our interactive gameboard to see which cities and counties received Abbott's grants and how they used the money. bit.ly/4ljnbCf

I thought I was old enough to never make another social media account

Lone Star grants paid for pickups, office furniture, workout rooms and other items with little connection to border security. 'There it is,' we'll take it,' one county judge said of the state money.