At the University of Texas, in journalism school, is where @iamleslierangel.bsky.social learned about La Matanza, or the “The Massacre,” a brutal period of violence against Mexicans in Texas from 1910 to 1920. U.S. Army soldiers and the Texas Rangers lynched hundreds Mexicans during La Matanza.

Beautiful essay from @iamleslierangel.bsky.social about the pressure to assimilate in the Dallas suburbs, about the whitewashed version of history taught in Texas classrooms — and about how journalism let’s us evolve. thebarbedwire.com/2025/09/16/j...

love editing @iamleslierangel.bsky.social because there is always a chance that one of us or @oliviamesser.bsky.social will cry. which we did here. because journalism matters, our words matter, and who writes them matters. we will keep taking that seriously at @thebarbedwire.com

Hands down, the best piece on the swirl of events around Rep. Nicole Collier, the threat to arrest her, and the wellspring of support that has emerged. From @thebarbedwire.com's @oliviamesser.bsky.social and @iamleslierangel.bsky.social

Latest from @iamleslierangel.bsky.social — The new ICE detention facility at Fort Bliss is the largest in U.S. history. It’s also one of five sites where Texas held detainees of Japanese descent — including American-born civilians — during World War II. thebarbedwire.com/2025/08/18/t...

Chilling story from @iamleslierangel.bsky.social about the Texas families living in fear as they head back to school. ~15% of K-12 students in Texas — or 890,000 children — have at least one undocumented parent, and an estimated 111,000 Texas kids are undocumented thebarbedwire.com/2025/08/14/m...

Wow. This complement made my year. Late to it bc I’m mostly on threads these days but appreciate the shoutout 🙏🏽 Here’s some of my work: thebarbedwire.com/author/leslie/

📣 TX Journos:Want to join our @thebarbedwire.com email list for pitch calls? We’re looking for hot takes, enterprise, investigative and culture stories others don’t deem “their target audience.” (I’m looking at you, journalists of color) DM me! CC: @oliviamesser.bsky.social @carakelly.bsky.social

The Texas House just gave a big yeehaw to banning all consumable hemp products that contain THC, because nothing says “freedom” like government micromanaging your gummies.

I brought this slack msg to an AU dean in June. she knew I filed a Title IX report for Olivia & the researcher. I begged her to shut it down, told her sexual assaults had happened after drinks. she told me there was nothing she could do. it was sent to 9 female interns. www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...

and on that note… someone please ask @washingtonpost.com why they cut Olivia out of their version of this story hours before they published? they had all the same reporting. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Thank you to these women who spoke up. Proud to call some of them my friends ❤️‍🩹😔

Last week, Austin drag queen Brigitte Bandit wore a skirt listing the names of pastors accused of sexual assault to the Texas Capitol to testify against a ban on drag story hours. Now, she’s using what she’s learned in political activism to teach audiences the legislative process via drag.

NEW: The Texas Senate passed SB 2880, the widest-ranging abortion pill crackdown in the country, last night. Sen. Bryan Hughes says it will protect women & "unborn children." Dems slammed it as a "bounty hunter bonanza" that violates separation of powers. #txlege www.statesman.com/story/news/p...

As of this morning #SB31 was in the House. A bipartisan effort to help clean up the mess of Texas’ abortion bans passed the Texas Senate. Of course, it doesn’t make any exemptions for rape, incest, teen pregnancies and fatal fetal abnormalities. #txlege #texas thebarbedwire.com/2025/04/29/t...

At the Cowboy Carter tour kickoff, Beyoncé didn’t just put on a show, she made a statement. She’s been iced out of country music, dragged for not being “country enough,” and hit with racist vitriol—but still, she’s that girl. @iamleslierangel.bsky.social breaks down the moment here:

Elon Musk tried livestreaming as he (badly) played “Path of Exile 2” from his private jet using Starlink, and got roasted into logging off. Trolls flooded the chat with gems like: “You ruined the country just like you ruined all your marriages.”

As the Texas Legislature debates bills on exemptions to abortion bans, and other regulations on reproductive healthcare, we asked doctors how they’re navigating pregnancy talk with patients, and what to consider if you need life-saving abortion care. Read our must-read guide:

“Texans, you may never want an abortion, but you may find yourself in my situation. You may need one to save yourself or to save a healthy, wanted baby,” Lauren Miller, a Texas mother said.

Congressman Sylvester Turner, who was just two months into his first term representing the 18th Congressional District of Texas, died on Tuesday, according to The Texas Tribune. He was 70 years old.

This story from @iamleslierangel.bsky.social could truly be a movie: When her daughter was a toddler, Melissa Rojas’ husband impregnated another woman and left. Moving back to the Rio Grande Valley felt like defeat, but raising her daughter inspired a new dream. thebarbedwire.com/2025/02/27/c...

Texas oligarch & DOGE-in-chief Elon Musk has basically staged a coup-from-the-top. Historians and German philosophers are waving red flags, calling it textbook fascism. So… what’s next?

Send this to your uncle who thinks Trump is “good for the economy.” Beer’s Going to Cost More, from @iamleslierangel.bsky.social for @thebarbedwire.bsky.social thebarbedwire.com/2025/02/11/t...

Texas lawmakers are back at it—pushing bathroom bounties and genetic testing for student athletes instead of fixing, you know, actual problems. Here’s a look at the bills LGBTQIA+ organizations in Texas are keeping an eye on. #TXLege

🚨EXCLUSIVE: Famed Rice University horn professor William VerMeulen abruptly retired last spring amid a swirl of allegations. A Barbed Wire investigation found students and industry professionals alleged decades of sexual misconduct—claims students say Rice knew about for 30 years.

After a weekend of protests state and nationwide, speaking out against an immigration crackdown, Gov. Greg Abbott seals a deal with Donald Trump to allow National Guard members to make immigration arrests.

Just wrote my 100th byline for @thebarbedwire.bsky.social and it was about a knifesmith telling a Nazi memorabilia owner to fuck off. thebarbedwire.com/2025/02/03/t...

“At 26, this survivor of domestic violence has found an unexpected path to reclaiming her agency .... After years of having every choice stripped away by an abusive partner, something as simple as choosing a lipstick shade has become her declaration of independence.” - @kwanetaharris.bsky.social

A raíz de las numerosas órdenes ejecutivas y cambios de política, nos asesoramos con abogados sobre cómo puede protegerse y proteger a sus seres queridos.

Fear and chaos are spreading, especially in Texas, where immigrant communities are bracing for impact. Discover ways to stay informed and prepared here: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/23/i...

State Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, was elected Speaker of the Texas House Tuesday, fending off a challenge from the (further) right as Democrats helped him win the third-most powerful job in the state.

“The historic gesture, set against the backdrop of the Texas Legislature, reflects a broader commitment to fight for a world where love is celebrated, not marginalized.” #TXLege #Texas #TexasPolitics

Guess no one told Zuck about the biases happening in Texas towards women, people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQIA+ community….

Oh, hey! We're hiring. ⬇️

Back to try again😅 How do you build/find community? Have faith in the algorithm? I’m a #TX journo. Daughter of immigrants. #Pug mom, married to a fellow #journalist, love #Beyoncé, #Kendrick, #BadBunny & Karol G. I paused a 12 year TV News career and now a senior editor @thebarbedwire.bsky.social

“I think the kids knew what was at stake,” said Dr. Juvon Pollard Sr., a TSU associate band director. “I think they did a really good job at keeping it away from social media, and keeping it out of the hands and the ears of the wrong people.” thebarbedwire.com/2024/12/31/t...

“On Christmas Day, 197 students from Houston’s HBCU, Texas Southern University, breathed life to an historic performance for the greatest singer of modern times, Beyoncé.” #TexasNews #Beyonce #TexasSouthern #HBCU thebarbedwire.com/2024/12/31/t...

This whole thread from our Editor in Chief 🥹 Support #TexasNews

“Let her stunning show and culture-shifting iterations remind you that as Black women, our definition is subjective. Joy is our birthright.”

“If 2024 has taught us anything — specifically Black women, but any human with genuine integrity and authentic empathy — it’s that attaining the lightness of joy amid the darkness of reality is complicated. But not impossible.” @thebarbedwire.bsky.social #beyonce thebarbedwire.com/2024/12/26/b...

And here I thought the start of 2025 was going to be 💩 😂 #beyoncebowl

Iconic #BeyonceBowl. As a Dallas Cowboys fan, this is EVERYTHING Jerry Jones WISHES his organization could be. Congrats Houston 👏🏽

This was such a beautiful read from @briangaar.bsky.social !! For some of us video games helped us escape the harsh realities as a kid, even for just a little bit. Read this if you’re looking for a little nostalgia and joy 🎁 @thebarbedwire.bsky.social #gaming thebarbedwire.com/2024/12/23/t...

The House Ethics Committee released its investigation report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Read the full report here.

From TV news to startup vibes—what a pivot! 🚀 Embracing change is key in today's fast-paced world. This move shows the power of innovation in storytelling! #NewBeginnings #StartupLife

If you would’ve told me in January I’d leave my 12 year career as a TV News anchor/reporter to write for a startup called The Barbed Wire with Olivia Messer, I would’ve laughed. It’s been the best newsroom experience of my journalism career 🥹

Yep, definitely crying after reading the last @axios.com Latino newsletter. It’s unfair. @russcontreras.bsky.social beautifully wrote what I think captures why journalism for us first gen kids means so much. His “Lita” reminds me of my late dad. 🥺 #axioslatino www.axios.com/2024/12/19/l...

Adding to this: The Texas Maternal Mortality Committee didn’t even realize they weren’t counting abortion-related deaths until *this year* because the law is so tucked away in its procedures, a member recently reminded me. bkgd on this via @austinchronicle www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2...

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“You know, not being in your own home country, but digging in literally and figuratively to make your way here. Yeah, that takes guts,” said Jones.” More than 9,700 refugees arrived in Texas from October 2023 to September 2024, more than any other state. #Texas #Refugees #TexasNews