The Observer's closing thought for the year: A Light the Darkness Cannot Extinguish, from @drdrbrockman.bsky.social www.texasobserver.org/a-light-the-...

NEW: Texas DPS touts one of the largest drone programs in the country. Since the launch of Operation Lone Star in 2021, DPS has more than doubled its drone inventory. Now, DPS has almost as many drones as the US Border Patrol. www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-dr...

“No one has done more than Rick Levy for the modern-day labor movement in Texas.” After decades of leadership, retired Texas AFL-CIO President @ricktxaflco.bsky.social leaves behind a stronger, more inclusive Texas labor movement built to win the fights ahead. (via @texasobserver.org)

The @texasobserver.org is still seeking student applicants for an internship helping cover the 2026 elections! Details here: www.texasobserver.org/jobs/

As total membership in Texas unions grows, the state's labor federation is moving into a new era of leadership, with Latin@s in both of the top roles for the first time: www.texasobserver.org/texas-afl-ci... from @josephinelee.bsky.social

Words of wisdom from @ricktxaflco.bsky.social here. “For any organizer, their number one job is to organize themselves out of a job," Levy said. “No one has done more than Rick Levy for the modern-day labor movement in Texas,” Greg Casar said.

As total membership in Texas unions grows, the state's labor federation is moving into a new era of leadership, with Latin@s in both of the top roles for the first time: www.texasobserver.org/texas-afl-ci... from @josephinelee.bsky.social

I’m extremely proud to join the board of the non-profit that supports the amazing and venerable @texasobserver.org! Not a subscriber? Change that today: texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/join/

Excited to see the Texas Observer's nonprofit board grow at the end of this year, adding @maudbeelman.bsky.social, @blibal.bsky.social, and Gabriela Resto-Montero: www.texasobserver.org/board/

"I think that we should be looking at who it is that can expand the electorate so we can win. We have spent a lot of time doing the philosophy lessons of who it is that we believe can win—and we keep losing, versus being willing to do something different." www.texasobserver.org/jasmine-croc...

It was never plausible to carry out mass deportations while focusing on the "worst of the worst"; there aren't enough serious criminals in the deportable population. Tom Homan was always crystal clear they would be indiscriminate

A thoughtful assessment of Lina Hidalgo that avoids the schadenfreude of the typical rise-and-fall political story: www.texasobserver.org/lina-hidalgo...

Republicans aside, there's no one who knows how to win the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas

On November 13, surrounded by family and listening to Guy Clark songs in the capital of the state on which he left such an enormous mark, David Richards left us at the age of 92. A memorial essay from Louis Dubose:

Checked the clock and it's still today so run don't walk to the link below!

Have you been informed or entertained by our articles in 2025? Your donation on #GivingTuesday fuels the hard-hitting, deep-dive reporting Texas needs now more than ever. All gifts today are matched up to $25,000! Donate now: texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/donate/?camp...

Hey hey internet, today is GivingTuesday! Your donation today to @texasobserver.org fuels the hard-hitting, deep-dive reporting Texas needs now more than ever. Plus all gifts today are matched up to $25,000! Donate: texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/donate/?camp...

Hey y'all, today is GivingTuesday so please consider making a donation to the @texasobserver.org and support the one-of-a-kind independent journalism that we bring to Texas. We may be small but we are also mighty--especially with your help! texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/donate/?camp...

Powerful profile from @michellepitcher.bsky.social: www.texasobserver.org/pam-perillo-...

Something Texas Dems keep failing to replicate about 2018 is that Beto was in the Senate race by February 2017 (and Joaquin Castro was officially out by that May, fully clearing the way). This, well, is the opposite of that: www.statesman.com/news/politic...

Recently finished up my last freelance work of the year before moving on to a mad sprint of book writing, so —rather earlier than usual — it's time for my year in review! Here, in no particular order, are the features I'm proudest of.

“Trans visibility is important, but also trans people deserve to have fun.” For @texasobserver.org magazine, I teamed up with photographer Harmon Li to document a "Trans Takeover" at Austin's Barton Springs swimming hole. A moment of queer and trans joy that came weeks after a violent attack ...

In April, state + fed police raided a bday party near Austin, arresting ~50 people including nine kids. Cops claimed w/o evidence they’d busted a Tren de Aragua gathering, + only charged two people w/ a crime. Now, the local DA has dropped both charges www.texasobserver.org/prosecutors-...

That April raid on a birthday party in Hays County resulted in zero criminal charges, despite claims this was some big TdA bust. www.texasobserver.org/prosecutors-...

The company that won the contract to run Texas' new school voucher program leans on former Abbott aides for help www.texasobserver.org/texas-vouche...

There is a cottage industry of liberal commentators who barf out that Dems must move right on immigration every 2 years; meanwhile, politics probably actually depends on things like Pizzagate seeding a right-wing bloc that, 9 years later, has pedophilia cabals as their #1 issue

Texas AG on 10/22: "Attorney General Ken Paxton Arrests 35 Illegal Aliens for Immigration Violations Through Partnership with Trump Administration" On 11/12: "As these individuals were not arrested by the OAG..." Well gee, I wonder how people got the wrong impression...

Now that the dust has settled I can finally let the city know that my futile vote for Prop Q was still meant as a vote against the new logo. It's not too late to reverse course, replace it with a bat eating a taco

OK in. Prop Q toast:

don't think i've ever seen Travis Co. take this long with early vote results

NEW: The notorious 287(g) task force program has finally reached the Texas Department of Public Safety, raising fears of widespread racial profiling. In other words: Texas is deputizing some of its state officers to act as roving ICE agents. www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-28...

Big (bad) news from @francescadnunz.bsky.social: www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-28...

A great review from @capaciousmood.bsky.social that's a satisfying read but still leaves you wanting to pick up the book: www.texasobserver.org/queen-mother...

A TPPF lawsuit against the City of Dallas seeks to push the bounds of what the 2023 "death star" bill applies to, validating the fears of all those who said the bill was far too vague 1. The bill author said it would not affect nondiscrimination ordinances. Yet TPPF seeks to undo:

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Criminal Investigations Division, signed a 287(g) task force agreement with ICE on 10/17: www.ice.gov/identify-and...

I feel like the alarm dial may be turned to its maximum level already. Nevertheless, it is alarming that the Texas AG is sending out cops from w/in his office to make immigration arrests so that, among other things, he can become a U.S. senator. Plus the fascist quote to boot

Check out my article in the Texas Observer about Prop Q, the Austin tax rate election. www.texasobserver.org/austin-prope...

Lots of opportunites right now for aspiring state reps in Austin. Local labor leader Montserrat Garibay announces for Gina Hinojosa's seat. I interviewed her a few years back as she joined the Biden administration, here: www.texasobserver.org/texas-labor-...

NEW: ICE remains mum regarding prosecutor exposed as white supremacist. "They want to signal to the other white supremacists...out there that under this administration things are going to be different and you’re not going to have to worry about losing your job" www.texasobserver.org/ice-white-su...

"He married an American citizen in 2017. But he was unable to obtain a green card, routinely reporting to ICE until June 10, when agents arrested him after he dutifully arrived for his appointment. That day, they took him..." www.texasobserver.org/trump-ice-ar...

Thank goodness that *both* these logos now appear in the email signature from the APD press office. This level of consistent branding has cleared up the years of confusion I experienced just seeing the logo that inscrutably said "Austin Police"

This raises the possibility of all three top-ballot Dem spots being Austin state reps. On the other hand, Hinojosa is from Brownsville and has a last name that basically shouts deep South Texas. First serious Latin@ Dem to jump in statewide so far: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rU6...

The Court of Criminal Appeals has stayed Robert Roberson’s execution, sending his case back to a lower court for reconsideration. He was scheduled to be executed in less than a week.

Behold, interesting political reporting about Texas Democrats: www.texasobserver.org/inside-rift-...

SCOOP: A Soros-backed PAC in Texas expects a massive budget—$20 million a year, each year, until 2032—but the group has been roiled by territorial disputes and allegations of "data falsification" & "systemic" voter outreach fraud. And here come the midterms. In @texasobserver.org: bit.ly/3IYSfdc

New from @samrussek.bsky.social: While some local Democratic party chapters speak effusively of their partnerships with Texas Majority PAC, others liken it to a bait-and-switch operation that commandeers the grassroots manpower of established county parties & fails to deliver on its lofty promises.

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There are simply so many fires to attend to; we don't even have a story on the gov shutdown up, but I feel proud of what the @texasobserver.org did get to this week. Today's story, ICE snatches a Dallas Muslim leader known for his gentleness and humility: www.texasobserver.org/ice-marwan-m...

There are simply so many fires to attend to; we don't even have a story on the gov shutdown up, but I feel proud of what the @texasobserver.org did get to this week. Today's story, ICE snatches a Dallas Muslim leader known for his gentleness and humility: www.texasobserver.org/ice-marwan-m...

Trump hastens plan to deny domestic workers the minimum wage. www.texasobserver.org/texas-domest...