The latest from cartoonist Ben Sargent, in our magazine.
Read more from the May / June 2025 issue: https://www.texasobserver.org/issues/may-june-2025/
#education #religion #schools #politics #USpol #Texas #TXlege #comics
Edited 47d ago
texas
Because they hate their own voters, Texas Republicans are about to ban all products containing THC, plus they are also about to ban many popular anime series due to a very poorly written law against child deepfakes.
Both bills await Greg Abbott's signature. He'll likely sign. https://screenrant.com/anime-ban-censorship-america-texas-goblin-slayer-controversy/
“Texans know bullshit when we see it. This bill is a political stunt designed to distract us from the damage the state’s #abortion ban continues to cause.” https://www.texasobserver.org/legislature-abortion-reproductive-rights-bills-2025/
#news #politics #USpol #health #healthcare #TXlege #HumanRights #women #Texas
This year's #measles #outbreak is the worst since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. [Only] Halfway through 2025, reported cases have already surpassed 1,274 − the peak for all of 2019.
According to data from the #JohnsHopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, it reported a total of 1,277 confirmed cases, as of July 5. The majority of cases are linked to a large outbreak that originated in west #Texas.
#Trump #RFKJr #PublicHealth #vaccines
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/07/05/2025-record-breaking-measles-outbreak/83994445007/
"While Texas drowned, he danced.
With people still missing, he golfed.
He gutted the weather service. Slashed NOAA’s budget. As a result, the alerts came too late. 78 people died, including 28 children, with 41 more missing."
~ From Letters from God at Substack, in an email to subscribers
Either drastic cuts to NWS and NOAA budgets play a role — for weal or woe — in how those services function, or they don't. We can't have it both ways.
New today from Ana Flores: "I learned early as a Texan that our state doesn’t always fight for its people. Especially if you’re Latina. Especially if you’re undocumented. Especially if you’re young, brown, or poor." https://www.texasobserver.org/cuts-women-healthcare-reproductive-rights/
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"Ted Cruz stayed in Greece and continued to sightsee as rescuers scoured the floodwaters in Central #Texas that killed at least 91 people, including 27 campers and counselors from a summer camp."
The #Texas Capitol in #Austin was evacuated Sat afternoon after authorities identified “a credible threat toward state lawmakers planning to attend a #protest” at the #Capitol complex, TX Dept of Public Safety said.
Around 1PM CT, the Capitol & its grounds were evacuated & remain temporarily closed. The investigation is ongoing.
In a post on X, TX Lt Gov Dan Patrick (R) said “a credible threat was made to possibly kill members of the Texas Legislature at the Capitol”
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/14/texas-capitol-evacuated-protest-00406287
"In April, veteran meteorologists at the NWS were forced into early retirement. Forecasters warned at the time that their absence would 'cost lives.' They were right. With no one to read the models, sound the alarms, or coordinate warnings at the necessary scale, the people of Texas were left vulnerable. Nature played its part, yes—but policy turned a crisis into a mass casualty event."
~ Danielle Moodie
https://thelefthook.substack.com/p/trump-prefers-saving-pedophiles-over
Earlier: “If a young queer person fears that their parents might not be affirming, they need an outlet to process that. Having access to counselors at school can be a lifeline to young queer people who are trying to make sense of how they fit in the world and also trying to maintain a healthy relationship with their parents.” https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-2025-anti-lgbtq-bills-passed/
#politics #USpol #LGBTQIA+ #Texas #law #education #healthcare #news
#Texas Gov. #GregAbbott says at least 161 people are still missing days after flash #floods that killed more than 100 people across central Texas.
#Climate #ExtremeWeather #Republicans #GovernmentFunding #Trump #purge #NWS #NOAA #FEMA
https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-victims-camp-mystic-death-toll-ea38edadc7e965fb2c76c0ec46245a82?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-07-08-Breaking+News
🤦🏻♀️
New: A #Texas court has temporarily stopped the City of San Antonio from funding efforts to help residents travel out of state to get abortions.
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/04/texas-ken-paxton-san-antonio-abortion-travel/
“A panel of 3 fed appellate judges has ruled Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state's public school classrooms is unconstitutional.”
Now do #Texas.
“New Texas law will require Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom”
A federal judge ruled that the state of Texas for decades unnecessarily institutionalized 4,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in nursing home facilities, denying them services that are required under federal law.
#Court #HealthScience #Healthcare #News #Texas #Disabilities #FederalLaw #IntellectualOrDevelopmentalDisabilities #TexasDepartmentOfStateHealthServices #TopStories #Tpr
Today is the final day of #SCOTUS’ term — & the justices have left some of the most important & contentious cases until the end.
They are slated to release 6 opinions, including decisions that will deal with nationwide #injunctions on #Trump’s ban on #BirthrightCitizenship, whether #parents can opt their children out of #school lessons involving #LGBTQ #books, & a #Texas #law that requires age verification to view online #porn.
🧵
Here’s a running list of all of Tesla’s robotaxi mishaps so far
a list of all the mistakes the company’s “unsupervised” vehicles have made in the first couple days.
these are the incidents that cropped up among a small fleet of 10-20 vehicles in just three days of semi-public availability.
#NHTSA #tesla #robotaxi #safety #autonomousvehicles #autonomous #selfdriving #automotive #auto #cars #austintx #austin #texas
https://www.theverge.com/news/692639/tesla-robotaxi-mistake-wrong-lane-phantom-braking
A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage
—
A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-miscarriage-blood-transfusions?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Texas #Women #Health #Hospital #Pregnancy #Abortion #Medicine
Introducing the July/August 2025 issue of our magazine, with reporting from Sandy West on predatory adoption agencies, Chilton Tippin on international #politics and natural resources, and much more.
Become a member of the Texas Observer and get the best of our journalism, starting at just $3/month: texasobserver.fundjournalism.org/join
#journalism #Texas #nonprofit #culture #news #USpol #environment #water #children
Just published from my archives, an interview with KD Drackert, a local Long #Covid activist, #LGBTQIA+ performance artist and all-around fab person. They are a founder of our mask bloc/air filter lending library, Clear the Air ATX.
Read it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lefts-forgotten-132515558
(Free! No Patreon login/membership necessary)
(📷Kit O'Connell, January 2024 at the @TexasObserver office)
#LongCovid #health #HumanRights #activism #Texas #Austin #politics #USpol #RFKJr #Trump #CovidIsNotOver #MutualAid
Edited 11d ago
Elon Musk’s lobbyists spent tens of thousands of dollars on things like gifts and meals for Texas elected officials this year.
But, in most cases, state transparency laws do not require them to disclose which elected officials they wine and dine.
https://www.propublica.org/article/elon-musk-texas-lobbyists-influence-law?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #ElonMusk #Texas #Law #SpaceX #Tesla #Government #Business #Musk
Multiple #deaths reported in #Texas, rescue efforts underway as #FlashFlooding threatens communities
Multiple deaths have been reported in Texas after heavy #rain caused flash #flooding of a river, while search teams used boats to conduct rescues Friday as fast-moving water threatened riverfront communities near #wildlife #habitats & campgrounds.
#Climate #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #FEMA #Trump
https://apnews.com/article/thunderstorms-new-jersey-deaths-trees-hail-e8a4c85c77f714c9a974e50f3cd1fca1?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-07-04-Breaking+News