New from Francesca D'Annunzio: Under Governor Greg Abbott's multi-billion dollar border security bonanza, Operation Lone Star, the Rio Grande no longer holds back law enforcement efforts. Today's digital border reaches across Texas and beyond.
The Texas Observer
Texas’ AI-Powered Surveillance Arsenal Has Ballooned. Proposed Laws Provide Few Guardrails.
Operation Lone Star has turbocharged DPS’ surveillance capabilities. Lawmakers say they want to prevent Texas from becoming a police state but ha...
 This story is presented in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. #surveillance #tech #SocialMedia #GregAbbott #police #border #privacy #security #USpol #politics #news
”Trans people are not a threat. We just want to exist and be left alone. Our dignity cannot be taken. But the #Texas Legislature is in danger of trading away its own.” From April Maria Ortiz in 2023: Coming out in small town Texas ...
The Texas Observer
I Am a Trans Texan
A state resident ties the current gender panic to fascist politics through the lens of their own experience.
 #trans #LGBTQIA+ #transphobia #Uvalde #TXlege #politics #USpol #TDOV #TransDayOfVisibility #news #culture
“While I appreciate receiving any response, the lack of detail and clarity regarding the initial investigation—beyond the vague statement that ‘we are investigating and hope to reach a conclusion within 120 days’—is simply not enough.”
The Texas Observer
Congressman Denounces ICE Response About Prosecutor Operating Racist X Account
In response to the Observer’s reporting, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey demanded answers he has yet to fully receive—while ICE refuses to clarify the pr...
 #ICE #racism #SocialMedia #politics #USpol #Texas #news #immigration #NorthTexas
"We had such a busy caseload, and now that our office is eliminated, what does this mean for cases where there are more immediate needs, like, if a student is taking a test and they need more time, and they’re not receiving that additional time?"
The Texas Observer
'We're Not Just Some Bureaucrats': DOE Employees on How Their Work Helps Texas Students
Department of Education workers and union leaders in Texas say kids will pay the price for Trump’s decision to “break this system.”
 #politics #USpol #news #schools #law #CivilRights #education #disability #Trump #DOGE
New from @npub1ayp3...yw0l: At a moment when our institutions of learning seem to be engulfed in flames, incited by right-wing witch hunts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, The Librarians reminds us how we got here and reveals, perhaps, how we can get out.
The Texas Observer
These Librarians Won’t Let America’s Fever Hit Fahrenheit 451
A new documentary shows us our local guardians of intellectual freedom in battle.
 #documentary #film #SXSW #censorship #library #books #bookstodon #politics #USpol @npub1j3xq...8v5j @bookstodon group
“Now what we’re seeing is a full-on assault on our state’s immunization program. Activists felt like they could take advantage of the [COVID-19 pandemic] and exploit it and start going after laws that have been on the books for decades.”
The Texas Observer
Amid Texas Measles Outbreak, Conservatives Double Down on Anti-Vax Crusade
Spread of the virus is due to low immunization rates in certain communities. Meanwhile, some legislators are cheering for more “medical freedom.”
 #health #HumanRights #politics #USpol #Texas #TXlege #healthcare #antivax #measles #news
Our top story: If the voucher bill were to pass, select private companies could soon be reeling in tens and even hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars per year. We took a closer look at who stands to gain the most.
The Texas Observer
How Voucher Vendors Could Make Millions from ‘School Choice’ in Texas
The Legislature’s current proposals put a handful of private contractors in the driver’s seat. Other states have already seen problems.
 #education #politics #USpol #vouchers #news #schools #TXlege #Texas #GregAbbott
Recently, a bloc of self-proclaimed conservative reformers invoked the Sharpstown debacle in their crusade to take down the speaker of the house and root out an alleged cabal of corrupted “RINOs” who they claim have conspired with lobbyists and #Democrats to control the chamber.
The Texas Observer
What Ever Happened to Ethics Reform?
The House speaker battle wasn’t really about cleaning house.
 #history #politics #corruption #Republicans #TXlege #USpol #Texas #news #ethics
Our top story: “One thing that is abundantly clear is that #border enforcement, and in particular the construction of detention facilities ... is big business. It’s a huge business. It’s incredibly lucrative for a very small number of people who have every incentive to make this system as big and as bloated as possible.”
The Texas Observer
Abbott’s Border Disaster Has Created a No-Bid Bonanza for Private Contractors
There is now a powerful, well-heeled constituency that has built up around Operation Lone Star.
 #GregAbbott #TXlege #politics #USpol #Immigration #HumanRights #CriminalJustice #news #corruption
When exercising this newfound authority as part of Trump's taskforce, local officers must seek guidance from an #ICE supervisor—but are allowed to do so “as soon as is practicable” ... after exercising the authority.
The Texas Observer
Local and State Police Are Joining Trump's 'Deportation Force'
Texas law enforcement agencies and others around the nation are reviving a long-dead "task force" program that led to racial profiling in the past.
 #politics #USpol #police #HumanRights #immigration #news #Trump #border #CriminalJustice