Previously: Texas lawmakers ordered sheriffs in all counties to enter into cooperation agreements with #ICE, that may be limited to jailhouses—or may convert deputies into roving immigration agents.
The Texas Observer
Legislature Mandates Sheriff-ICE Cooperation in Jails or Streets
Texas lawmakers are ordering nearly all counties to seek federal agreements that may be limited to jailhouses—or may convert deputies into roving...
 #politics #USpol #news #Texas #immigration #police #TXlege #HumanRights
Earlier: What does it say about us when we tolerate—or even support—policies that traumatize, neglect, and abuse children? How much cruelty will we inflict—or passively allow our nation’s leaders, laws, & institutions to inflict on our behalf—on #children?
The Texas Observer
How Republicans Are Willfully Endangering Immigrant Kids
GOP lawmakers often claim they want to protect children, but their policy decisions tell a different story.
 #HumanRights #immigration #ICE #Republicans #politics #USpol #news #fascism
Featured story: “Right now ... we’re seeing what authoritarianism is about in its ugliest way. We’re seeing people being stopped on the street being picked up at their workplace, thrown into vans and taken God knows where without due process.”
The Texas Observer
Can Economic Populism Win Back the Rio Grande Valley?
A Vermont U.S. senator and an Austin congressman make the case in McAllen.
 #ICE #immigration #HumanRights #fascism #politics #USpol #Texas #border #SouthTexas #news
"Many told me they would fight for their water to the very last drop. Others, however, have already begun asking the existential question: Where will we go when the river runs dry?"
The Texas Observer
‘With What Water?’: Texas, Mexico, and the Disappearing Rio Conchos
Drought has hollowed out Chihuahua’s Conchos Valley and bred civil unrest as South Texas demands the water it’s owed.
 #water #politics #USpol #news #environment #Mexico #Texas #border #ClimateChange
Featured story: Across the country, Afghan children—mostly boys—are diving into American sports. Wrestling is popular partly because it’s similar to traditional Afghan wrestling, which involves more upper-body throws but requires similar body control and mental toughness.
The Texas Observer
Afghan Refugees Find a Home on a San Antonio High School Wrestling Team
Traditional Afghan wrestling—known as Pehlwani—is a popular pastime for boys in the south-central Asian nation.
 #sports #photography #politics #USpol #culture #refugees #immigration #Texas #photography
“It’s a safe space to be yourself regardless of who that is. I don’t understand why people want to smother that.” From 2022: Drag Queen Story Hour? Over 150 people crowded into a West Texas cafe for this small town's first such event.
The Texas Observer
West Texas Town Comes Out for Drag Queens
Despite the presence of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters, over 150 people attended the first story time event in Wolfforth, a small suburb of Lubbock.
 #drag #pride #politics #culture #USpol #news #Texas #WestTexas #children
"So I don’t understand why there is no sense of urgency. Why aren’t we seeing these whistleblowers?" New today: Kevin Limiti catches up with Reality Winner as she rebuilds her life in Kingsville and reacts to the second #Trump term ...
The Texas Observer
Reality Winner Rebuilds in Kingsville
The NSA whistleblower, with a memoir coming later this year, faces the barriers for Texans with felony records.
 #whistleblower #fascism #ElonMusk #Texas #poetry #USpol #news #democracy
“Right now in McAllen and other parts of this country we’re seeing what authoritarianism is about in its ugliest way.” New today: Despite a rainstorm, people packed into the 1,800 person auditorium to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar offer an alternative to oligarchy.
The Texas Observer
Can Economic Populism Win Back the Rio Grande Valley?
A Vermont U.S. senator and an Austin congressman make the case in McAllen.
 #Democrats #border #SouthTexas #politics #USpol #democracy #ElonMusk #news #immigration #ICE #photography
Update: Governor Greg Abbott vetoed SB 3, the controversial, draconian #THC ban which would have shut down thousands of Texas businesses. There will be a special session to replace it with a new bill which regulates hemp products.
The Texas Observer
Reefer Madness Returns to Texas with Dan Patrick’s THC Ban
If the governor signs SB 3 into law, thousands of jobs and billions in revenue could soon disappear.
 #cannabis #news #politics #USpol #TXlege #Texas #drugs #health
From Kit @npub1npnp...ecka in the archives: “The reality is that gender-affirming medical care for trans youth is not controversial within mainstream medicine.” But that consensus hasn't stopped the New York Times from treating anti-trans organizations as experts on #transgender health.
The Texas Observer
There Is No Legitimate ‘Debate’ Over Gender-Affirming Healthcare
A recent New York Times article that experts called inaccurate and unethical now serves as evidence in Texas against transgender kids.
 #NYTimes #media #journalism #trans #SCOTUS #news #politics #USpol #health #healthcare #children