Since 1973, at least 201 people on death row have been exonerated—meaning cleared of any responsibility for a crime. Eighteen of those people were in #Texas. A recent report reveals how racist the ultimate punishment really is:
The Texas Observer
New Report Highlights the 'Fatal Flaws' Behind Wrongful Capital Convictions
The ACLU found official misconduct, perjury, and predominantly white juries to be leading contributors to exonerated death sentences.
 #DeathPenalty #HumanRights #law #politics #USpol #news #prison #racism
“I felt like Dred Scott. I felt like a person sitting in front of white people with no rights, knowing that I hadn’t done anything to anybody, but I could not control what they were trying to do to me.”
The Texas Observer
New Report Highlights the 'Fatal Flaws' Behind Wrongful Capital Convictions
The ACLU found official misconduct, perjury, and predominantly white juries to be leading contributors to exonerated death sentences.
 #DeathPenalty #politics #HumanRights #racism #Texas #law #prison #USpol #news
Our top story, from Lise Olsen and Martha Pskowski: East Texans are uniting to fight oil waste pits in bucolic areas near the #Louisiana line—all run by an operator who’s been cited for dozens of violations, and a worker’s death.
The Texas Observer
East Texans Fight Oil Waste Pits Run by an Operator Cited for Dozens of Violations
In bucolic areas near the Louisiana line, residents ask, "Why are Texas taxpayers liable for other states’ toxic waste?"
 #politics #USpol #news #OilAndGas #pollution #energy #Texas #EastTexas
Featured story, from Candice Bernd: A Texas Observer analysis found, since 2021, at least 60 cryptomines have been developed or are under construction in at least 33 counties statewide. Experts worry our grid, and #water supply, can't handle the load.
The Texas Observer
Crypto's Cryptic Texas Takeover
State regulators don't want you to know about the 60-plus Bitcoin mines guzzling public water and electricity—even though consumers are alre...
 #crypto #bitcoin #energy #Texas #politics #USpol #environment #ClimateChange
After a nearly 4-hour meeting of the water board, the people of Van Zandt County secured what many described as a major victory for their land, #water, and community. But getting to that point took months of meetings and advocacy.
The Texas Observer
Dammed if You Do: East Texas Locals Fight to Stop an Unnecessary Reservoir
In Van Zandt County, a fight over water rights, government transparency, and land ownership came to a head with a proposed dam project.
 #environment #politics #USpol #news #EastTexas #Texas
From our magazine, the latest by Texas Observer cartoonist Ben Sargent. Read more from the November/December 2025 issue:
The Texas Observer
November/December 2025
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Previously: His wife visited him #ICE in detention on his 50th birthday. She couldn’t even bring him the card she’d made. They could only speak through a phone, divided by a thick pane of glass. It was one of few times she’d ever seen him cry.
The Texas Observer
Trump's ICE Arrested a Whistleblower Who Exposed Sexual Assault in Detention. Now, He’s Left the Country.
Douglas Menjivar is a survivor and activist. He’s also married to a U.S. citizen, but he was caught up in the president’s mass deportation agen...
 #politics #USpol #news #immigration #HumanRights #law #Texas #fascism #genocide
“In America, this risk [of wrongful conviction] is not only a defining feature of the modern death penalty, but it also results in the disproportionate conviction and execution of innocent Black people.”
The Texas Observer
New Report Highlights the 'Fatal Flaws' Behind Wrongful Capital Convictions
The ACLU found official misconduct, perjury, and predominantly white juries to be leading contributors to exonerated death sentences.
 #DeathPenalty #politics #USpol #HumanRights #news #Politics #USpol #ethics
"There’s a very strong pro-life argument. As a society, we are capable of keeping people safe, and we can do that while honoring that every life has inherent dignity and worth, and that includes people on death row who have committed unspeakable acts."
The Texas Observer
Pro-Life, Anti-Death Penalty
Nan Tolson is the face of the conservative movement against capital punishment in Texas.
 #DeathPenalty #prison #law #HumanRights #religion #Republicans #Texas #ethics #USpol #politics
Our top story: A state regulatory agency blocked our analysis of public data about #crypto mining operations and their energy use. So we conducted our own independent investigation ...
The Texas Observer
Crypto's Cryptic Texas Takeover
State regulators don't want you to know about the 60-plus Bitcoin mines guzzling public water and electricity—even though consumers are alre...
 #bitcoin #energy #environment #water #Texas #politics #USpol #news #ClimateChange #tech