AltWeeklies Wire
'The King of Texas' Looks at Eagle Pennell's Brilliant, but Wasted, Lifenew
The proto-indie filmmaker's highs and many lows are chronicled in this new documentary.
The Texas Observer |
Steve McVicker |
05-07-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Systemic Neglect at Texas' Troubled Insitutions for the Mentally Retardednew
Texas has the largest remaining set of mental institutions in the nation, housing the state's most vulnerable: some can't feed or dress themselves, and others can't even rise from a gurney or speak. And according to government records, the very people charged with caring for these patients are victimizing them.
The Texas Observer |
Dave Mann |
05-07-2008 |
Science
A Former Death-House Chaplain Talks About Capital Punishmentnew
From 1982-95, Reverend Carroll Pickett presided over the executions of 95 inmates. After his retirement, Pickett became an anti-death-penalty advocate and began working with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. At the Death House Door, the documentary following his emotional career, premiered at the SXSW film festival in March.
San Antonio Current |
Kiko Martinez |
04-30-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Texas Democrats Endure Another Round of Caucus Chaosnew
With record-breaking Democratic turnout have come unprecedented headaches. The struggle to manage that surge was once again on display on March 29 at 279 county and senatorial district conventions. It was the second step in Texas' three-part caucus to determine how 67 delegates will be apportioned between Democratic presidential aspirants Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The Texas Observer |
Staff |
04-23-2008 |
Politics
How Texas' Attorney General Suppresses the Votenew
Greg Abbott prosecutes Democrats who help seniors vote by mail while ignoring Republican ballot-box stuffing.
The Texas Observer |
Steven Rosenfeld |
04-23-2008 |
Politics
Hog Wildnew
Feral pigs are ugly, destructive and mean. Some people in Texas just love to trap, stab or shoot them. Or put them in rodeos. With dogs.
Houston Press |
Todd Spivak |
04-21-2008 |
Animal Issues
Teaching Teens How to Parent and Stop Having Childrennew
Battling the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, Texas counselors have their work cut out.
Dallas Observer |
Jesse Hyde |
04-21-2008 |
Sex
The Disappearing North Texas Cowboynew
There are still foremen and cowboys working long-term on the handful of big ranches still left in Tarrant and surrounding counties, or riding full time on their own smaller spreads, but their numbers are small and -- with the region's cities growing faster than most in the country -- getting smaller by the day.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Peter Gorman |
04-17-2008 |
Business & Labor
Homeland Security's Actions May Help in Stalling the Border Wallnew
How Michael Chertoff's "mega-waiver" could awaken the Supreme Court, revive humane legislation, and create a kinder, gentler border.
San Antonio Current |
Greg Harman |
04-16-2008 |
Immigration
So Much for No Child Left Behindnew
School test scores rise as more low-scoring students drop out.
Houston Press |
Margaret Downing |
04-15-2008 |
Education
Caucus Chaos in Texasnew
Local Obama supporters get tripped up by the Texas Two-Step.
San Antonio Current |
Gilbert Garcia |
04-09-2008 |
Politics
Citizen Activism Against Oil & Gas Drilling Gains Steamnew
With the price of oil and gas skyrocketing it is now profitable to drill for the last remaining deposits in Texas. The Texas Railroad Commission is a willing helpmate to the industry, allowing the proliferation of oil and gas drills across Texas without regard to the impact on Texans, and many are fighting back.
The Texas Observer |
Rusty Middleton |
04-09-2008 |
Business & Labor
Texas is Greenlighting Massive Nuclear Waste Dumpnew
Scientists and engineers at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stridently object to the plans, but agency upper management wants to approve the licenses.
The Texas Observer |
Forrest Wilder |
04-09-2008 |
Environment
Toxic Town: Contamination in Texas Schoolsnew
Schools in the town of Somerville continue to show elevated toxins, but are the health risks bad enough to shut down the schools?
Houston Press |
Todd Spivak |
04-08-2008 |
Environment
Banned Books at the Texas Department of Criminal Justicenew
It's not an easy thing to find out which books the Texas prison system has barred from inmates. But we found a way around it: We asked for a year's correspondence between the TDCJ mailrooms seeking rulings on inmate material and the "Director's Review Committee" that screens the books and magazines. Here's what we found.
Houston Press |
Richard Connelly |
04-08-2008 |
Books
