Greg Abbott, “Socialism for Corporations”
For years, Texas told some of the richest companies in the world to come on down. Bring your data centers. Bring your artificial intelligence. Bring your billion-dollar projects. Texas would
My Tia Juanita Garcia de la Cruz and her remarkable life
The Things They Refused to Leave Behind To my cousins, this is a little of what I have learned about your mother and father—not simply from records, but from the
We Paid for the Cameras Watching Us. Now the Politicians Are Worried.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is suddenly worried about Flock cameras. He should be. DeSantis, hardly a politician normally accused of being soft on law enforcement, says the public is “right
Rosita Barrera: The Girl From Fronton Who Went to College
. . When we began looking closely at the 1940 census for Fronton, Texas, one thing stood out immediately: how little formal education most people had received. On page after
Houston as a friend and godfather to one of my sons recalls: Felix Fraga
Growing Up Mexican in Houston: Felix Fraga Remembers the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s Felix Fraga was born in Houston in 1929. When he looked back on his childhood decades later,
The Last One: Paula Garcia de la Cruz
A few days ago, my aunt Paula García De La Cruz died. She was 86 years old. She was also the last living aunt or uncle I had. Paula was
ICE says DPS pointed the finger at a van with two Mexican-looking men, their crime being that they looked Mexican?
ICE Says DPS Gave Them the Tip. DPS Says It Didn’t. Somebody Has a Problem. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not the man ICE was looking for. He was a 52-year-old
Gov. Flip-Flop Abbott creates a government spy-camera network and gets caught.
Greg Abbott has discovered that government surveillance might be a problem. The discovery came rather late. For three years, Texas helped finance a rapidly expanding network of artificial-intelligence cameras capable
Puerto Rico Was the Homeland. New York Was the Borderland.
Something extraordinary happened in New York after World War II. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans left the island and came north. They brought Spanish, family, food, politics, and music.
Meme Can Pray for Rain. This One Is Easier: Is City Hall Building Orlando Sanchez an Issue
Sometimes politicians have to spend millions of dollars trying to create an issue. Orlando Sanchez may not have to spend a dime. Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez has proposed
Gina Hinojosa’s Uncampaign: If You Want the Office, You Have to Work for It
Gina Hinojosa has a chance to become governor of Texas. That is something Democrats have not realistically been able to say very often during Greg Abbott’s time in office. But
From the Civil War to Today: I Found the Missing Soldier in My Family
For years, I knew military service ran through my family, but I didn’t realize how far the line stretched. I knew of an ancestor who served in the Confederate Army
Houston Says Crime Is Down. But Are Houstonians Simply Calling the Police Less?
Houston officials have good reason to be pleased that reported crime is falling. Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly pointed to lower crime numbers as evidence that the city is moving
The Rain Man Has Chosen Chihuahua
After numerous emails, weather maps, drought reports, satellite images, and an investigation conducted with the seriousness normally reserved for selecting a new pope, The Rain Man has chosen Chihuahua, Mexico.
White House and GOP have their DEI: Definitely Employ Idiots
The Trump administration has spent years warning America about DEI. According to the sales pitch, diversity programs were putting unqualified people into important jobs while qualified people were being pushed
Molina, Corpus Christi: Its Struggles and Its Victories
A Different History of Molina The history of the Molina Addition is usually told as the history of a poor neighborhood on the west side of Corpus Christi. That description
Trump’s ballroom and Bunker v Hitler’s Ballroom and Bunker:
Donald Trump is building a ballroom at the White House. A big one, naturally. Donald Trump has never met a square foot he thought was doing enough. The country has
The Man Who Built Uvalde — and Was Killed in the Town He Created
Most people who drive through Uvalde today probably do not know that the town began with a twenty-two-year-old Quaker from New Jersey, or that its founder eventually fled Texas because
HPD and ICE: What is HPD hiding?
The following is from the Houston Chronicle: Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and his executive chief were no-shows Tuesday at a long-planned city council hearing to discuss the agency’s cooperation with
Make no mistake: a blue tsunami is coming across America
Ladies and gentlemen of the Democratic Party, come on over. I have something I think you’ll like. No, it is not another consultant. You already own enough of those. I