Politics

Republican Lawmakers Are Coming After Gender-Affirming Care in Texas

Republican Lawmakers Are Coming After Gender-Affirming Care in Texas

New Convention Center Might be "the Bridge to South Dallas" that Brings More Business to Town

New Convention Center Might be "the Bridge to South Dallas" that Brings More Business to Town

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UT System Adopts Free Speech Policy, but Students at UT Dallas are Already Speaking Freely

By Kelly Dearmore
Dec 5, 2022

In November the University of Texas System Board of Regents adopted a version of the Chicago Statement, calling it a formal commitment to freedom of speech on its campuses. Released by the University of Chicago in 2015, the Chicago Statement, formally known as the Report on the Committee on Freedom of...
A Breakdown of Alex Jones' Squirmy Reactions to Kanye's Horrible 'I Like Hitler' Tirade

By Danny Gallagher
Dec 2, 2022

A Breakdown of Alex Jones' Squirmy Reactions to Kanye's Horrible 'I Like Hitler' Tirade
Iranian Women in North Texas Shine a Light on the Brutality of Their Former Government

By Kelly Dearmore
Nov 30, 2022

On Sunday, Nov. 20, under an afternoon sky streaked with clouds, hundreds of marchers made their way down Lower Greenville Avenue. Large, colorful signs displayed “Women Life Freedom,” #FreeIran, #JusticeForIran and “Stand With Iranian Women.” On the same day, half a world away in the Iranian capital of Tehran, marches...
Rick Perry and Jerry Jones Lend Rare Republican Support to Legal Sports Betting in Texas

By Kelly Dearmore
Nov 28, 2022

A surprising voice has entered the debate surrounding legal sports gambling in Texas. Former Gov. Rick Perry released a video on behalf of the Sports Betting Alliance in which he lists what he says are the benefits of mobile sports gambling. “Texas is built on the core principle of individual freedom,”...
Biden Administration Extends Pause on Student Loan Repayments

By Jacob Vaughn
Nov 25, 2022

The Supreme Court may not get around to ruling on President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan until later next year. That's why his administration is extending the pause on student loan repayments for seemingly the last time.
Frisco Lawmaker Has Big Ideas for a Proposed "District of Austin"

By Kelly Dearmore
Nov 21, 2022

Texas state Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco announced last week that he has filed a bill that aims to establish Austin as “the District of Austin,” thereby retiring the roles of Austin’s mayor and city council. The conservative lawmaker, who also is in favor of banning the use of social...
Armed With an Audio Recording, Collin County DA Rebuts Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

By Kelly Dearmore
Nov 17, 2022

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has responded to a lawsuit filed in October by six current and former employees claiming he sexually harassed them by treating “many female employees as objects that, without their consent, must gratify his sexual impulses and personal vanity.” In an interview with NBC 5,...
Democrats and Rights Groups Criticize Gov. Greg Abbott's Call for Probe of Harris County Vote

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 16, 2022

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into last week’s elections in Harris County, citing “widespread problems," a move Democrats and rights groups have decried as a partisan attack. In a news release, the governor claimed Harris County voters faced “confusion and delays” thanks to “missing keys,...
After Reelection, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Presses Forward with Operation Lone Star and Migrant Buses

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 14, 2022

If you were hoping Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would scale back his controversial border clampdown after winning reelection last Tuesday, you’re out of luck. In a press release Friday, the Republican, who defeated challenger Beto O'Rourke to win a third term in office, boasted that Texas had sent more than...
President Joe Biden's Student Loan Relief Plan Hits Roadblock in Texas

By Jacob Vaughn
Nov 14, 2022

Facing several legal challenges, President Joe Biden's student loan relief plan hit another roadblock, this time from a federal court in Texas.
Despite Ballot-Box Win, Denton's Fight to Decriminalize Low-Level Weed Possession Continues

By Jacob Vaughn
Nov 10, 2022

About 70% of Denton voters approved a ballot proposition during the midterm election that would decriminalize low-level marijuana possession. But, Denton City Manager Sara Hensley said she's not so sure about the city's ability to implement the changes the voters approved.
After Contentious Midterm Election, Gov. Greg Abbott and Republicans Hang Onto Texas

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 9, 2022

When voters around the United States casted their ballots in midterm elections Tuesday, Texas Republicans walked away with a handy victory. Across the country, the election was widely viewed as a referendum on President Joe Biden’s first two years in the Oval Office. In Texas, voters picked the state’s top...
Dallas Mayor Announces Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 9, 2022

On Wednesday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson will issue a proclamation declaring Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week for Nov. 12–20. Since 1975, communities and organizations around the country have used National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to bring awareness to the twin problems affecting so many areas in the U.S. “It...
Former South Park Writer Toby Morton Offers Free Rides to North Texas Polls on Election Day

By Jacob Vaughn
Nov 8, 2022

If you need a ride to the polls on Election Day to vote in the midterms, former South Park writer Toby Morton may be able to help you out. If not, there are other options to get a free or discounted ride so you can place your vote.
A Look Back on Five Utterly Embarrassing Moments from the Midterm Election Season in Texas

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 8, 2022

Eccentricity is as Texan as a deep-fried Oreo, but this midterm election season has offered a staggering number of ridiculous moments. With voters around the country heading to the ballot box on Tuesday, the Observer looks back on a few of the most absurd moments in the 2022 election season...
Hardline Arlington Republican Tony Tinderholt Is Running for State House Speaker against Dade Phelan

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 7, 2022

On Friday, with only five days left until voters head to the polls for the midterm elections, Texas state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican from Arlington, announced his bid to unseat State House speaker Dade Phelan. Tinderholt broke the news that he’d filed paperwork to run for speaker of the...
Targeting Gov. Abbott, New Cable Ad in Dallas-Fort Worth Includes Disturbing Audio from Uvalde 911 Call

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 6, 2022

The group's new political ad includes a 911 call in which a child says, "Please hurry. There's a lot of bodies."
Free Speech Lawsuit Ends With Settlement That Includes Collin College Reinstating Sacked Professor

By Patrick Strickland
Nov 4, 2022

On Thursday, Collin College reached a settlement with Suzanne Jones, a professor who filed a federal lawsuit against the school alleging she’d been terminated for exercising her free speech rights. Jones, an education professor, was let go in January 2021 in an incident that became part of what critics say...
Walker, Texas Danger: The Best Part of Herschel Walker's Senate Run? He's Not Doing It Here.

By Richie Whitt
Nov 2, 2022

The Dallas Cowboys player who scored the last touchdown of Tom Landry’s legendary coaching career refutes evolution. “If man descended from apes,” he opines, “why are there still apes?” The talented trade bait that Cowboys’ brain trust Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson shipped to Minnesota in exchange for three 1990s...
Collin County Republican Party Doubles Down After Facebook Meme Mocking Pelosi Hammer Attack

By Jacob Vaughn
Nov 2, 2022

The Collin County Republican Party made light of the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in a meme shared to its Facebook page.