As if election nights weren’t stressful enough, more than 1,000 voters were reportedly turned away from polling locations in Dallas on Tuesday. That count — from Kardal Coleman, the chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, via the New York Times — was only through the afternoon. By the evening it had devolved to “mass […]
Author Archives: Billy Begala
Posted inOpinion
After a Year of Covering Texas, It Still Makes No Damn Sense
In this tumultuous American moment, Texas is still unique in its mind-boggling extremes. Texas loves to pick on queer kids. At least, the Texas Legislature does. We just wrapped up the 2025 legislative session(s) and, as has become a cruel habit of Texas politicians, lawmakers have once again made the lives of LGBTQ+ Texans harder. […]
Posted inOpinion
Republicans Are Planning to Carve Up Texas Like a Christmas Ham. We Should All Be Pissed.
We should all be pissed. At President Trump’s behest, the Texas GOP released new proposed congressional maps Wednesday, and on the surface, they’re exactly what Republicans seemed to be hoping for: an aggressive gerrymander that, if passed, would more than likely deliver five additional seats to Republicans in Congress. To oversimplify a complicated process, Republicans’ […]
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A heartbreaking week. From The Barbed Wire
Howdy friends, it’s The Barbed Wire senior editor Brian Gaar. I wish I could say this edition of the newsletter was lighthearted. But sometimes events hit you right in the chest — and this week, they broke our hearts. On July 4, as most of us were bracing for barbecue and fireworks, a flash flood […]
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One Family’s Fight for Justice in Amarillo. A Barbed Wire Investigation
Happy belated Juneteeth, I’m The Barbed Wire senior editor Brian Gaar. Today’s newsletter highlights an important piece we’ve published. Felita Bailey was 25, saving up from her job at the Tyson plant in Amarillo while working toward her dental hygienist certification. She went out with her cousins one night over Labor Day weekend — and […]
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Abbott Says FAFO, Texas Cities Say FML. From The Barbed Wire
Howdy and welcome back to your regularly scheduled program of heatstroke, hypocrisy, and high-tech overreach. I’m The Barbed Wire senior editor Brian Gaar, reporting live from a state where the heat index is 100 degrees and civil liberties are falling fast. This week, Texas gave us a governor threatening protesters with bumper sticker slogans, a […]
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Big Brother Is a Texas Cop with an AI Camera, from The Barbed Wire
Howdy heat survivors, I’m The Barbed Wire senior editor Brian Gaar, and welcome back to Texas — where the weather’s hot, the edibles are (maybe) illegal, and Greg Abbott is trapped in a THC-flavored game of political Twister. This week, we’ve got constitutional violations powered by AI, Satanic sass in your school hallway, and a […]
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Matthew McConaughey Gets a Movie Fund, You Get No Pain Relief. By The Barbed Wire.
Hey there, fellow summer dreaders, I’m The Barbed Wire senior editor Brian Gaar. Welcome back to Texas, where freedom means you can pick your BBQ sauce, but not your pain relief. This week, we’re talking THC bans, Hollywood handouts, the WNBA’s newest budding star in Dallas, and more! But first, a merch plug! Get your […]
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Texas Lawmakers vs. Imaginary Furries. By The Barbed Wire
Howdy, partners in doomscrolling. I’m Brian Gaar, senior editor of The Barbed Wire, here with more updates as our state legislature nears the finish line of another really good session (especially if you’re a private school family tired of not getting taxpayer dollars). But buried between all the political whiplash and cowboy cosplay, there’s still […]
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It’s 100° in May — and the Texas Legislature is Hell on earth. By The Barbed Wire
Howdy gang, Brian Gaar, senior editor of The Barbed Wire, here. Anyone else sweating at their keyboard? Yes, it’s mid-May and Texas is already hitting 100 degrees — outside and inside the Capitol, where lawmakers are once again melting down over the existential threat of kids reading books or learning that slavery was, in fact, […]