Abortion medication classified as controlled substances. Internet providers prosecuted for hosting abortion information. Abortion advocates charged with racketeering. The death penalty for abortion patients. That’s a glimpse of abortion-related bills filed in the 89th Texas Legislature as the session nears its half-way point. It’s also a glimpse at the future of reproductive healthcare in Texas […]
Author Archives: Cara Kelly
Cara Kelly is Managing Editor of The Barbed Wire. Her reporting has uncovered institutional sexual harassment and violence in massage schools, ride-share companies and the Boy Scouts of America. She spent nearly five years on the investigations team at USA Today after a stint as entertainment editor for the paper during the height of the Me Too movement. Before that, she worked in the Style section of the Washington Post.
Cara is an adjunct professor at American University, where she earned her masters degree in journalism. She's an adopted member of the Texas press corp after spending a year investigating sexual harassment in the senate for Texas Monthly. She's convinced Texas is a top-tier news state, alongside her home of South Carolina.
Posted inTV & Film
Yoga Moms & a Side of Brisket: ‘White Lotus’ Is Giving Glorious Fan Service to Southern Women
As soon as Parker Posey’s character began rattling off the Ratliff family’s university lineage in season 3 of “White Lotus,” southerners knew they were in for a treat. Middle child Piper (Sarah Catherine Hooks), we’re told by father Timothy (Jason Isaacs), is writing a thesis on Buddhism as a senior at the University of North […]
Posted inPolitics
Isaiah Martin Roasts MAGA Creators on TikTok. Now He’s Running for Congress.
EXCLUSIVE UPDATE, March 21, 2025: A D.C.-based tech company is suing Isaiah Martin for alleged unpaid services during his previous bid, Chron reported. According to the news outlet, the lawsuit accuses Martin and his congressional campaign of breaching a contract with Grassroots Analytics, a firm that helps candidates and nonprofits fundraise, for failing to pay […]
Posted inHealth
The True Cost of Texas’ Abortion Ban: Rising Deaths, Abandoned Babies, Fewer Doctors
What have the country’s most restrictive abortion laws meant for the women and babies living under them? That’s the million-dollar question posed over the last three years by reporters, health care providers, activists, academics, and, of course, the people who’ve had to navigate Texas’ tumultuous reproductive care landscape. Yet, Texas officials, particularly the politicians who […]
Posted inHealth
Distracted Driving Is a Major Killer in Texas. Meet the Teens Trying to Stop It.
This story was created as part of a news writing workshop by Youthcast Media Group®, which offers free and paid training in multimedia journalism to diverse high school students from under-resourced communities. Teens are taking to the road every day in Texas as newly-minted drivers and passengers. And safety activists are trying new strategies to […]
Posted inNews
Think Abortion Isn’t on the Ballot in Texas? Think Again.
(Editor’s note: This is Part I of a series. Looking for a voting guide on abortion rights? Find key races and legislators’ voting history here.) Texans’ lives are on the line this election cycle. Josseli Barnica, of Houston, died of an infection in 2021, three days after doctors failed to provide care for her miscarriage, […]
Posted inNews
Want to Vote for Abortion Rights in Texas? Here’s Your Guide.
In Texas, support for abortion rights isn’t always consistent along party lines. Here’s a look at the legislators who voted on Senate Bill 8, which outlawed abortion after six weeks and House Bill 1280, which made providing abortions a felony. We also put together a list of Texas Supreme Court races. Unsure of who represents […]