Texans (not just the NFL fans) love CJ Stroud, and apparently we aren’t alone; the quarterback’s jersey is now the best-selling one among NFL players in the nation. This week, the National Football League Players Association, the union for NFL players, released a list of the top 50 officially licensed NFL player products and merchandise […]
Author Archives: Leslie Rangel
Leslie Rangel, a first generation daughter of Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants, is deputy managing editor for The Barbed Wire. Her award-winning journalism is focused on issues of health, mental wellness, race, gender and social justice.
Leslie was previously morning anchor for the Good Day Austin morning news show. She has also worked at KXAN in Austin, was founding evening anchor at KWKT in Waco, reported for KFOR in Oklahoma City and KFDM in Beaumont, Texas.
Posted inNews
Spider Monkeys Rescued at El Paso Border
Two 5-week-old baby spider monkeys made it to the El Paso Zoo after being rescued from smugglers who were hiding the animals squished in the center console of a truck during a Border Patrol search at a port of entry. “This rescue also highlights the dangers of keeping monkeys as pets — while they may […]
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Cruz, GOP Splurge on Ads Peddling Anti-LGBTQIA+ Hate
Texas may not be a battleground state, but Republicans are making sure their anti-LGBTQIA+ messaging reaches voters, according to the Texas Tribune. To that end, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and the Republican Party of Texas have coordinated to buy $6.7 million in ads, the biggest of the campaign to widen his narrow lead over Democratic […]
Posted inCulture
After Racist Comment, Judge’s Office Blames ‘Jokester’ Wife
EXCLUSIVE An Austin-based Latina CEO with a booming business blasted a Nueces County judge on Monday after he posted a racist comment calling her success “Ozark part 4” in an apparent reference to the Netflix prestige drama about a family laundering money for a drug boss. Gabriela Bucio, 38, oversees 12 Texas businesses in the […]
Posted inCulture
Meet the Latino Chefs Leading the Vegan Taco Revolution
Vegan tacos may sound like the kind of cultural appropriation that happens when white influencers start cooking on TikTok. But there’s a growing movement among Texas-based Latinos to improve the health of their community — and they’re willing to wade into controversial, plant-based territory to make it happen. Let’s start with the problem. For most […]
Posted inCulture
First-Ever Mexican American Civil Rights Museum to Be Built in San Antonio
Texas has a hard time telling its complete story. The good, the bad, and the ugly don’t always make the cut. But just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, a group of San Antonio leaders are taking steps to preserve Mexican American history. The first-ever Mexican American Civil Rights Museum will be between 10,000 and […]
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Violent ‘Hoax’ Threats Disrupt Texas Classes, Friday Night Football
Dozens of violent social media threats against several North Texas school districts this week prompted some districts to cancel classes, and others — like Dallas ISD, which serves a total of 143,430 students — were forced to change their football schedules. The “hoax” social media threats affected Fort Worth ISD, Arlington ISD, DeSoto ISD, Irving […]
Posted inCulture
‘Money Doesn’t Mean Sh*t’: Dak Prescott Says True Blessing Is His Daughter
Not everyone agrees the Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team,” but can we agree their record-breaking quarterback and certified sweetie, Dak Prescott, is on his way to being the official state girl dad? Less than a week ago, Prescott inked the NFL’s most expensive contract of all time and bagged a cool $240 million, with $231 […]
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Marine Dad: Ted Cruz ‘Didn’t Lift a Finger’ When My Son Was Captive
Don’t mess with a Texas dad. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz may be learning the hard way after his work (or lack thereof) to help free a Marine who was wrongfully detained in Russia in 2019. Joey Reed promised to make sure Cruz would be voted out of office after his son Trevor, a Marine veteran […]
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The Richest Woman in the World Lives in North Texas
What would you do with $90 billion dollars? Alice Walton, the only daughter of the late Walmart CEO, is using her money to live in Fort Worth, focus on art, and start a holistic health school. As of this week, Walton is the richest woman in the world, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaire tracker (which […]