Tuesday night’s debate was not great for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. His opponent, Colin Allred, ripped him a new one, calling him an “architect” of the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, who was “hiding in a supply closet” when the mob finally entered the Capitol. “You’re a threat to democracy,” Allred said. “You cannot […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
She Voted for Trump. Then She Had Two Terrifying Miscarriages in Texas.
My sister Victoria was wrangling Elias, her then-2-year-old, into his costume on Halloween when the spots of blood in her underwear became worrisome. It was almost exactly two years ago, in 2022, and Elias had woken up from a nap excited about trick-or-treating. She’d gotten him into a shiny black firefighter hat, a yellow jacket […]
Posted inCulture
In Texas, Selena Is at Least as Popular as Jesus
Texas hasn’t gotten its due as a major piece in the complex puzzle of American art. We’re here to rectify that. Every two weeks, H. Drew Blackburn will conduct a thoroughly scientific analysis of the 254 essential (one for every county) books, movies, tv shows, albums, podcasts, songs, and magazine articles — you name it […]
Posted inOpinion
Everything About Our Elections Has Been Politicized by the Right
Election officials were reviewing disputed ballots on a Wednesday morning at an unremarkable government building in downtown Miami when hundreds of collared-shirt-wearing Republicans — many of them political staffers — descended upon the building. It was November 22, 2000, and the men were chanting “Shut it down!” Before long, the demonstration turned violent, and the […]
Posted inOpinion
Tell Alex Jones to Eat Shit: Let’s Buy Infowars
Howdy! I’m the publisher at The Barbed Wire. If you’re new to our site, we’re a next-generation digital media property absolutely obsessed with all-things Texas. If you’re returning after reading our kick-ass coverage of tiny lizards, Russian wrestlers, video games, and civil rights, we’re glad to have you back. We’d like your help to make […]
Posted inCulture
The Texas Voyager: Nobody Compares to the ‘Best Damn Writer’ in Texas
Texas hasn’t gotten its due as a major piece in the complex puzzle of American art. We’re here to rectify that. Every two weeks, H. Drew Blackburn will conduct a thoroughly scientific analysis of the 254 essential (one for every county) books, movies, tv shows, albums, podcasts, songs, and magazine articles — you name it […]
Posted inOpinion
Veterans Are Fighting Far-Right Extremists With Evidence, Not Weapons. And It’s Working.
It’s old hat to say everything is bigger in Texas. True connoisseurs know that things in the Lone Star State are also often wilder and weirder than what you see on the evening news. Every two weeks, Steven Monacelli will explore the dystopic, desperate, and despicable realities of contemporary Texas and channel the sense of […]
Posted inCulture
How a Brit Survived His First Texas Summer
Forget brat, summer in Texas is thermostat. A very, very high thermostat. This is new for someone from London. Before I relocated to the outskirts of Houston last year, I had only been to Texas once, as a kid. Back then, the Rockets weren’t just in the NBA playoffs, they won the championship. I remember […]
Posted inOpinion
The Ultimate Pros and Cons of Living in Texas
Moving to Texas is one of the hottest things you can do, literally. If you ask U-Haul, it’s been the most popular state to move to six years in a row. Celebrities from Glen Powell to Shaq to *sigh* Elon have established home bases in the Lone Star State. For those who have lived entire […]
Posted inCulture
The Texas Voyager: ‘Lemonade’ Is Beyoncé’s Most Consequential Album
Texas hasn’t gotten its due as a major piece in the complex puzzle of American art. We’re here to rectify that. Every two weeks, H. Drew Blackburn will conduct a thoroughly scientific analysis of the 254 essential (one for every county) books, movies, tv shows, albums, podcasts, songs, and magazine articles — you name it […]