I still remember my last high school football game on the Red Oak Hawkette drill team. I was 17, and our dance group had spent hours rehearsing in our maroon leotards and bright white ankle boots with mini silver bolo ties on the side. We wore nude dance tights and white hats with matching maroon […]
Tag: TB3
Posted inCulture
Heartache for Texans Fans, Boos for Arch, Brandon Aubrey’s Golden Leg, and More Texas Football
Are you football-curious? Want to know what your coworkers are talking about but don’t know who Kirk Herbstreit is (or he gives you the ick)? We’ve got you covered. We’re trying out a new approach to football coverage at The Barbed Wire in which we share some of our internal dialogue, text exchanges, and jokes […]
Posted inPolitics
Dan Patrick Loses It Over Abbott’s New THC Rules (But Swears It’s Not Personal)
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is furious that Gov. Greg Abbott won’t go full prohibition on THC, unloading a 2,000-word tirade Friday that makes D.A.R.E. pamphlets look subtle. But don’t worry — Patrick insists this is not “a personal fight with the governor,” just a “disagreement on extremely important policy.” Yep, just a completely normal, not-at-all-personal […]
Posted inTexana
Texas’ Official History Museum Hides More Than It Shows
The Bullock Texas State History Museum is an impressive piece of Texana, a hulking granite-faced structure across the street from the University of Texas campus. Step inside and you’re confronted with a giant mural of longhorns, horses, and cowboys that promises to tell you “The Story of Texas.” There are equally oversized quotes from famed […]
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 inPolitics
Gov. Abbott Is Apparently About to Ban THC for Texans Under 21
UPDATE: Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to ban THC product sales to minors, though he didn’t specify an age threshold. He also directed agencies to strengthen enforcement of existing regulations, while also launching a review of labeling, testing, and licensing rules. The order calls for agencies to work together on a broader regulatory […]
Posted inCulture
After Week 1, the Cowboys & Texans Look Messier Than a Postgame Tailgate
Week 1 of the NFL season reminded us of two truths about professional football in Texas: the Cowboys are still louder than their results; and the Texans are still trying to turn potential into power. Which means the state’s NFL bragging rights are as messy as a Sunday tailgate after last call. Fresh off back-to-back […]
Posted inNews
Texas Law Didn’t Recognize Summer Willis’s Rape. But It Does Now.
Summer Willis’s fifth marathon was in New York City, in March 2024, with a 45-pound mattress strapped to her bare shoulders. Less than a year — and dozens of marathons — later, she tackled another race in Austin. Dropping to her hands and knees, Willis crawled for the first 13 miles as a demonstration of […]
Posted inPolitics
‘Nanny Dan Lost, Y’all’: Texans Celebrate THC Ban’s (Third) Failure
Apparently banning weed gummies is harder than outlawing women’s rights, because THC is still legal in Texas. State lawmakers wrapped up their latest special session Wednesday night without passing the Senate’s proposal to ban nearly all THC products, leaving hemp-derived cannabis on shelves across the state — at least until Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick convinces […]
Posted inOpinion
I Almost Died After Giving Birth. Texas Just Made That More Likely for Everyone.
I remember the moment my world went sideways: My daughter had just been born, warm against my chest, when the room shifted from joy to panic. I was hemorrhaging. My placenta was not delivering as it should. I kept asking, “Are we going to the OR?” Minutes stretched into an hour. Cabinets slammed. People rushed. […]