After years of speculation and international headlines, a new study by Texas State University criminologists and the Austin Police Department has concluded the “Rainey Street Ripper” — a purported serial killer targeting Austin men on the edges of Lady Bird Lake — isn’t real. At least 21 bodies have been recovered from the lake since […]
Tag: TB3
Posted inSports
I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, But the Cowboys Documentary Made Me Like Jerry Jones
I grew up hating the Dallas Cowboys. Actually, “hate” is not a strong enough word. Detested? Loathed with the heat of a thousand suns? If you were around in the ’90s, you had no choice but to have a strong opinion about them. They were cocky, they were very good at football, and worst of […]
Posted inHealth
Texas Is Already Dangerous for Pregnancies. This New ‘Bounty Hunter’ Law Will Make It Even Worse.
UPDATE: On Tuesday, the Texas Senate approved House Bill 7, which will incentivize people to bring $100,000 lawsuits against anyone who makes, sends, or transports abortion medication in Texas, regardless of where they’re located. The bill is headed to the governor to be signed into law. This story has been updated to reflect the development. […]
Posted inSports
Can Arch Manning Really Cash in on All This Hype?
The University of Texas has never been here before. At least, not exactly. The Longhorns have had really (really) good football teams in the past, but as we kick off the 2025 season Saturday, Texas is the top dog and boasting the biggest celebrity quarterback in the country. The hype around this season isn’t just […]
Posted inCrime
When the School Year Starts in Texas, So Do the School Stabbings. Parents Have Had Enough.
Children were back on campus for just under two weeks when a student at Ryan High School in the Dallas suburb of Denton allegedly stabbed a classmate. It happened at 9:10 a.m. Friday, reported The Dallas Morning News. Both students were boys under the age of 17. The injured student suffered non-life-threatening wounds, while the […]
Posted inCrime
Religious Leader Who Calls Himself ‘Jesus’s Best Friend’ Made $50M from Human Trafficking, DOJ Says
Another day, another false prophet. Two self-professed religious leaders — including 53-year-old David Taylor, who calls himself “Apostle” and “Jesus’s best friend” — made approximately $50 million through forced labor at sites in Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Missouri, according to a grand jury indictment announced on Wednesday. The scheme was sprawling, but simple: The ministry […]
Posted inOpinion
They’re Making Texas Poorer, Meaner, and Less Free. You Don’t Have to Take It.
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, when we launched The Barbed Wire, it felt like we were finally crawling out of the wreckage of Trump’s first term, maybe even headed toward a slightly less-shitty future. Sure, Texas was still Texas — stubborn, messy, allergic to progress — but wasn’t the arc of […]
Posted inTV & Film
Nicolandria’s Love Is a Balm for Black Women from the South
When I first read 27-year-old Olandria Carthen’s post-“Love Island USA” interview in Vulture, I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate to the American public about being in a highly visible, interracial relationship with Nicolas Vansteenberghe, 24. The couple, deemed “Nicolandria” by throngs of obsessed fans, went viral on the seventh season of the […]
Posted inNews
Need a Court-Appointed Lawyer in North Texas? You Might Get One With a White Nationalist Tattoo.
EXCLUSIVE Editor’s note: This story includes quotes in which the subject uses offensive racial slurs and references to racial terror. The Barbed Wire does not condone the use of such language, but believes them to be newsworthy, important context. Any racist language has been censored with hyphens. This is a story about white nationalism, taxpayer […]
Posted inCulture
Finally Texas A&M Wins Something! Buc-ee’s Will Sell Its Goods on Campus
Finally, a win! Texas Aggies don’t have a lot of exciting things to talk about (yes, I’m a Longhorn), so when they start selling Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets at their campus student marketplaces, you better believe it’s going to be a big deal. Texas A&M University announced Wednesday that they’re the first university in the country […]