My mind has only partially been on anything criminal-justice related, lately, as I finished up the second of my little neighborhood history zines (pre-sale coming soon), and settled back in to Austin routines during the holiday season, after 4.5 months in Mexico. But as 2024 unfolds, here are six observationsContinue Reading
My next neighborhood history zine, Icarus in Heels and Fur, comes out February 22nd. Without exaggeration, I think it may be the best thing I’ve ever written. Pre-order here. This one is essentially a noir murder mystery from the 1940s: When, after her husband’s murder, a petite but ruthless widow buildsContinue Reading
People around the country split their tickets to support public schools and vote for The Traitor., Read MoreContinue Reading
An old-school tough-on-crime campaign has been launched in the Travis County Democratic primary by Some Guy I’ve Never Heard Of named Jeremy Silverbelly, or Silverspoon, or something. To be honest. I never can remember his name. He’s just the guy a bunch of Republican donors picked to try to oustContinue Reading
A new book provides essays for abolitionist parents and caregivers., Read MoreContinue Reading
The ouster of Kim Ogg in Houston and the re-election of José Garza in Austin — coupled with the ouster of 3 members of the Government Always Wins faction on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — signal a sea change in criminal-justice reform politics in Texas compared to aContinue Reading
Carbon capture and storage is one of the least effective and most expensive emissions reduction methods., Read MoreContinue Reading
Stopping the killing is much easier said than done., Read MoreContinue Reading
I had cause this morning to dig around in Texas’ 2023 traffic-stop data, so decided to post a few high/lowlights. This data, published annually in a cumbersome, user-unfriendly spreadsheet by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (see here), only includes arrests, searches, etc. at traffic stops. After Sandra Bland’s death,Continue Reading
Until Jeff Frazier and the good folks at Mano Amiga in San Marcos reached out about their event Monday night, I had not realized it was the 25th anniversary of the Tulia drug busts, which occurred in July of 1999. Long-time readers may recall that 46 people, mostly black, wereContinue Reading
Two new books explore the untapped political power of impoverished white people in America., Read MoreContinue Reading
How Jesse Jackson’s groundbreaking 1988 presidential campaign shaped the 2024 election, Read MoreContinue Reading
A recent report found dozens of settlers openly using the popular online marketplace, potentially violating international and local laws., Read MoreContinue Reading