Latest Contributions

• Inspection reports reflect the desperation and danger youths face in Texas juvenile prisons

  by Jolie McCullough Aug. 2, 2022

  Visits to Texas’ severely understaffed youth prisons show suicide attempts without intervention, water bottles being used as makeshift toilets, and a rash of possibly gang-related fights. Full Story 

• Texas troopers are causing car chase fatalities and racially profiling drivers under Abbott’s border crackdown, complaint claims

  by Jolie McCullough July 28, 2022

  Two civil rights groups have expanded their request for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Operation Lone Star, citing evidence of risky pursuits and more frequent traffic stops of Hispanic drivers. Full Story 

• Execution halted as court questions whether Ramiro Gonzales should have been sentenced to life in prison

  by Jolie McCullough July 11, 2022

  The jury sentenced Gonzales to death after a prosecution expert testified that he posed a future danger to society. The expert now says his data was wrong. Full Story 

• Understaffed, and under federal investigation, Texas juvenile detention system halts intake

  by Jolie McCullough July 7, 2022

  The Texas Juvenile Justice Department doesn’t have enough staff to keep minors safe or deal with increasing suicidal behavior, its interim head says. Gov. Greg Abbott recently shifted millions of dollars from the long-troubled agency to his controversial border security mission. Full Story 

• At a New Mexico abortion clinic, calls flood in from Texas and wait time for appointments grows

  by Jolie McCullough July 1, 2022

  The University of New Mexico Center for Reproductive Health is one of only three clinics in the state that perform abortion procedures. The clinic’s doctors say people from Texas make up more than 75% of their patients. Full Story 

• After losing battle to preserve Roe v. Wade, Mississippi’s last abortion clinic is moving to New Mexico

  by Jolie McCullough June 29, 2022

  Many people from Texas and other states with abortion bans will soon be traveling to New Mexico for the procedure. Shannon Brewer is moving her clinic from Jackson to Las Cruces to continue providing a full range of reproductive health care. Full Story 

• New Mexico warily assumes its new role as a destination for abortion seekers and providers

  by Jolie McCullough June 25, 2022

  For many in Texas and elsewhere, New Mexico may be the closest place to obtain legal abortion services. But it’s a mostly rural, sparsely populated state that has long struggled to provide health care to its own residents. Full Story 

• Texas judge won’t let prosecutor cancel scheduled execution of John Ramirez

  by Jolie McCullough June 21, 2022

  Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez said he is ethically opposed to the death penalty, but an employee wrongfully requested the execution date against his wishes. Gonzalez sought to cancel the execution two days later. Full Story 

• Texas politicians search for solutions after another mass shooting. Experts say we’ve already found them.

  by Jolie McCullough and James Barragán June 6, 2022

  In arguing over causes of the latest mass shooting, political debate often overlooks the range of incremental steps that could lessen the chances of mass killing and help address the nation’s persistent gun violence. Full Story 

• Trump and Cruz propose “hardened” one-door schoolhouses. Experts say that’s not a credible solution.

  by María Méndez and Jolie McCullough May 28, 2022

  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans argue that gunmen can be stopped by locking all but one door and posting guards at schools. School officials and safety experts say that’s not realistic. Full Story