Brian is founding member of The Barbed Wire team. A longtime Texas journalist, he has written for the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald, Texas Monthly, and more. He was also a writer and producer at Rooster Teeth.
Perspectives
When Texas political leaders project images of themselves, it’s always the same. They’re in cowboy hats, boots, and toting a firearm. It’s how we like to imagine ourselves: the rugged cowboy, squinting into the distance, masculinely thinking about something. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is none of
Health
A group of 111 OB-GYNs in Texas sent a letter to state leaders on Sunday, urging them to change abortion laws that they say are blocking them from delivering lifesaving care to pregnant women. They’re begging lawmakers to re-evaluate policies that hinder the most basic function of
Culture
Keith Lee, the wildly popular food critic with more than 16 million TikTok fans — who was recently parodied on Saturday Night Live — just dropped some major news: He’s moved to Texas. On Saturday afternoon, he took to TikTok to share the life update. “It’s official. The cat is
Health
Another day, another report of a woman dying because of Texas’ steadfast refusal to grant half the population bodily autonomy. This time, the victim was Nevaeh Crain, a pregnant 18-year-old East Texas resident, who died after three separate emergency room visits in October of 2023. Each time, ProPublica
Health
If you need more proof that Elon Musk is a weirdo, look no further than a recent piece by The New York Times about how he’s developed a multi-mansion compound in Austin big enough for his own personal baby-making factory. The Times reports that Musk now has
Culture
When the dystopian thriller, “Civil War,” came out earlier this year, there were a lot of skeptics who didn’t buy the premise. Let me clarify. People weren’t dubious of the idea that the U.S. might be ripped apart (ok, ripped apart again) in a violent struggle. It
Perspectives
Guess people were right, Californians really are ruining Texas. Comedian and recent Austin transplant Tony Hinchcliffe’s stupid, racist attempt at “jokes” on Sunday at a rally for former President Trump may have freshly alienated some entirely new voters ahead of next week’s election. At the rally in Madison
Austin
Convicted felon and presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to try and appeal to your estranged uncle, this time announcing he’ll fly to Austin to record Joe Rogan’s podcast. Trump, who was found liable for sexual abuse last year, will sit down for the interview on Friday, the Associated
Culture
Texas has always been full of ghosts, from spirits that supposedly haunt The Alamo to the mysterious Saratoga Lights on “ghost road” in the woods of East Texas. This time of year, it’s only natural that we gather round a (metaphorical) campfire to share the spookiest stories in the
Culture
It was not a great weekend for the Longhorns. Texas lost to Georgia on Saturday, getting knocked off the top perch in college football, and some Longhorns fans acted like idiots during the process. After an admittedly terrible pass interference call against Texas, angry Longhorns fans began throwing bottles and
Crime & Justice
As Texas officials reached an impasse, Robert Roberson did not appear before the Texas House on Monday. But he will testify, lawmakers said. Even if they have to drive to death row to make it happen. Roberson, whose execution was delayed last week, was scheduled to testify before the Texas
News
Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry, a former Democrat who is currently looking for attention, has endorsed Donald Trump in next month’s presidential election. This is no surprise if you’ve followed Thierry’s sad arc over the last few months. But it’s still a reminder that some people, politicians