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.
Sports
After 13 long years, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are back where they belong: doing battle on Saturday. Yes, the Longhorns and Aggies are playing football again. The ancient in-state enemies are set to play, finally, at Kyle Field this weekend in
News
We almost feel bad for Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both Republicans have been desperately vying for the attention of President-elect Donald Trump, with Abbott yapping about protecting Texas from the evil influence of communists (Chinese, not Russian — it’s not the 1980s) and Paxton
Culture
We all grew up pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic, for which it stands… you know the rest. But here in Texas, we go one step further and recite our own pledge, which routinely surprises outsiders. “Did you know that the
News
As expected, Texas has approved a new elementary school curriculum Friday that’s heavy on Jesus and light on uncomfortable parts of history — like slavery. The proposal will bring the Bible-infused content to classrooms starting next year, making Texas the first state to implement such a program in this
News
UPDATE, Nov. 19, 3:38 p.m.: On Tuesday, most members of the Texas State Board of Education expressed their support for the new curriculum, the Texas Tribune reported. With an official vote scheduled for Friday, eight out of the 15 board members gave their initial approval to Bluebonnet Learning,
News
State regulators have slammed the brakes on a Texas medical school’s eyebrow-raising habit of liquefying bodies after research. Yes, liquefying. NBC News dug up (sorry) a recent cease-and-desist letter from the Texas Funeral Service Commission, which informed the University of North Texas Health Science Center in
Crime & Justice
An influencer is very upset after her pet spider monkey was confiscated by police, according to The Dallas Morning News. Brandi Botello said 3-year-old “Jorgie Boy” was seized by Dallas police following a car accident over the weekend. And she is not taking it well. “He’s my
News
Say what you will about Ken Paxton, but he keeps himself busy. The Texas attorney general cranks out lawsuits (and press releases about those lawsuits) in a truly impressive fashion, as he continues to audition for a position in president-elect Donald Trump’s administration. And this week Paxton hit
News
Folks who want Texas to be its own country (again) are thrilled after last week's election brought 10 new Republicans to the state legislature who’ve all committed to backing the secessionist movement. This is somehow the least weird thing that’s happened in the last seven days:
Texas Politics
When you get trounced as badly as Texas Democrats did on Tuesday, it’s time for new leadership. And the state party chairman acknowledged that on Friday, saying he’s stepping down in the wake of “devastating defeats up and down the ballot in Texas and across the country.” In
Sports
Sure the world is on fire, but let’s talk about what’s really important: football. The first College Football Playoff rankings are out, and the University of Texas Longhorns are in the thick of things. The Longhorns landed in the No. 5 spot, just behind the University of Oregon,
Perspectives
I don’t know what to say. It’s the morning after Trump won (again), and I’m cleaning up my back porch from the sad election party the night before. The leftover beers are still sitting in an ice chest, and they’re still cold. I want to inhale