Juliana Lightsey is a recent political science, social policy analysis, and English graduate of Rice University. She worked as managing editor of the Rice student newspaper, the Rice Thresher, and previously interned at the Houston Chronicle.
News
UPDATE: This story was updated on January, 28, 2026 to reflect new death tolls and school closures across the state. Texas is finally beginning to thaw out after a winter storm swept through the country over the weekend. Although the sun may be out in some cities and temperatures are
News
UPDATE: January 28, 2026 Family confirms 16‑year‑old Grace Brito, died Tuesday night, after being on life support since Sunday following a sledding incident that killed her best friend, Elizabeth Angle according to CBS News affiliate KTVT in Dallas. Brito’s mom said her daughter was an All‑Star
News
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Texas state Rep. James Talarico faced off in a debate on Saturday, giving Texas voters their first true glimpse at the U.S. Senate candidates’ policy proposals — and contrasting political styles — ahead of the March 3 primary election. During Saturday’s debate, moderators Daniel
News
A federal judge handed down a ruling in a contentious case over drag shows at West Texas A&M University this weekend. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk found that the university can ban drag shows on its campus in a 46-page finding of fact that focused
Crime & Justice
Thirty years ago, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was riding her bike in an Arlington parking lot with her 5-year-old brother Ricky when she was kidnapped by a man in a pickup truck. Four days later, her body was found six miles away in a creek. Today, more
News
Just past 11:30 a.m. on May 24, 2022, four Uvalde school district police officers entered Robb Elementary School. Officers Adrian Gonzales and Donald Page stepped in first, followed by Police Chief Pete Arredondo and Sergeant Daniel Coronado. They heard gunshots coming from two fourth grade classrooms. Over the
Culture
Everything is bigger in Texas, including holiday decorations. Millions of families across the state string up lights and inflatables in their yards for all to see — and can even achieve thousands in cash prizes or TikTok virality for extravagance. While some yard displays are beloved community staples, others can spark
Culture
Over the weekend, thousands gathered to watch approximately 1,200 volunteers in17,000 costumes, a 50-piece orchestra, and 21 animals take the stage at Prestonwood Baptist Church’s Christmas show in Plano, among beaming lights and angels ‘flying’ on harnesses. The holiday show, titled “Gift of Christmas,” has been
Investigations
This story is a collaboration between The Barbed Wire and the Investigative Reporting Workshop— a nonprofit newsroom at American University that trains student journalists on in-depth reporting. When she was elected mayor of Houston in 2009, Annise Parker became the first openly gay mayor of a major American city.
News
Texas is in for a bruising primary season — or as we’ve previously called it: The Republican Death Match You Didn’t Know You Were Waiting For — as U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is fending off a challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt
News
Texas airports were hit with thousands of delays and hundreds of flight cancellations over the weekend after the Federal Aviation Administration announced last week it would be cutting flights at the top 40 airports in the nation. Dallas Love Field, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport,
News
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of flight delays at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. There were 1,000 delays over the weekend into Monday, not 10,000. The Barbed Wire regrets the error. Three-hour wait times. Missed flights. TSA lines stretching out the