News
Apparently banning weed gummies is harder than outlawing women’s rights, because THC is still legal in Texas. State lawmakers wrapped up their latest special session Wednesday night without passing the Senate’s proposal to ban nearly all THC products, leaving hemp-derived cannabis on shelves across the state — at
Health
I remember the moment my world went sideways: My daughter had just been born, warm against my chest, when the room shifted from joy to panic. I was hemorrhaging. My placenta was not delivering as it should. I kept asking, “Are we going to the OR?” Minutes stretched into an
Crime & Justice
After years of speculation and international headlines, a new study by Texas State University criminologists and the Austin Police Department has concluded the “Rainey Street Ripper” — a purported serial killer targeting Austin men on the edges of Lady Bird Lake — isn’t real. At least 21 bodies have been recovered
Culture
I grew up hating the Dallas Cowboys. Actually, “hate” is not a strong enough word. Detested? Loathed with the heat of a thousand suns? If you were around in the ’90s, you had no choice but to have a strong opinion about them. They were cocky, they were very good
Culture
UPDATE: On Tuesday, the Texas Senate approved House Bill 7, which will incentivize people to bring $100,000 lawsuits against anyone who makes, sends, or transports abortion medication in Texas, regardless of where they’re located. The bill is headed to the governor to be signed into law. This story
Culture
The University of Texas has never been here before. At least, not exactly. The Longhorns have had really (really) good football teams in the past, but as we kick off the 2025 season Saturday, Texas is the top dog and boasting the biggest celebrity quarterback in the country. The hype
Crime & Justice
Children were back on campus for just under two weeks when a student at Ryan High School in the Dallas suburb of Denton allegedly stabbed a classmate. It happened at 9:10 a.m. Friday, reported The Dallas Morning News. Both students were boys under the age of 17. The
Crime & Justice
Another day, another false prophet. Two self-professed religious leaders — including 53-year-old David Taylor, who calls himself “Apostle” and “Jesus’s best friend” — made approximately $50 million through forced labor at sites in Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Missouri, according to a grand jury indictment announced on Wednesday. The
Perspectives
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, when we launched The Barbed Wire, it felt like we were finally crawling out of the wreckage of Trump’s first term, maybe even headed toward a slightly less-shitty future. Sure, Texas was still Texas — stubborn, messy, allergic to progress
Culture
When I first read 27-year-old Olandria Carthen’s post-“Love Island USA” interview in Vulture, I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate to the American public about being in a highly visible, interracial relationship with Nicolas Vansteenberghe, 24. The couple, deemed “Nicolandria” by throngs of obsessed
News
EXCLUSIVE Editor’s note: This story includes quotes in which the subject uses offensive racial slurs and references to racial terror. The Barbed Wire does not condone the use of such language, but believes them to be newsworthy, important context. Any racist language has been censored with hyphens. This is
Culture
Finally, a win! Texas Aggies don’t have a lot of exciting things to talk about (yes, I’m a Longhorn), so when they start selling Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets at their campus student marketplaces, you better believe it’s going to be a big deal. Texas A&