As Contract Negotiations Drag On, Texas Starbucks Workers Have Learned the Power of Organizing “We have an in everywhere. It's not hard to talk to other people that do the same thing that you do on a daily basis, and oftentimes they have the same grievances that you do."

573 baristas in 29 Starbucks stores in Texas are unionized. And it’s growing. @sbworkersunited.org
www.texasobserver.org/contract-neg...

As Contract Negotiations Drag On, Texas Starbucks Workers Have Learned the Power of Organizing “We have an in everywhere. It's not hard to talk to other people that do the same thing that you do on a daily basis, and oftentimes they have the same grievances that you do."

New from @josephinelee.bsky.social: It’s the fastest-growing union campaign in modern history. Workers at 29 Texas Starbucks stores have unionized since June 2022. Nationally, that figure stands at 582, out of nearly 17,000, according to a spokesperson at Starbucks Workers United.

“How can we be paying [Miles] $400K or something in tax dollars for him to then use his position to enrich himself and this other company. That seems to be not only condoned by the [TEA], but actively supported by the agency itself. @zephcapo.bsky.social @texasaft.org

“Mike Miles is running the largest school district in Texas like it’s his personal consulting firm. Houston families deserve better. …This is what HB 3372 was intended to stop.” @repmorales145.bsky.social

Mike Miles Cancels Moonlighting Contract with His Former Charter School Network Houston ISD says its state-appointed superintendent has ended a paid agreement with Third Future Schools, after the Observer obtained the contract and requested comment. A 2025 state law restricts moo...

State appointed superintendent Mike Miles cancels moonlighting contract, which appears to violate state law. www.texasobserver.org/mike-miles-m...

Mike Miles Cancels Moonlighting Contract with Former Charter School Network Houston ISD says its state-appointed superintendent has ended a paid agreement with Third Future Schools, after the Observer obtained the contract and requested comment. A 2025 state law restricts…

New from @josephinelee.bsky.social: Mike Miles’ contract with Houston ISD allowed him to do outside consulting. But contract work as a consultant for Third Future Schools may have violated state law.

Miles canceled the contract after the Observer asked about it.

Mike Miles’ Former Charter School Network Expands Its Footprint in Texas Some school district leaders say they believed they had only one option for a partnership to avoid state takeover.

New from @josephinelee.bsky.social: Under threat of possible takeovers by the Texas Education Agency, 9 school districts are set to hand over 15 public schools to Third Future Schools-Texas, a charter school operator previously run by state-appointed Houston ISD superintendent Mike Miles.

Mike Miles’ Former Charter School Network Expands Its Footprint in Texas Some school district leaders say they believed they had only one option for a partnership to avoid state takeover.

Some school district leaders say they believed they had only one option—to enter into a partnership with the Houston superintendent's former charter network— to avoid state takeover. www.texasobserver.org/mike-miles-f...

Texas House speaker puts New Mexico secession on 2027 agenda The Republican speaker’s interim charges also covered water resources, foreign threats and government accountability.

Putting Texans first, huh? www.texastribune.org/2026/03/27/d... and www.texastribune.org/2026/03/26/t... by @kaylaguo.bsky.social

'Riding Shotgun': New Observer True Crime Podcast Explores Death Row Case of Charles Flores With Free Range Productions, Michelle Pitcher digs deep into a conviction involving a dubious hypnosis technique.

Charles Flores is on death row based on wavering evidence from a witness, police hypnosis and other unreliable testimony. Listen to more about the ins and outs of Betty Black’s murder and the search to find the truth behind it by @michellepitcher.bsky.social www.texasobserver.org/riding-shotg...

After 20 Years of Resistance, Trump Is Walling Off the Rio Grande Valley Even sites once protected by Congress, including a butterfly refuge and a historic church, are slated for fencing funded by the “one big beautiful bill”—while the river itself is transformed by a floa...

“Even sites once protected by Congress, including a butterfly refuge and a historic church, are slated for fencing funded by the “one big beautiful bill”—while the river itself is transformed by a floating barrier.” www.texasobserver.org/trump-border...

How Trump Lost the Courts - The American Prospect With every passing day, another federal judge issues a scathing order to contain Trump’s autocracy and Trump keeps alienating the Supreme Court.

“If you follow poker, you know the line about the folly of drawing to an inside straight. The odds are about 10-to-1 against your drawing the right card. To continue the poker metaphor, what Trump has done with Republican judges is to fold a straight flush.” prospect.org/2026/03/20/h...

A Wall That’s Worth Defending Some evangelical Christians are hammering away at the very church-state separation that allowed them, and other believers, to first flourish in America.

Drive around Fort Worth, or any populous Texas city, and you’ll see Muslim mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and Jewish synagogues, as well as Christian churches of all sizes and varieties.

A diversity that depends on a wall of separation. www.texasobserver.org/a-wall-thats...

How a High School Librarian in Abilene Fought Back Against Moms for Liberty I entered this profession just as the storm clouds of the current book-banning push were starting to gather; now I’m in the middle of it.

Featured story: "It didn’t take long before Tammy Fogle, the leader of our local Moms for Liberty group, issued 27 book challenges. She had no children attending our schools, but SB 13 had opened the door for her."

Man v. Nature: Trump Appointees Are Shredding Environmental Protections Federal appellate courts are enacting an anti-environment agenda—especially in the ultraconservative 5th Circuit, new analysis shows.

Last week's top story, from Texas Observer magazine: “Long term, it’s going to set a lot of precedent that pushes the law away from environmental protection, which will either lead to more-harmful outcomes for the environment or will necessitate the development of new legal and policy approaches.”

Corpus Christi Cuts Timeline to Disaster as Abbott Issues Emergency Orders The governor’s office said the city’s two main reservoirs could dry up by May, much sooner than previous timelines. But authorities still offer no plan for curtailment of water use.

From @dylanbaddour.bsky.social at @insideclimatenews.org: City officials in Corpus Christi on Tuesday released modeling that showed emergency cuts to water demand could be required as soon as May as reservoir levels continue to decline.

Some student loans moved from Department of Education. What does it mean for borrowers? The agreement outlines a stunning realignment of the federal student loan programs, which have been overseen by the Education Department since it was created...

“The U.S. Education Department is handing off a portion of its student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department, a first step toward shedding management of all student loans as Trump administration officials dismantle the federal education agency.” www.dallasnews.com/news/educati...

Board of Puppets Feb 26, 2026 YouTube video by HISD Board of Puppets

Straight up- on the closure of 12 HISD schools. youtu.be/R2R-TivoFQk

Harris County landlords dodged $119 million in property taxes, report shows Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy tallied the property taxes being avoided through public facility corporations and other tax-break deals.

“Harris County landlords dodged $119M in property taxes last year using controversial tax-break deals” www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Paxton offers to drop Senate bid if Republicans pass SAVE America Act The message quickly drew praise from online far-right activists.

🚨BREAKING: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is publicly offering to abandon his U.S. Senate campaign if Senate Republicans agree to change the filibuster rules and pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping anti-voting bill. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

A group of people standing on the roof of a beige building in Iran. A headline reads: "Chaos and Panic Grip Iran As U.S. Airstrikes Are Reported Across the Country" Photo by Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday sent panicked residents of the capital, Tehran, into the streets and parents racing back to schools where they had just dropped off their children. Follow live updates. trib.al/yRLAlzO

U.S. launches 'major combat operations' in Iran, Trump says On Saturday Donald Trump announced the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran with strikes designed to prevent nuclear weapons and help Iranians.

“This is the eighth military intervention of Trump’s second term in office”

Can Labor Candidates Help Texas Dems Win Back Power? A slate of union-affiliated candidates are taking the labor movement on the campaign trail up and down the ballot.

“Nobody’s coming to save the working class and the regular American, so we might as well step up and save ourselves.” www.texasobserver.org/texas-labor-...

Can Labor Candidates Help Texas Dems Win Back Power? A slate of union-affiliated candidates are taking the labor movement on the campaign trail up and down the ballot.

New from Josephine Lee: “People are tired of the same old politics. The working people of Texas are looking for somebody that is actually going through what they are, who can understand what their kitchen table issues are and make sure they have somebody that fights on their behalf.”

Can Labor Candidates Help Texas Dems Win Back Power? A slate of union-affiliated candidates are taking the labor movement on the campaign trail up and down the ballot.

“Nobody’s coming to save the working class and the regular American, so we might as well step up and save ourselves.” (via Josephine Lee / @texasobserver.org)

Featuring @marcosisaiasvelez.bsky.social, @joseloya.bsky.social, @rableforwesttexas.bsky.social, & other union-first candidates!

Trump’s Assault on Immigrants Hurts U.S.-Born Workers, Too The research is clear: when immigrant workers are targeted, it threatens all workers’ ability to fight for better pay and conditions.

"When immigrant workers are targeted, it threatens all workers’ ability to fight for better pay and conditions," writes @sarahlazare.bsky.social @inthesetimes.com. That's why we need equal rights for ALL workers. See equalrightsforallworkers.com for more. inthesetimes.com/article/trum...

TEA warns of state takeovers for “encouraging” student protests The state education agency issued guidance to districts after Gov. Greg Abbott directed its commissioner to investigate the student protests of killings by federal agents.

“The Texas Education Agency on Tuesday warned school districts that they could be taken over by the state if they help facilitate students walking out of class to attend protests.” www.texastribune.org/2026/02/03/t...

BREAKING: We just approved our Texas AFL-CIO COPE 2026 Primary Endorsements!

We're ready to get to work to elect this wave of union members, and take on the billionaires and the big corporations. View our full list of endorsements here: texasaflcio.org/news/texas-a...

The Houston Chronicle editorial board says that Democrats should make state Rep. James Talarico their Senate candidate because he's running like he actually wants to win in Texas. bit.ly/4qfdZkM