Texas Matters

Federal and state officials are investigating Brown County’s County Attorney Shane Britton. There are questions about Britton’s practice of accepting donations from suspects in misdemeanor criminal cases to pay their way out of being prosecuted.

If you get sick or injured in Texas – you’d best do it in the city. Texas rural health care is in crisis. In the last three years 15 rural hospitals have closed their doors and more are expected to follow suit. This leaves a highly vulnerable population without quick access to health care and emergency treatment. David Pearson is trying to find a way to reverse the trend. Pearson is the president/CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals.

A new state mandate demands burials for fetal tissue is soon to take effect – but the Texas Medical Association says it’s in the dark about the requirements. State and federal officials investigate allegations of corruption and bribery where law breakers could buy their way out of jail. And rural hospitals in Texas are in trouble – there’s been an epidemic of hospital closures. And a growing number of counties in the state are without a single doctor. This is Texas Matters from Texas Public

Texas troubadours are part of American music lore. These Lone Star bards have been ground breakers and hit makers since the dawn of the commercial music industry. However, beyond the established music business there is a “breed apart” of the Texas singer-songwriters who put their art and craft above themselves. They are uncompromising in the creation of tunes and lyrics. The handful of artists who occupy this category would include Townes Van Zandt, Michael Martin Murphey, Guy Clark, Steve

The prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the Lower Pecos canyon lands of Texas and Coahuila, Mexico, created some of the most spectacularly complex, colorful, extensive and enduring rock art of the ancient world. Perhaps the greatest of these masterpieces is the White Shaman mural.

The election of Donald Trump to president might have staved off an attempted Texas secession from the United States. Polls before the vote said that a large majority of Texas voters would support leaving the Union if Hillary Clinton won the White House. But Daniel Miller, president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, says Trump's election is still a step forward in his cause for Texas independence. Miller says it doesn't matter who is in the White House. And he says that those who fear a Trump

Donald Trump is the president elect. The Republican captured the most electoral votes. But Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. There are many people who fear what a Trump presidency will do and they are taking to the streets to protest. In Texas these anti-Trump protests are erupting and hitting the streets every major city. These have been peaceful but loud emotional outbursts. Forrest Wilder is the editor of the Texas Observer a progressive and respected news magazine.

The recent discovery of a massive oilfield in West Texas has many in the region on edge. Some are anticipating on a flow of jobs to the area but others are concerned that the drilling will spoil the desert’s beloved springs. Scuba diving into the San Solomon Springs is like exploring a coral reef – except it’s in the middle of the West Texas Chihuahuan desert. The water is crystal clear and filled with fish. They swim right up to the divers and surround them. In a cave there are six large

Texas has never seen an early voting surge like this before. Driven by the acrimonious contest between presidential candidates Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, voting lines have been long ever since early voting kicked off on October 24th. With 38 electoral votes, second only to California, keeping Texas a red state is critical to Republican plans of retaking the White House. This is true for this Tuesday and into the future. A University of Texas poll released last week

Joseph Henry “T Bone" Burnett was born in St. Louis but grew up in Fort Worth, and has had a far reaching influence on the Texas “Third Coast Music” scene – but also in modern rock – country – Americana – and film – TV sound tracks. Burnett is a musician, songwriter, producer and activist for musicians to be paid for their work in the digital age. He is the subject of a new book about his musical career called “ T Bone Burnett: A Life in Pursuit ” written by Lloyd Sachs. T Bone Burnett is a

The night of December 6 th 1991 – Four girls – ages 17, 17, 15 and 13 were working and hanging out at a “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt!” store in Austin. Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers and sister Jennifer and Sarah Harbison were forced to strip, they were tied up, they were murdered – the shop was set on fire and the case is unsolved. 25 years after that night – it’s still a deep dark mystery. “Who Killed These Girls? Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders” explores in rich detail the kills and the flawed

Texas is known for its writers of almost every genre – but maybe not so much for its writers of horror. And that could be seen as an oversight. The Texas talent pool has it’s dark side. And there is so much about the lone star state that is lurking in the shadows – and haunting the recesses of our minds. The current leading Texas horror writers are collected in a new anthology called “Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers.” An ancient demon plays cowboy and takes on the Texas Rangers. Three

Austin-based author, Elizabeth Harris, brings us the story of a woman who is the victim of a violent act. In Mayhem: The Three Lives of a Woman, protagonist, Evelyn Kunkel Gant does indeed live three lives. She is daughter, wife, and then, as a victim of sexual assault, a pariah—one who never receives any kind of compassion or vindication—except through the telling of her story. Elizabeth Harris takes us to the rural Texas of the 1930s—a place immersed in gender and social expectations that

Texas joined the Confederacy on March 2, 1861. About 70,000 men from Texas then joined the rebellious fight to preserve slavery. The women who stayed behind also did their part for the lost southern cause.

Just west of downtown San Antonio, the Bexar County jail looms like a fortress. It's a seven-story building of stained concrete floors, white cinder block walls and brown heavy steel doors that shut and lock with a certainty. It’s an unforgiving place, but it needs to be. It’s built to hold not-nice people against their will. On any given day more than 4,000 inmates are captive, making it the 16th largest county jail in America. More than 800 of them are dealing with diagnosed mental issues. The