The Barbed Wire
@thebarbedwire
For all Texans who love Texas.
Other Texas cities are already calling San Marcos to see if the ban survives. We'll be watching what happens when it hits the courts — and the Capitol. Follow along. 👇 🎥 Mario has the News Brief.
The Texas grid is about to get tested again. ERCOT expects power demand to top 92 GW this summer — an all-time record. Driving it: heat, a growing state, data centers and crypto mines. ERCOT puts the odds of an emergency this month under 1%. If you lived through 2021, you're allowed to be skeptical.
The Democrat out-raised the Texas GOP machine 3 to 1... Talarico's campaign says he pulled $30M between April and June. Paxton: just over $9M. Most common job among his donors — teachers! Most gifts under $100. FEC reports are due today — we'll bring you the latest when they're released.
News Brief: 35 years in Houston. One ICE traffic stop, and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo didn't come home. ICE says self-defense; his family disputes it. Body-cam and dash-cam footage exists — the family wants it released. Please share & follow for the latest from The Barbed Wire.
Is smokeable hemp legal in Texas? Depends what month you ask. Banned, then legal, then banned again — while ~30,000 jobs hang in the balance and Dan Patrick pushes for a total ban. Trial's set for July 27 in Travis County. Our 60-second brief on an industry stuck in legal limbo. 🎙️
The Onion officially relaunched InfoWars — as a parody — and is donating $100K to the Sandy Hook families Alex Jones spent years smearing. Tim Heidecker now hosts, selling a supplement that "replaces breathing." Our 60-second brief on the dumbest, best revenge on the internet. 🎙️
We’re LIVE with Olivia Messer, our editor in chief, and our panelists of experts, commentators, and creators, talking about the Texas Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Join and share your questions as unpack this race. www.instagram.com/thebarbedwir...
Have you voted yet? 🗳️ Send us a pic with your "I voted" sticker, and you could end up on our social media.
Find us live on Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube Tuesday, March 3 at 6 p.m. CT.
We’ll chat about “electability,” the candidates’ policies — and the glaring spotlight on political content creators this cycle.
Join The Barbed Wire editor-in-chief Olivia Messer and special guests on Tuesday, March 3 at 6 p.m. CT.
The Texas Democratic primary for U.S. Senate has been a wild ride. The Barbed Wire will unpack it all while we all wait for the results to roll in, from the primary’s historic turnout to the scandals (with a keen eye on fact-checking).
If you’re a paying member of @thebarbedwire.com — did you receive a Valentine from us? If you’re not a member (and you care about the independent journalism we keep free to read): Do you wish you did? thebarbedwire.com/become-a-mem...
UPDATE: Texas state Rep. James Talarico has responded, claiming the comments being discussed were "a mischaracterization of a private conversation" and that he was describing Congressman Colin Allred's "method of campaigning as mediocre" — not his life or service.
Tired of the club scene? Queer and trans folks are finding creative, sober ways to connect and build community, reports @kitoconnell.com in our latest piece for Big & Bright 🌈⭐👏 , The Barbed Wire’s space for queer life in Texas :) thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/10/q...
Texas is one of the queerest states in America — 1.8 million of us, more than double the number of queer New Yorkers. Welcome to Big & Bright 🌈⭐👏 , The Barbed Wire’s new space for queer life in Texas! Subscribe here: thebarbedwire.com/subscribe-bi...
She stripped down in Dealey Plaza, dropped jaws, and made the best damn Texas music video of all time. Sorry, Beyoncé. Full story here: thebarbedwire.com/2025/04/24/e...
And just like that… we're having our very first live event! Tonight we’re teaming up with @howdypolitics.bsky.social in Austin to talk all things Texas—politics, culture, chaos, you name it. Can’t wait to see y’all there!
A white labradoodle held the “keys” to the case after a woman was killed in Robinson, near Waco. Read more: thebarbedwire.com/2024/11/14/y... #nationalpetday
After just a few minutes, Musk had to log off in humiliation. Maybe it’s his new fetish? Find out what caused all this here: thebarbedwire.com/2025/04/08/e...
Texas bladesmith Johnathan Sibley shut down a couple’s Nazi request with a firm “No Nazi bullshit,” refusing to swap a Hitler Youth knife emblem. His wife says these requests aren't new, “at least a few a year.” Read more: thebarbedwire.com/2025/02/03/t...
If Texas cities were characters in Severance… and honestly, the accuracy is unsettling. Which one is your city? Or better yet, which one are you? #Severance #Texas
Fear and chaos are spreading, especially in Texas, where immigrant communities are bracing for impact. Discover ways to stay informed and prepared here: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/23/i...
Advocates were hopeful that an August report, which found sexual abuse and excessive force being used on children in the state’s juvenile justice division, would spur reforms. Then the election happened. Will lawmakers do anything? Read more: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/15/t...
One of the first Black, gay men to serve in the Texas Capitol just made history in more ways than one. Rep. Venton Jones proposed to his long-time partner on the House floor, pledging to “fight for a world where love is celebrated, not marginalized.” Read more: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/14/o...
Despite his buddy Trump blaming California leaders for exacerbating the wildfires, Gov. Greg Abbott is sending Texas firefighters west, saying, “Texans know all too well the devastation wildfires can cause.” #LAFires Read more: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/13/a...
What have Texas’ abortion laws meant for women and babies? Mothers dying. Infants abandoned. Doctors fleeing. We uncover the truth here: thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/10/t...