Chris Newlin

The quote that keeps coming back to me from the Trump years appeared in the NY Times during Trump's second federal government shutdown at the end of 2018 (which continued through January 2019.) Crystal Minton was a secretary at a federal prison in Marianna, Florida. "“I voted for him, and

If you're conducting a well run witch hunt, sometimes you can really find an authentic witch! Four felony counts. Even more are on the way in Georgia. Robert Reich points out in his newsletter that sadly, these indictments are boosting Trump's cred in the Republican party. Before the indictment from

"Re-educate the masses" is always a priority in the authoritarian playbook. Oh, still think that's hyperbole? The state is turning school libraries into detention centers in Houston.

You didn't think it important enough to tell me? That the Teletubbies reproduced? That there are now eight "Tiddlytubby" babies in addition to the regular 4 (adult?) Teletubbies? That evangelical politician Jerry Falwell was right in his warning oh so many years ago that the Tubs were sexualized? I had

One of the tenets of traditional conservatism is "local control." If you recall reading a little about that ugly little "War of Northern Aggression" held a few decades ago, it was valiantly fought over the principle of "state's rights." Conservative state politicos often tout their support for "limited government," and

In all of history, only one man has stood to say, that he will dictate what is and is not possible, in this world...

We love billionaires! We like multi-millionaires, too... but there's nothing like a bunch of smart billionaires to light our way! They all got to be billionaires via their smarts, their tenacity, their work ethic, and their commitment to excellence... right? HA! I kid! Most were just smart enough to have

Daniel Ellsberg died a few days ago after struggling with pancreatic cancer. Ellsberg, as you recall, the was whistleblower who leaked what's known as the "Pentagon Papers." The "...papers" was actually a report which contained information about the extent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and how President

TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! Everyone in the media promised. Everyone promised not to give him air time, the defacto publicity, shout-outs, updates, breaking-news breaks, and special reports. And here

Last week, several high-profile, excellent "streaming" series dropped their season and series finales. (I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but there will be clues.) In our household, Succession, Barry, and Ted Lasso all wrapped up to a rapt-up audience. The last show of the Ted Lasso season

Ken Paxton. The Texas Attorney General. Impeached. You've heard? The first statewide officeholder in over a century to be impeached in Texas. Twenty articles of impeachment. Good going, Ken! You worked hard for this! Just like your hero, Donald Trump! But will you be acquitted like the former president? But

The Outlaws are sad to announce the passing of one of our own, John Nova Lomax. Maybe "one of our own" is a bit of a stretch, but John was one of the early contributors here on the Texas Outlaw Writers website and newsletter. He's listed as a "guest writer"

One of the Texas legislature's most militant culture warriors was voted off of the island for being a groomer.

We missed it. Sure, you clicked the Ticketmaster "Buy" button about 5 million times and finally scored your tween and her pals some $800 Taylor Swift tickets. (Don't forget to take several hundred bucks for a T-shirt!) But the ticket that you really wanted was the ticket to see Willie

News anchor careers, big-ass rockets, possibly an old hotel, maybe the debt ceiling, and hopefully the DeSantis campaign. All Blowed up. Blowed up real good.

A packed issue this week, so pace yourself. I'll lead off with a piece that I've been working on for a while.   Today marks a significant anniversary. Fire tore through the Branch Davidian compound thirty years ago, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the resulting fury still