Lise Olsen

Denmark's Red Street Lighting Solves A Problem Every City Has Research indicates red-spectrum lighting is less disruptive to bat activity than short-wavelength white and green light.

Maybe there should be more red light districts—to protect wildlife.
www.newsweek.com/denmark-red-...

Sanctioned Judge Upsets Incumbent in Dallas District Attorney Race Amber Givens beat out two-term DA John Creuzot in Tuesday’s primary, sending shockwaves through the local political and courthouse scene.

In odd Texas election news, #Dallas voters just chose a #judge who’s been sanctioned for misconduct over the incumbent DA. www.texasobserver.org/dallas-count... @texasobserver.org by Ace #criminaljustice reporter @michellepitcher.bsky.social

Plenty of other complaints too: #judicialethics

Inside a Bizarre Case of (Alleged) Judicial Impersonation in Dallas In Texas, an opaque system undermines accountability for judges.

Pitcher extensively covered complaints against this judge- now presumed DA elect. Many members of the #Dallas bar expressed concern- including about the time this judge had a staffer impersonate her on Zoom. @texasobserver.org www.texasobserver.org/who-judges-t... @michellepitcher.bsky.social

Sanctioned Judge Upsets Incumbent in Dallas District Attorney Race Amber Givens beat out two-term DA John Creuzot in Tuesday’s primary, sending shockwaves through the local political and courthouse scene.

In odd Texas election news, #Dallas voters just chose a #judge who’s been sanctioned for misconduct over the incumbent DA. www.texasobserver.org/dallas-count... @texasobserver.org by Ace #criminaljustice reporter @michellepitcher.bsky.social

More Money than Greg A blue wave may be coming, but the governor's ever-growing campaign warchest casts a long shadow over Texas elections.

Read more about how #Texas Gov Abbott wields his huge war chest to attack foes here www.texasobserver.org/greg-abbott-... @byjustinmiller.bsky.social

Abbott-Endorsed Honey-Dealer Bids Sid Adieu After more than a decade as the state’s farmer-in-chief, the ag commish saw his GOP primary opponent announce a rare toppling of a statewide incumbent, thanks to the governor’s kingmaking.

Ag commissioner Sid Miller- the latest pol to be targeted by @GregAbbott_TX goes down in a rare upset of a statewide officeholder incumbent. @TexasObserver www.texasobserver.org/abbott-endor... @byjustinmiller.bsky.social

Inside the Fight for Safe Military Housing Families battle to hold a Texas housing empire accountable.

This shocking tale shows how hard Texas military moms - and an attorney/veteran- are fighting to improve family base housing. So far, they’ve been blocked from safety/health protections available to other tenants. A @texasobserver.org @pogo.org collaboration www.texasobserver.org/privatized-m...

Inside the Fight for Safe Military Housing Families battle to hold a Texas housing empire accountable.

This shocking tale shows how hard Texas military moms - and an attorney/veteran- are fighting to improve family base housing. So far, they’ve been blocked from safety/health protections available to other tenants. A @texasobserver.org @pogo.org collaboration www.texasobserver.org/privatized-m...

“In total, Paxton’s security detail racked up $965,000 in lodging costs since 2015, $835,000 in travel, $526,000 in food, $24,000 in fuel, and $352,000 in other unspecified expenses.”

Calculating the Taxpayers' Tab for Ken Paxton's Extensive Travels In his three terms as attorney general, Paxton’s state police security detail has cost nearly $3 million as it accompanied him across Texas, the country, and the world.

Paxton’s travel bills are going up- and Texans are paying the price www.texasobserver.org/taxpayer-tab... @texasobserver.org @byjustinmiller.bsky.social

More Money than Greg A blue wave may be coming, but the governor's ever-growing campaign warchest casts a long shadow over Texas elections.

New from @byjustinmiller.bsky.social: The governor’s fortune has obviously protected his own reelections. But increasingly, he’s also wielded that money to expand the realm of his political influence.

Can the Dems fight back against his powerful warchest?

ICE officer training is 'deficient' and 'broken,' former agency lawyer tells congressional forum A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer says the agency’s training for new deportation officers is broken as ICE ramps up its hiring.

ICE spending less time on deportation officers’ training, whistleblower tells Congress @apnews.com apnews.com/article/ice-...

We will really miss this hard-working, FOI filing, fun-loving whirlwind of a reporter @texasobserver.org ! It’s been great working with @francescadnunz.bsky.social. No one really can take her place, but apply if you love #investigations, #immigration and #border coverage!

Texas Police Invested Millions in a Shadowy Phone-Tracking Software. They Won’t Say How They’ve Used It. One sheriff who leads an anti-smuggling task force says the software helps “develop leads to eventually obtain probable cause.” Civil liberties experts say its use violates constitutional rights.

New from @francescadnunz.bsky.social: Civil liberties experts are raising the alarm about "Tangles," a law-enforcement surveillance software that allows police to bypass judicial oversight by spying on smartphone users without a warrant.

Texas Taxpayers Will Fund Dozens of Private Schools that Openly Discriminate The state has signed off on voucher funds for schools that exclude non-Christian and LGBTQ+ kids.

92% of private schools already enrolled in Texas’ voucher programs serving kids beyond kindergarten are religious. @texasobserver.org found many of these exclude non-Christian and LGBTQ+ kids. #TxEd #TxLege #TexasSchools #ProtectPublicSchools #SchoolVouchers www.texasobserver.org/texas-vouche...

ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court James Rodden, who the Observer identified last year as the operator of the account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.

BREAKING: James Rodden, an ICE prosecutor who the Observer identified last year as the operator of an X account that posted “America is a White nation," “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and apparent praise of Adolf Hitler, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.

www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...

Texas Police Invested Millions in a Shadowy Phone-Tracking Software. They Won’t Say How They’ve Used It. One sheriff who leads an anti-smuggling task force says the software helps “develop leads to eventually obtain probable cause.” Civil liberties experts say its use violates constitutional rights.

NEW: Police—sheriffs, Texas state cops, and even ICE—can follow the location of your smart phone without a warrant.

Yet, we know little about how this software has been used.

via @texasobserver.org + @pulitzercenter.org

www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...

Name Games: Trump’s ‘Gulf of America’ Move Flouts History, International Cooperation The president could just as logically rename the body of water the “Chinese Sea,” one historian argues.

#BestOf2025, from @liseolsen.bsky.social: The vast body of water that borders Texas and four other U.S. states has been given numerous names by locals and early explorers including the North Sea and the Seno Mexicano ...

Ex-Con Congressman Attempts a Texas Comeback Steve Stockman, the felonious GOP politician, wants to return to Washington with a bid for a newly gerrymandered Houston-area district.

Wednesday, from @liseolsen.bsky.social: Former Congressman and felon Steve Stockman, a Friendswood-area conservative who was convicted of 23 federal corruption charges in 2018, has declared himself rehabilitated and fit to run again for the U.S. House of Representatives.

The High Cost of Targeting International Students in Texas - The American Prospect The Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions stop international students, and their hefty tuitions, in universities.

Thousands of international students have been denied visas or targeted by ICE. Attorneys are telling their students to act “basically as if they had never left Iran.” From @liseolsen.bsky.social: trib.al/1f4cqM7

East Texans Fight Oil Waste Pits Run by an Operator Cited for Dozens of Violations In bucolic areas near the Louisiana line, residents ask, "Why are Texas taxpayers liable for other states’ toxic waste?"

Featured story from @liseolsen.bsky.social and @psskow.bsky.social: Oil and gas wells produce prodigious amounts of waste. One horizontal well generates upwards of 8,000 barrels—or 336,000 gallons—of waste during the drilling and completion process.

Ex-Con Congressman Attempts a Texas Comeback Steve Stockman, the felonious GOP politician, wants to return to Washington with bid for newly gerrymandered Houston-area district.

New from @liseolsen.bsky.social: Former Congressman and felon Steve Stockman, a Friendswood-area conservative who was convicted of 23 federal corruption charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison back in 2018, has declared himself rehabilitated and fit to run again for the U.S. House.

East Texans Fight Oil Waste Pits Run by an Operator Cited for Dozens of Violations In bucolic areas near the Louisiana line, residents ask, "Why are Texas taxpayers liable for other states’ toxic waste?"

In our magazine, from @liseolsen.bsky.social and @psskow.bsky.social: East Texans are uniting to fight oil waste pits in bucolic areas near Louisiana—all run by an operator who’s been cited for dozens of violations, and a worker’s death.

Published in partnership with @insideclimatenews.org

East Texans Fight Oil Waste Pits Run by an Operator Cited for Dozens of Violations In bucolic areas near the Louisiana line, residents ask, "Why are Texas taxpayers liable for other states’ toxic waste?"

Our top story, from @liseolsen.bsky.social and @psskow.bsky.social: East Texans are uniting to fight oil waste pits in bucolic areas near Louisiana—all run by an operator who’s been cited for dozens of violations, and a worker’s death.

Black Bookstore Owners, Government Spies, and Murder At the 2025 Texas Book Festival, authors bring new insights to complex stories in nonfiction.

In our magazine: From a chronicle of America's Black-owned bookstores, to the untold stories of the MKULTRA project, @liseolsen.bsky.social takes us on a tour of unique titles from the Texas Book Festival ...

Thank you for coming out to hear about Houston’s Lost Boys Alex

who raped and murdered tens of boys in Houston until 1973.

Lise Olsen brought to life the lost boys, in the neighborhood where Corll sold candy, where many of the victims lived and disappeared. It was chilling story in her kind, gentle voice, but I appreciated the care she gave the victims and...

Tonight, journalist @liseolsen.bsky.social discussed her book, The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston's Lost Boys, at the Houston Public Library in the Heights.

She chronicled the work of scientist Sharon Derrick to identify the victims of Houston serial killer Dean Corll,...

ICE Still Won't Answer Questions About Prosecutor with White Supremacist X Account Congressman Marc Veasey arrived at an ICE facility Monday in his latest attempt to follow up on the Observer's reporting.

From @stevanzetti.bsky.social: In February, the Texas Observer confirmed that James “Jim” Joseph Rodden—an ICE assistant chief counsel in Dallas—operates a white supremacist X account. Now, ICE refuses to tell us, or members of Congress, if he's still employed.