The Lede
Hope (and Possible Heartbreak) at Amarillo’s ‘Tent City’
Advocates for the homeless in Amarillo have cheered the creation of a “tent city” near downtown, but the site has raised the ire of city officials threatening fines.
“We’ve bent over backwards to comply but they just won’t budge,” homeless advocate Amanda Brown-Hunter said. “Most of the ones in my camp don’t have another place to go.”
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From the archives
The Standoff in Waco
This week marked the 25th anniversary of the siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco. In this story from 2013, Alex Hannaford talks to members of the religious sect and the FBI agent tasked with negotiating with David Koresh, the Branch Davidians' charismatic leader.
From the story: "In the spring of 1993, the Branch Davidian Christian sect gained worldwide notoriety when agents from the government’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant on its compound a few miles outside Waco. The ATF was investigating allegations of illegal weapons hoarding. On Sunday, February 28, a fierce two-hour gun battle took place leaving six Davidians and four ATF agents dead.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 edition of the Observer's MOLLY Prize dinner. The MOLLY Prize is an annual national journalism award presented by the Texas Democracy Foundation and the Texas Observer in memory of Molly Ivins, columnist, author, political commentator, and humorist. This year's event will include a keynote from CNN's Joan Walsh. We'd love to see you there.
The Observer will have a booth at this year's San Antonio Book Festival. The event is April 7, and features a ton of great stuff. More details here: http://www.saplf.org/festival/
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