Will showing up with a high-minded call for border solidarity translate to the historic levels of Latino turnout that Beto O’Rourke needs?
THIS WEEK: The Observer tagged along on a four-day “Border Surge” bus tour aimed at spreading the gospel of Beto O'Rourke in the Texas borderlands, where he struggled in the primary. Organized by his friend and political ally Veronica Escobar, volunteers are reaching out to Latino voters in an attempt to jumpstart turnout in one of the most crucial regions for O'Rourke's challenge of Ted Cruz. “He’s the male Ann Richards as far as charisma goes... He wins over every person he talks to," one longtime Democrat official said.
The Rio Grande is one of the most endangered rivers in the world. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation. Can South Texas weather a hotter, drier future?
Today, the once mighty Rio Grande is a pitiful sight. The river nourishes millions of acres of land, supports industrial activities, provides a lifeline for booming urban populations, and is a receptacle for waste from manufacturing plants and border cities — but it can’t do it all.
“We’re going to be fighting over water forever,” said Othal Brand Jr., general manager of Hidalgo County Water Improvement District 3. “You don’t have water, you got nothing.”
This week, we published the final installments of “Shallow Waters,” a collaboration with Quartz that explores the complexities of border water in a hotter, drier world. Catch up on the series here:
Want more water? We launched a Facebook group dedicated to a deep dive discussion of Texas' convoluted and outdated water policy. To join, follow this link and answer a simple screening question.
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From the archives
A Sign of the Times in San Antonio
China and Japan are two different countries. The City of San Antonio knows that. But a visitor to the Japanese Tea Garden in Brackenridge Park could be confused. A sign at the entrance to the garden, with its pagoda-style pavilion, koi pond and stunning 60-foot waterfall, reads “Chinese Tea Garden.”
Robyn Ross writes in the 2012 story: “It’s not a simple mistake. The story behind the sign weaves together the fates of two families, a local artist and paranoid public officials during World War II. While technically incorrect, the entry sign is historically accurate in its reflection of the reactionary wartime mentality. It is, quite literally, a sign of the times. Today, it serves as a reminder of an attempt to rewrite the history of a San Antonio landmark.”
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