When a Turkey Leg Costs $25, You Know Texas Is in Trouble. From The Barbed Wire

Howdy, folks! I’m Brian Gaar, senior editor of The Barbed Wire, and fall has allegedly arrived, though here in Texas, that mostly means your Halloween candy melts before you can hand it out. The rest of the country is crunching leaves and drinking cider; we’re sweating through another "cold front" that dropped temps all the way down to 85.

Meanwhile, our state’s leadership is busy turning higher ed into an ideological wasteland, rainbow crosswalks are under MAGA attack, and even the State Fair is feeling the economic burn. Let’s dive in.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s crusade against "wokeness" in universities is in full swing, with Texas schools scrubbing diversity programs, closing cultural centers, and canceling scholarships that help students of color — all under his new DEI ban. Officials are acting like they’re purging Communists instead of, you know, student support offices. Texas Tech even fired its diversity chief after she dared mention inclusion in an email. Truly, nothing says "freedom" like state-enforced ignorance.

In Houston, a group of internet busybodies successfully pressured Abbott to pressure the city to remove a rainbow crosswalk after complaining it "promoted a lifestyle." City officials caved faster than a Buc-ee’s bathroom line, bulldozing it back to gray asphalt. Because if there’s one thing Texas conservatives can’t handle, it’s seeing two colors next to each other in public.

And finally, fair season didn’t bring much cheer: The State Fair of Texas saw its lowest attendance since 2018, dropping by 400,000 visitors. Vendors blamed the heat, but most Texans blamed the prices — $25 turkey legs and $8 corny dogs aren’t exactly "family fun." Senate hopeful James Talarico pointed the finger at Trump’s tariffs, saying Texans are paying more for everything, even deep-fried Oreos. Honestly, when a fair turkey leg costs the same as a tank of gas, maybe we’ve reached the true measure of inflation.

Gov. Abbott Admitted to Purging ‘Leftist’ Professors. People Are Calling It the ‘Definition of Fascism.’

Students and professors have protested firings at major universities in recent weeks, as people online have criticized what they see as an attack on free speech.

By Juliana Lightsey

Gov. Greg Abbott admitted in an X post on Sunday that Texas is purging professors with "leftist ideologies" — and people are not happy.

Abbott’s directive fits into a pattern of faculty changes and government interference on campuses across the state, including the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and Texas State University. 

"Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation," Abbott wrote in his post. "We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education."

September saw the firing of a professor and resignation of the president at Texas A&M over a lecture that included gender ideology, as well as the termination of a Texas State professor for remarks at a socialist convention. And the increasing political interference in higher education has prompted many professors to look for jobs in different states, the Texas Tribune reported in September.

Art Markman, senior vice provost for academic affairs at UT Austin, was fired from his role in mid-September, and replaced with an interim leader. It’s become a trend at UT: one-third of their dean positions are currently held by interim or departing leaders, and the school was appointed a new president and provost over the summer with little faculty input, according to the Austin-American Statesman.

In a LinkedIn post last week, Markman told colleagues that he was removed from the role "due to ideological differences."

The shakeups have sparked an outcry from students and faculty who see the terminations as an assault on free speech.

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