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Sam Russek

@samrussek.bsky.social

srussek.substack.com | reporter-researcher @newrepublic.com | associate editor @orbooks.bsky.social | also @samrussek on X | “some skeptics,” per the NYT

Posts Replies Media

Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I wrote about "DoHo": In OCT '25, city planners learned “There isn’t any reasonable combination of financial tools to deploy” to restore development + Tranquility Park reno—what's going on there? + a map of foreclosures + the city's “potential future litigation” On my Substack (link below)

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

For Houston folks, in my first Substack post I've shared surveys conducted for Mayor Whitmire reflecting, I’d argue, where his team is directing its attention (well, sometimes) But wait... is that majority *support* for removing car lanes to make room for bikes? This & more linked below

Polling results from Zencity showing 45% of respondents "support removing some car lanes or parking spaces to make room for protected bike lanes," with 32% of respondents neutral and 23% opposed. Findings demonstrate: "Support for protected bike lanes outweighs opposition, especially among younger residents and those who bike."

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

One thing about photo desks is they’re gonna give Talarico the Blur™️

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

On @texasstandard.bsky.social this morning I spoke about John Whitmire & Houston more broadly. I think it's a mistake when people blame voters for low turnout, as if they got what they deserved for not being locally engaged. The better Q is: Why isn't the strongest mayor in the US more inspiring?

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

In #Houston, politics is looking decidedly old. The median age of its city council is roughly 55—two years older than that of Dallas, eight years older than that of Austin, and a whopping 20 years older than that of Houston’s median resident. Will that affect Rep. Al Green's bid for a 12th term?

A screenshot of text which reads: "Right now, Houston-area politics is looking decidedly old. Mayor John Whitmire, age 76, already announced he’s running for reelection in 2028. Annise Parker, the former mayor and current frontrunner to replace Lina Hidalgo as Harris County Judge, is 69. The median age of its city council is roughly 55—two years older than that of Dallas, eight years older than that of Austin, and a whopping 20 years older than that of Houston’s median resident."

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

His support committee brings together generations of activists; in some ways, Xinachtli represents a missing link for the Texas Left—those post-'68 years when traditional mass politics was dying, and liberation movements filled the void. bit.ly/4ah8nR4

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Alvaro Hernandez, AKA Xinachtli, has been held in solitary confinement for 23 years. Now 73, his body's failing him—he can't walk, lost ~100 lbs, & Texas officials have withheld medical diagnoses. His supporters say this is part of a long history of retaliation for his activism

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

I focused in on the case against Dario Sanchez, who wasn’t even at the protest. His alleged crime is removing a fellow defendant from a group chat, landing him in a single-person cell for around a month before he made bail. But the bail conditions are nuts:

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Since July, Trump’s DOJ has used a protest outside an ICE facility to justify the roundup of leftwing activists, labeling them an “antifa cell.” For @newrepublic.com I gained access to nearly 6 TB of discovery—CCTV, bodycam, warrants. The DOJ’s story doesn’t add up

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The court ruling in Sept. prevented extrajudicial statements from "all attorneys" due to the case's sensitivity & Pena's right to a fair trial. But it didn't clearly say if "all attorneys" meant *current and former,* though one might assume that's implied.

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The Fox story, which went live May 29, says Ogg "gathered the evidence they needed to seek the death penalty" in Nungaray's rape & murder case against Franklin Pena. Now out of office, Ogg claims Pena was also accused of rape in Costa Rica, but the allegation was confidential.

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Sam Russek @samrussek.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Explosive motion just filed in Harris County: DA Sean Teare has asked for the court to revise its rules on extrajudicial statements after his predecessor Kim Ogg went on the local Fox affiliate to leak new info on the Jocelyn Nungaray case. The order doesn't mince words:

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