Sandi Villarreal

3 weeks ago | texasmonthly.com | Sandi Villarreal

A loosely defined network of far-right Christians, called the New Apostolic Reformation, has gained serious influence in American politics by supporting President Donald Trump. Some have issued prophecies that Trump would serve for two terms,and, after Trump’s loss in 2020, were finally vindicated by the election results last fall. Its leaders include a number of Texas-based preachers, including Cindy Jacobs and Lance Wallnau, who have amassed huge followings online.

Oct 23, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Sandi Villarreal |Rose Cahalan

“The password will be on the receipt. Take a right into the alley and look for the door with the mask.” I’d just finished a nightcap at a cigar-and-cocktail bar in charming downtown Bryan, twin city to Texas A&M University’s College Station, when the server asked if my husband and I had tried out the speakeasy around the corner. My long-ago memories of nights around the A&M campus are littered with shots at the Dry Bean, in Northgate, and dinner at the Dixie Chicken.

Sep 26, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Sandi Villarreal

If you’ve ever wanted to sip on an old-fashioned set afire by a master mixologist in the renovated venue of the 1992 NAFTA initialing ceremony, have I got a spot for you. A plaque commemorating the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was initialed by President George H.W. Bush, Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, is an unobtrusive centerpiece in the courtyard at the brand-new Kimpton Santo, in downtown San Antonio.

Jul 10, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Ben Rowen |Sandi Villarreal |Allegra Hobbs |Dan Solomon |Michael Hardy |Russell Gold

So many cities; so many rivalries. Houstonians seem to view Dallas with contempt, while Dallasites claim not to think about Houston at all. Most San Antonians could happily live the rest of their lives without hearing anything else about Austin. West Texans would like folks along the Interstate 35 corridor to remember that they exist.

Jul 2, 2024 | texasmonthly.com | Sandi Villarreal

An El Paso district judge on Tuesday denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down Annunciation House, a Catholic migrant shelter. Paxton had targeted the 45-year-old nonprofit in February, when he accused its staff, without evidence, of “operating a stash house” and “harboring aliens,” and requested a host of records from the shelter in an attempt to prove it. But in granting Annunciation House relief from Paxton’s requests, District Court Judge Francisco X.