Cara Kelly
@carakelly.bsky.social
investigative journalist. style section alum. texas media adoptee.
current: managing editor of the barbed wire and professor at american university. past: usa today and washington post.
current: managing editor of the barbed wire and professor at american university. past: usa today and washington post.
Reposted by Cara Kelly
A college friend, Tony, never came back to school after the freshman winter break, because he was doing this in a parking lot and slammed into the bumper of a parked car. He was permanently brain damaged and disabled.
Do not do this.
Do not do this.
Videos of young adults, giddy at the rare snowfall and ice-covered roads, were all over Instagram and TikTok feeds this weekend. Some were taking part in a dangerous trend — “truck sledding” — or dragging a person behind a vehicle on icy roads.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/26/t...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/26/t...
‘Truck Sledding’ Videos Went Viral During the Winter Storm. Then a 16-Year-Old Died.
Viral videos across social media show a dangerous trend, ‘truck sledding,' or dragging a person behind a vehicle on icy roads.
thebarbedwire.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:21 PM
A college friend, Tony, never came back to school after the freshman winter break, because he was doing this in a parking lot and slammed into the bumper of a parked car. He was permanently brain damaged and disabled.
Do not do this.
Do not do this.
Reposted by Cara Kelly
Kaleb Blain, a 35-year old trans man and pitmaster, was fired from the legendary BBQ restaurant Terry Black’s after he was doxxed over Charlie Kirk comments.
Now he’s running his own barbecue spot in Waco: “I feel better than I ever have.”
By @kitoconnell.com
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/21/b...
Now he’s running his own barbecue spot in Waco: “I feel better than I ever have.”
By @kitoconnell.com
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/21/b...
‘Barbecue Saved My Life’: Meet Waco’s Antifascist Transgender Pitmaster
Kaleb Blain went from the fast-paced world of 911 dispatching to the “low and slow” of BBQ, where he’s built a following.
thebarbedwire.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Kaleb Blain, a 35-year old trans man and pitmaster, was fired from the legendary BBQ restaurant Terry Black’s after he was doxxed over Charlie Kirk comments.
Now he’s running his own barbecue spot in Waco: “I feel better than I ever have.”
By @kitoconnell.com
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/21/b...
Now he’s running his own barbecue spot in Waco: “I feel better than I ever have.”
By @kitoconnell.com
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/21/b...
REMINDER: The first rule of Wine Moms Gang is not to talk about Wine Moms Gang, especially not to those narcs on the PTA. If you must refer to the group, acceptable cover stories are book club or Bunco. www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/win...
Wine Mom Gang Meeting Minutes
“What we are seeing across the country as organized gangs of wine moms use Antifa tactics to harass and impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement ...
www.mcsweeneys.net
January 16, 2026 at 5:32 PM
REMINDER: The first rule of Wine Moms Gang is not to talk about Wine Moms Gang, especially not to those narcs on the PTA. If you must refer to the group, acceptable cover stories are book club or Bunco. www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/win...
Reposted by Cara Kelly
After federal agents shot another protester in Minnesota, Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act.
If he follows through, our democracy is in extreme danger, according to a retired brigadier general.
From our friends at @revealnews.org:
If he follows through, our democracy is in extreme danger, according to a retired brigadier general.
From our friends at @revealnews.org:
"Madness": A retired brigadier general slams Trump’s military power grab
On this week’s “More To The Story,” a former National Guard officer discusses the perils of politicizing the military and why the Insurrection Act needs reform.
www.motherjones.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM
After federal agents shot another protester in Minnesota, Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act.
If he follows through, our democracy is in extreme danger, according to a retired brigadier general.
From our friends at @revealnews.org:
If he follows through, our democracy is in extreme danger, according to a retired brigadier general.
From our friends at @revealnews.org:
Reposted by Cara Kelly
A lot of new nuggets in here, including the context in which ICE arrested a 5-year-old U.S. citizen and deported her to Honduras: Austin’s police chief says the girl’s mom called cops after a man she had an expired restraining order against showed up at their home.
“How do we live alongside a violent, paranoid agency that sees everyday people as a threat, under an administration that will tell us not to believe what we see when they step out of line?” asks contributor @catcardenas.bsky.social
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/15/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/15/a...
A 5-Year-Old Disappeared in Austin. A Mom Shot Dead in Minneapolis. How Much More Violence Will It Take to ‘Abolish ICE’?
50% of American women support the abolish ICE movement.
thebarbedwire.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:33 PM
A lot of new nuggets in here, including the context in which ICE arrested a 5-year-old U.S. citizen and deported her to Honduras: Austin’s police chief says the girl’s mom called cops after a man she had an expired restraining order against showed up at their home.
Cat really got me with this line: “It’s hard to know where to begin, how to even start parsing through the near-constant deluge of tragedy, misinformation, and violence that has become part and parcel of life under ICE.”
“How do we live alongside a violent, paranoid agency that sees everyday people as a threat, under an administration that will tell us not to believe what we see when they step out of line?” asks contributor @catcardenas.bsky.social
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/15/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/15/a...
A 5-Year-Old Disappeared in Austin. A Mom Shot Dead in Minneapolis. How Much More Violence Will It Take to ‘Abolish ICE’?
50% of American women support the abolish ICE movement.
thebarbedwire.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Cat really got me with this line: “It’s hard to know where to begin, how to even start parsing through the near-constant deluge of tragedy, misinformation, and violence that has become part and parcel of life under ICE.”
update on Orange Julius!
also hopefully a dose of vitamin People Are Fundamentally Good which we all need right now
also hopefully a dose of vitamin People Are Fundamentally Good which we all need right now
NEW: “They really rely on those cats for emotional support,” said Kitti Reed, whose mother is incarcerated at the Patrick O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville. “These animals don’t see their mistakes. They’re just a constant.”
Latest from @briangaar.bsky.social —
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/i...
Latest from @briangaar.bsky.social —
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/i...
‘I Didn’t Know So Many People Cared.’ How Incarcerated Texas Women Raised $11,000 for a Sick Senior Cat.
OJ is a lifeline for the incarcerated women at the Patrick O’Daniel Unit.
thebarbedwire.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:22 PM
update on Orange Julius!
also hopefully a dose of vitamin People Are Fundamentally Good which we all need right now
also hopefully a dose of vitamin People Are Fundamentally Good which we all need right now
Reposted by Cara Kelly
9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped on this day 30 years ago, and 1,200 missing kids have been saved by the Amber Alert system made in her honor.
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
The Case That Inspired the Amber Alert Was Never Solved. Will There Ever Be Justice for 9-Year-Old Amber Hagerman?
The case that inspired the Amber Alert was never solved. Could modern technology finally help crack Amber Hagerman's tragic case?
thebarbedwire.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:56 PM
9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped on this day 30 years ago, and 1,200 missing kids have been saved by the Amber Alert system made in her honor.
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
Reposted by Cara Kelly
“She’s still taking care of little children like she did her younger brother,” said Amber’s mother, Donna Williams, on the 25th anniversary of the kidnapping. “I’m very, very proud of my daughter.”
9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped on this day 30 years ago, and 1,200 missing kids have been saved by the Amber Alert system made in her honor.
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
But her murder remains unsolved.
Still, police are hopeful they can one day crack it using DNA testing.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/13/a...
The Case That Inspired the Amber Alert Was Never Solved. Will There Ever Be Justice for 9-Year-Old Amber Hagerman?
The case that inspired the Amber Alert was never solved. Could modern technology finally help crack Amber Hagerman's tragic case?
thebarbedwire.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:58 PM
“She’s still taking care of little children like she did her younger brother,” said Amber’s mother, Donna Williams, on the 25th anniversary of the kidnapping. “I’m very, very proud of my daughter.”
our whole newsroom is now very invested in Orange Julius and his female support team.
thanks @keribla.bsky.social for sharing
thanks @keribla.bsky.social for sharing
Look, we really needed this one today:
🐈 💵 Thanks to some incarcerated women in Texas, a GoFundMe benefitting a senior cat named Orange Julius has raised more than $6,000 so he can be treated for a kidney infection.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/08/t...
🐈 💵 Thanks to some incarcerated women in Texas, a GoFundMe benefitting a senior cat named Orange Julius has raised more than $6,000 so he can be treated for a kidney infection.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/08/t...
Incarcerated Texas Women Are Crowdfunding a Vet Visit for a Beloved Cat Named Orange Julius
OJ has helped his owner “not lose her hope or her spark” during incarceration.
thebarbedwire.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:27 PM
our whole newsroom is now very invested in Orange Julius and his female support team.
thanks @keribla.bsky.social for sharing
thanks @keribla.bsky.social for sharing
Reposted by Cara Kelly
Our first investigation of the year just landed, and it’s a doozy.
More than 1,000 children across Texas were affected by this.
Through interviews with more than a dozen former employees and the review of internal documents and court records, The Barbed Wire found:
More than 1,000 children across Texas were affected by this.
Through interviews with more than a dozen former employees and the review of internal documents and court records, The Barbed Wire found:
January 7, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Our first investigation of the year just landed, and it’s a doozy.
More than 1,000 children across Texas were affected by this.
Through interviews with more than a dozen former employees and the review of internal documents and court records, The Barbed Wire found:
More than 1,000 children across Texas were affected by this.
Through interviews with more than a dozen former employees and the review of internal documents and court records, The Barbed Wire found:
Our first investigation of 2026 is live! We found one of the largest immigration legal service providers in TX had funding cut by the Trump admin for 2 weeks before a judge ordered it reinstated. RAICES declined to take it, but blamed the cuts in legal documents for why it dropped child clients.
EXCLUSIVE: RAICES built a national reputation on the belief that no kid should go to court alone. Then it declined a $19.5 million federal contract and misrepresented the reason for dropping child clients, former staffers told contributor @paulflahive.bsky.social
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
RAICES Raised Millions to Protect Minors from Deportation. Then It Dropped Them ‘Like It Was Nothing,’ Ex Staffers Claim.
Texas nonprofit falsely represented its reasoning for dropping child immigration clients to employees and in court records, ex staffers say.
thebarbedwire.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Our first investigation of 2026 is live! We found one of the largest immigration legal service providers in TX had funding cut by the Trump admin for 2 weeks before a judge ordered it reinstated. RAICES declined to take it, but blamed the cuts in legal documents for why it dropped child clients.
Reposted by Cara Kelly
RAICES Raised Millions to Protect Minors from Deportation. Then It Dropped Them ‘Like It Was Nothing,’ Ex Staffers Claim.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
RAICES Raised Millions to Protect Minors from Deportation. Then It Dropped Them ‘Like It Was Nothing,’ Ex Staffers Claim.
Texas nonprofit falsely represented its reasoning for dropping child immigration clients to employees and in court records, ex staffers say.
thebarbedwire.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:12 PM
RAICES Raised Millions to Protect Minors from Deportation. Then It Dropped Them ‘Like It Was Nothing,’ Ex Staffers Claim.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/07/r...
The House investigation said the “entirety of law enforcement… shares systemic responsibility” for the Uvalde school shooting deaths. So… why is only this one low level officer facing charges this week?
Read our attempt to answer that seemingly basic question.
Read our attempt to answer that seemingly basic question.
Family members of the victims in Uvalde are angry that only two of 376 officers face charges.
As the first trial begins, prosecutors shed light on why they singled out Adrian Gonzales: He knew the gunman’s location before he entered the school and failed to act.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/06/u...
As the first trial begins, prosecutors shed light on why they singled out Adrian Gonzales: He knew the gunman’s location before he entered the school and failed to act.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/06/u...
376 Officers Responded to the Uvalde School Shooting. Why Are Only Two Facing Charges?
Former officer Adrian Gonzales is one of two local officers facing prosecution for inaction during the Uvalde school shooting.
thebarbedwire.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:50 PM
The House investigation said the “entirety of law enforcement… shares systemic responsibility” for the Uvalde school shooting deaths. So… why is only this one low level officer facing charges this week?
Read our attempt to answer that seemingly basic question.
Read our attempt to answer that seemingly basic question.
Reposted by Cara Kelly
“To prosecute the very first officer on the scene is probably a good measure of whether or not other prosecutions might succeed,” Bassett said. “I think they started with the most obvious possible defendant to see how that would go through the court system.”
Family members of the victims in Uvalde are angry that only two of 376 officers face charges.
As the first trial begins, prosecutors shed light on why they singled out Adrian Gonzales: He knew the gunman’s location before he entered the school and failed to act.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/06/u...
As the first trial begins, prosecutors shed light on why they singled out Adrian Gonzales: He knew the gunman’s location before he entered the school and failed to act.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/06/u...
376 Officers Responded to the Uvalde School Shooting. Why Are Only Two Facing Charges?
Former officer Adrian Gonzales is one of two local officers facing prosecution for inaction during the Uvalde school shooting.
thebarbedwire.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:42 PM
“To prosecute the very first officer on the scene is probably a good measure of whether or not other prosecutions might succeed,” Bassett said. “I think they started with the most obvious possible defendant to see how that would go through the court system.”
Reposted by Cara Kelly
Did you know it's been 2 years since SB17, Texas' anti-DEI campus law went into effect?
I'm working on a survey of LGBTQ+ orgs affected by this law, for @thebarbedwire.com. If you were part of, or know of a campus org that shut down or was forced to change goals due to SB17, please get in touch.
I'm working on a survey of LGBTQ+ orgs affected by this law, for @thebarbedwire.com. If you were part of, or know of a campus org that shut down or was forced to change goals due to SB17, please get in touch.
January 5, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Did you know it's been 2 years since SB17, Texas' anti-DEI campus law went into effect?
I'm working on a survey of LGBTQ+ orgs affected by this law, for @thebarbedwire.com. If you were part of, or know of a campus org that shut down or was forced to change goals due to SB17, please get in touch.
I'm working on a survey of LGBTQ+ orgs affected by this law, for @thebarbedwire.com. If you were part of, or know of a campus org that shut down or was forced to change goals due to SB17, please get in touch.
Reposted by Cara Kelly
“What’s suing Tylenol going to do? Is it going to help the kids? Is it going to bring more awareness? Is it going to get our kids diagnosed more early?”
Please read this one. @thebarbedwire.com spoke with parents of autistic kids in Texas. They had a lot to say.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/16/t...
Please read this one. @thebarbedwire.com spoke with parents of autistic kids in Texas. They had a lot to say.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/16/t...
Texas Is Leaving Autistic Kids Without Necessary Services, Parents Say. Ken Paxton’s Tylenol Lawsuit Isn’t Helping.
Battling years-long waitlists, delays in care, and insurance.
thebarbedwire.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
“What’s suing Tylenol going to do? Is it going to help the kids? Is it going to bring more awareness? Is it going to get our kids diagnosed more early?”
Please read this one. @thebarbedwire.com spoke with parents of autistic kids in Texas. They had a lot to say.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/16/t...
Please read this one. @thebarbedwire.com spoke with parents of autistic kids in Texas. They had a lot to say.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/16/t...
This week a bathroom bill went into effect in Texas for the first time.
After 10 years and 19 attempts.
To regulate bathrooms for 1% of the population.
The obvious question is… why? Here are the answers we found, after years and so much reporting.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
After 10 years and 19 attempts.
To regulate bathrooms for 1% of the population.
The obvious question is… why? Here are the answers we found, after years and so much reporting.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Where Did Anti-Trans Laws Start? How a Forgotten Houston Ordinance Turned Into a Massive, Nationwide Culture War
In fighting for bathroom bills in Houston, Texas conservatives provided a blueprint for the rest of the country.
thebarbedwire.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This week a bathroom bill went into effect in Texas for the first time.
After 10 years and 19 attempts.
To regulate bathrooms for 1% of the population.
The obvious question is… why? Here are the answers we found, after years and so much reporting.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
After 10 years and 19 attempts.
To regulate bathrooms for 1% of the population.
The obvious question is… why? Here are the answers we found, after years and so much reporting.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Reposted by Cara Kelly
Work for this story began in 2023 as part of a project by the Investigative Reporting Workshop, a nonprofit newsroom at American University. Students, interns, and editors over the past two years combed through more than 1,600 bills filed nationally since 2015.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Where Did Anti-Trans Laws Start? How a Forgotten Houston Ordinance Turned Into a Massive, Nationwide Culture War
In fighting for bathroom bills in Houston, Texas conservatives provided a blueprint for the rest of the country.
thebarbedwire.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Work for this story began in 2023 as part of a project by the Investigative Reporting Workshop, a nonprofit newsroom at American University. Students, interns, and editors over the past two years combed through more than 1,600 bills filed nationally since 2015.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...
Reposted by Cara Kelly
Amanda Aguilar, an immigration lawyer, said cartels held one of her clients for ransom immediately after his deportation to Mexico via the Tamaulipas border.
“My clients will say, ‘Can you please ask them not to drop me off in Tamaulipas?” Aguilar said. “And I do ask, but ICE just doesn’t care.”
“My clients will say, ‘Can you please ask them not to drop me off in Tamaulipas?” Aguilar said. “And I do ask, but ICE just doesn’t care.”
In interviews with immigration lawyers, watchdogs, and deportees themselves, @thebarbedwire.com found that hardships for detained migrants do not end after deportation to Mexico — in addition to unemployment, word has spread of dangers, including cartels.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/02/m...
thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/02/m...
Mexico Publicized a New Strategy to ‘Embrace’ Deportees. Instead, Many Have Found Danger and Unemployment.
Hardships for detained migrants do not end after deportation into Mexico.
thebarbedwire.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Amanda Aguilar, an immigration lawyer, said cartels held one of her clients for ransom immediately after his deportation to Mexico via the Tamaulipas border.
“My clients will say, ‘Can you please ask them not to drop me off in Tamaulipas?” Aguilar said. “And I do ask, but ICE just doesn’t care.”
“My clients will say, ‘Can you please ask them not to drop me off in Tamaulipas?” Aguilar said. “And I do ask, but ICE just doesn’t care.”
Reposted by Cara Kelly
This article by @19thnews.org and @thebarbedwire.com tells the story of Emmanuel Gonzalez, a 15-year-old with an intellectual disability who was in ICE custody for 48 days. Follow both publications on Flipboard.
flipboard.com/@19thnews
flipboard.com/@thebarbedwire
flipboard.com/@19thnews
flipboard.com/@thebarbedwire
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 PM
This article by @19thnews.org and @thebarbedwire.com tells the story of Emmanuel Gonzalez, a 15-year-old with an intellectual disability who was in ICE custody for 48 days. Follow both publications on Flipboard.
flipboard.com/@19thnews
flipboard.com/@thebarbedwire
flipboard.com/@19thnews
flipboard.com/@thebarbedwire
Maria Garcia reported her intellectually disabled son missing in Oct. Police called federal immigration instead of his mom. He was kept in custody — until Friday.
“In front of the entire world, they tried to make others believe I was a bad mother,” said Garcia.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
“In front of the entire world, they tried to make others believe I was a bad mother,” said Garcia.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
A Disabled Child’s Mom Reported Him Missing. He Was Locked Away by Federal Immigration Authorities for 48 Days.
Emmanuel, a 15-year-old who has an intellectual disability, walked away from his mom’s fruit stand in October. Houston Police called ICE.
thebarbedwire.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Maria Garcia reported her intellectually disabled son missing in Oct. Police called federal immigration instead of his mom. He was kept in custody — until Friday.
“In front of the entire world, they tried to make others believe I was a bad mother,” said Garcia.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
“In front of the entire world, they tried to make others believe I was a bad mother,” said Garcia.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
A video of a Black woman seemingly denied care while in labor has left a lot of people saying: This isn’t an outlier.
Texas is one of the worst states for maternal healthcare, and the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly 3X that of white women, per state data. thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/18/v...
Texas is one of the worst states for maternal healthcare, and the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly 3X that of white women, per state data. thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/18/v...
This Viral Video of a Texas Mom in Labor Is a ‘Textbook Example’ of the Horrors Black Pregnant People Face in Hospitals
In Texas, the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly three times higher than white women, according to state data.
thebarbedwire.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:22 PM
A video of a Black woman seemingly denied care while in labor has left a lot of people saying: This isn’t an outlier.
Texas is one of the worst states for maternal healthcare, and the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly 3X that of white women, per state data. thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/18/v...
Texas is one of the worst states for maternal healthcare, and the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly 3X that of white women, per state data. thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/18/v...
preach.
Editors have a really hard job, and the good ones can make something unreadable readable, and the great ones can make something unreadable into something good. But they're basically invisible, until someone tries to write without one.
November 17, 2025 at 7:31 PM
preach.
in the same breadth, Talarico blamed the media for the recent @axios.com article about his social accounts following porn actors and escorts, calling it “clickbait” and claiming Axios published it just to make money. was quick to dismiss the notion of hypocrisy. www.axios.com/2025/11/08/t...
November 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
in the same breadth, Talarico blamed the media for the recent @axios.com article about his social accounts following porn actors and escorts, calling it “clickbait” and claiming Axios published it just to make money. was quick to dismiss the notion of hypocrisy. www.axios.com/2025/11/08/t...