Chris Tomlinson
@cltomlinson.bsky.social
Columnist and author writing about money, politics and life in Texas. Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. https://lnk.bio/ChrisTomlinson
The most vexing problem facing the next senator from the Great State of Texas and the entire Congress will not be the Iran war, a stuttering economy or even artificial intelligence, but how to keep Social Security from going broke in 2032. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
The future of Social Security rests on the next senator from Texas
The biggest problem facing the next Texas senator is saving Social Security, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Oil company profits from Iran War infuriated President Donald Trump. He only has himself to blame. In a feast-or-famine business, this is Big Oil's time to eat. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... #txlege @houstonchronicle.com
Trump blasts big oil profits. His Iran War helped create them.
If President Donald Trump wants lower gas prices, he needs to end some wars, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
President Donald Trump’s crackdown on legal and illegal immigration is hurting American workers and slowing economic growth, research shows. His policies are not about American workers; they're about white nationalism. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Deportations hurt American workers and shrink economic growth, studies show
President Donald Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration is hurting American workers and slowing economic growth in Texas, columnist Chris Tomlinson writes.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas' energy future hinges on a battle between pipelines and power lines, between natural gas that pollutes the environment, and clean energy that fights climate change: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... #txlege @houstonchronicle.com
Pipelines or power lines? Texas' energy future depends on the answer.
Texas' energy future hinges on a battle between pipelines and power lines, as competing industries lobby lawmakers to shape the grid, profits and reliability, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
McGraw Milhaven invited me on America at Night to talk about the ICE shooting in Houston. I come on at the 18-minute mark. Bonus! Texas writer @pamelacolloff.bsky.social also joins later to talk about her fabulous new book "Catch the Devil. youtu.be/CU9IR91T-Bs?... #txlege
MacFarlane Mondays | Chris Tomlinson on the ICE Shooting in Texas | Pamela Colloff on "Catch the...
YouTube video by Cumulus News Talk
youtu.be
Have y'all checked out my colleague Joy Sewing's newsletter? You should: link.houstonchronicle.com/view/6814edf... @joysewing.bsky.social
Why does everything have to be about race?
link.houstonchronicle.com
Artificial intelligence is, above anything else, a weapon. National security rests on maintaining an edge in AI. But it also relies on leaders who do what’s best for the country, even when it's hard. Greg Abbott fails on every count. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Greg Abbott’s flip-flop on data centers endangers national security
Gov. Greg Abbott has flip-flopped on data centers and AI, putting national security at risk; a middle path is needed, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
The Texas cannabis civil war is escalating between big, politically connected medical marijuana companies pushing prohibition and scrappy hemp entrepreneurs, hoping for common sense regulations for products containing THC, which makes people high. #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Texas' cannabis civil war rages on as Dan Patrick takes on hemp
The cannabis civil war rages as THC bans approach, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick promises to end the hemp industry, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Kratom is bad and dangerous stuff. No wonder Markwayne Mullin invested in it. @cltomlinson.bsky.social did a great story on it: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Tomlinson: I tried ‘gas station heroin.’ Why FDA wants to ban 7-OH.
The FDA is moving to ban 7-OH, an opioid-like drug sold at gas stations across Texas and nicknamed “gas station heroin.” Users and manufacturers, however, are fighting to keep it legal.
houstonchronicle.com
Gov. Greg Abbott's order on data centers is designed to soothe Republican voters who are angry about higher electricity and water bills after the governor encouraged artificial intelligence companies to locate in Texas. #datacenters @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Greg Abbott is distancing himself from data centers with reelection on the line
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to come up with a plan for data centers, but it’s little more than an election-year promise, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Musk brings a je ne sais quoi to all his business activities. SpaceX will undoubtedly cause a big splash. Wise investors, though, will stay out of the splash zone. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com #txlege
Elon Musk's SpaceX listing is full of landmines, just like Tesla's
Before investing in Elon Musk’s overvalued SpaceX stock, dig deep into Tesla’s problems, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas was an early pioneer in aviation, and San Antonio is at the center of developing new autonomous flying rules and pilotless planes connecting Houston, Dallas and Austin. @houstonchronicle.com #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Flying buses, new flight rules and more are coming to Texas soon
Trump administration puts Texas at the center of developing autonomous electric aircraft and the rules for flying them, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Chamber of Commerce Republicans are out. Culture warriors are in. And political gridlock is here to stay. Republican primary voters sent a clear message in the runoff elections. They picked the most extreme MAGA candidates. #txlege @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Texas Trump voters chose gridlock, picking culture warriors over conservatives
Republican primary voters chose culture warriors over chamber-of-commerce conservatives, setting the stage for more political gridlock, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Interested in Texas politics? Welcome! We’re happy to have you. Pls stop linking to NYTimes stories about us. We’ve much better choices from actual Texans. Start here: @texastribune.org @texasobserver.org @texasmonthly.bsky.social @lonestarleft.com @cltomlinson.bsky.social
Trump is going to attack something this weekend: “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time.”
Texas is outgrowing its freshwater supply. Creating freshwater and keeping the economy growing will leave consumers with sticker shock. "There is no free lunch," the chair of the Texas Senate's water committee warned. #txlege @houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Texas is running out of cheap water. Will we learn from Corpus Christi?
Texas faces a costly water crisis as growth, drought and industry outpace freshwater supplies statewide, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Consumers may want a federal gas tax holiday to save money now, but Big Oil needs it for the long run. How Trump's tax break will prevent the destruction of oil demand and protect the industry. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Donald Trump's gas tax holiday proposal will help Big Oil more than consumers
Trump gets behind Democrats’ plan to suspend gas tax and help consumers, but Big Oil will be the big winner, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas is a lousy place to get sick, and an even harder place to work if you’re a doctor who wants to heal people. Texas has severely overworked doctors. Who you are and where you live matter more in Texas. @houstonchronicle.com #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Texas is increasingly losing primary care doctors as they turn to concierge care
More family doctors are moving to concierge medicine, asking patients to pay more so they can get transformative healthcare, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas billionaire Toby Neugebauer is having a stretch of bad luck, and so is anyone who has invested in Fermi, the nuclear-powered data center company he started with former Gov. Rick Perry. #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
This Texas billionaire’s nuclear-powered data center company faces collapse
Texas billionaire Toby Neugebauer is having a stretch of bad luck, and so is anyone who has invested in his companies, writes columnist Chris Tomlinson.
houstonchronicle.com
$100 million for ibogaine!? I was arrested in Texas at age 18 for possession of LSD Spent most of my 20th year in prison By law, I could have spent 99 years Funny, my argument was that it was the psychological wonder drug of the 20th century Ibogaine is not I am an expert on many things
Chris Tomlinson@cltomlinson.bsky.social · 4mo agoA Texas hallucinogen hub? $100 million in taxpayer money for ibogaine testing brings a leading firm to Austin. #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
A Texas hallucinogen hub? $100 million in taxpayer money for ibogaine testing brings a leading firm to Austin. #txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
A Texas hallucinogen hub? $100 million for ibogaine study attracts leading firm
President Donald Trump and Texas lawmakers set aside $100 million for research into a hallucinogen called ibogaine, prompting leading firm Beond to relocate to Austin.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas has given away billions in corporate subsidies without improving the poverty rate or boosting wages. Can a freshman mayor encourage economic development that floats all boats in San Antonio? www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
Tomlinson: Texas mayor charts unique path to balance growth and affordability
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones ruffles feathers trying to boost the economy and strike the best deal for residents.
houstonchronicle.com
Finally got my flying car moment. Or about 5 minutes. Personal, electric helicopters that anyone can fly are here. And for rent. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... #evtol #liftaircraft #drones #txlege
Tomlinson: This Austin company offers the chance to pilot a single-seat electric
Austin-based LIFT Aircraft is offering the public a chance to fly in a single-seat, electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle without a pilot’s license.
houstonchronicle.com
President Donald Trump is desperate to lower prices at the pump, and wants Big Oil to compromise profits to help Republicans hold onto Congress. They won't do it. Why will only negotiations end the global energy crisis: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Tomlinson: Big Oil can’t solve the energy crisis Trump created in Iran
Trump cabinet members are asking Big Oil to help solve the energy crisis created by the attack on Iran, but lower prices are not in their best interest.
houstonchronicle.com
Corpus Christi's water crisis is more about corporate welfare than drought. The city has water for residents, but not $1B to spend on water for Big Oil. Abbott is demanding that the city put taxpayers in debt to serve big business. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Tomlinson: Greg Abbott demands Corpus Christi give Big Oil corporate welfare
Corpus Christi has plenty of water for people, but Abbott wants residents to pay $1B for a water plant that will serve only Big Oil.
houstonchronicle.com
Trump may end the attack on Iran soon, but the price of gasoline will remain high for months to come. The EIA released its short-term outlook on Tuesday, predicting that gasoline will average $3.34 a gallon in 2026, about 24 cents higher than last year. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col...
The Iran war might end soon. Your high gas prices won’t, report says.
Gas prices will remain high for the rest of the year, a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration warns. The forecast expects the Iran war to end soon, but for the impact to last.
houstonchronicle.com
War in the Middle East is good for the Texas oil and gas business, even if it’s bad for American consumers. Here's why what happens next could lead to inflation and recession. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... #txlege @houstonchronicle.com
Tomlinson: Texas oil and gas profits from Iran war — for now
Texas oil and gas companies will earn higher profits due to the Iran war, but sustained high prices could trigger a global recession.
houstonchronicle.com
Trump is about to endorse John Cornyn, and based on past behavior, I'm betting Paxton will take whatever deal the president offers to step aside. #Txlege www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/ele...
Trump to endorse in GOP U.S. Senate runoff, expects other candidate to drop out
After months of silence, President Donald Trump said he would endorse in GOP runoff between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
houstonchronicle.com
Zealot commanders on 50 U.S. bases are telling troops to celebrate because "Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” the Military Religious Freedom Foundation reports. www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/2026/03/mrff...
MRFF Inundated with Complaints of Gleeful Commanders Telling Troops Iran War is “Part of God’s Divine Plan” to Usher in the Return of Jesus Christ
“This morning our commander opened up the combat readiness status briefing by urging us to not be “afraid” as to what is happening with our combat operations in Iran right now. He urged us to tell our...
militaryreligiousfreedom.org
Oil billionaires are backing the most hateful politician in Texas, who is running for an office most voters don’t understand. If Republicans nominate him, Texas could soon have an openly racist white supremacist in statewide office. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/col... @houstonchronicle.com
Tomlinson: Oil billionaires back a hateful politician for Railroad Commissioner
Texas oil billionaires are backing Republican Railroad Commission candidate Bo French and his hate speech to regulate their industry.
houstonchronicle.com