The Evening Brief: Aug. 2, 2013
Your evening reading: Abbott opens up about lawsuit settlement; Cruz quiet on McConnell primary endorsement; federal government approves West recovery funding Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Hospital Changes Policy That Kept Some Rural Doctors From Delivery Room
UPDATED: A Wise County hospital system has changed its specialist-only policy that prevented some family practice doctors from delivering babies. Full Story
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![Dr. Brad Faglie, one of the family physicians being denied hospital privileges at the nearby Wise Regional Health System, examines Adriana Zuniga, a pregnant Medicaid patient at a medical clinic in Alvord.]()
Credit: Robert W. Hart -
Texas Ports of Entry Tapped for Federal Pilot Program
Key ports of entry on the Texas-Mexico border are among those that have been selected for a pilot program that allows local governments to enter into public-private partnerships with Customs and Border Protection. Full Story
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Feds Approve Texas' Request for West Recovery
The West community will receive additional federal funding to rebuild following the explosion of a fertilizer depot in April that killed 15 people and flattened much of the town, Gov. Rick Perry announced on Friday. Full Story
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![A vehicle near the remains of a fertilizer plant burning after an explosion in West, Texas, near Waco.]()
Credit: Mike Stone / Bay Area News -
Facebook Says it Erred by Removing Branch Campaign Video
UPDATED: A Facebook spokesperson issued a statement on Friday saying that a campaign video on attorney general candidate Dan Branch's page had been removed erroneously and has since been restored. Full Story
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Craft Breweries Seeing New Doors Open
Texas' craft brewers are facing the biggest legislative overhaul the industry has seen in 20 years. News laws are letting them expand sales of their products. This story is part of our monthlong 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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![Matt Bitsche, chief engineer and head brewer at Infamous Brewing Company, inspects a pint of beer for clarity, aroma and overall carbonation in the glass, Jul. 12, 2013.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
For the First Time, Abbott Discusses Details of His Lawsuit Settlement
Attorney General Greg Abbott, the front-running candidate for Texas governor, on Thursday opened up for the first time about the legal settlement that guarantees him a six-figure yearly income for the rest of his life. Full Story
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![Attorney General Greg Abbott speaks at the National Right to Life convention on June 27, 2013.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
In Two Cities, Opposite Reactions to Jail Closure
The decision by legislators this year to close two privately run jails operated by the Corrections Corporation of America is being met with very different reactions in the communities where the jails are situated. Full Story
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![Male detainees work to fix a cell door inside of the Dawson State Jail in Dallas on Jul. 31, 2013. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice decided not to renew its contract with the Corrections Corporation of America for the Dawson State Jail after the state legislature struck 97 million dollars from its funding. The unit will begin relocating its offenders on Aug. 1, 2013, and expects to have all offenders relocated by the end of the month.]()
Credit: Brandon Thibodeaux -
Playing "Simon Says" With Political Maps
The state says anyone who disagrees with election law changes ought to prove there is a problem in court. The federal government and others want the state to prove there are no problems before those laws ever take effect. Full Story
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Credit: Jasleen Kaur -
After West Blast, Obama Signs Order Targeting Plants
A few months after the deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, President Obama on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at increasing safety and oversight at chemical plants across the country. Full Story
![A vehicle near the remains of a fertilizer plant burning after an explosion in West, Texas, near Waco.]()
Credit: Mike Stone / Bay Area News -
The Brief: Aug. 2, 2013
A combative new phase of a key 2014 down-ballot race is beginning to emerge. Full Story
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![State Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, after failing to win the endorsement of GOP caucus members for House speaker on Jan. 10, 2011.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune
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