The Brief: Sept. 15, 2015
With GOP frontrunner Donald Trump attracting thousands to a Monday night rally at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas Republicans increasingly must face this question: Can Trump win in Texas? Full Story
With GOP frontrunner Donald Trump attracting thousands to a Monday night rally at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas Republicans increasingly must face this question: Can Trump win in Texas? Full Story
Bombastic billionaire Donald Trump rallied thousands Monday in Dallas with a message that Texas Republicans are beginning to take seriously: "I'm not going anywhere." Full Story
Rick Perry blamed his criminal indictment and exclusion from the Republican debate mainstage for his failed presidential bid in his first interview since suspending his presidential campaign on Friday. Full Story
Donald Trump's raucous presidential bid turned out thousands Monday night in Dallas for a rambling rally that easily qualified as the biggest 2016 campaign event so far in Texas. Full Story
After finding a Houston-based recycling company at fault when a temporary worker died of heat illness, federal regulators are issuing a fine of $13,800. Full Story
Officials in Travis County are calling for a review of privately funded prosecutions in Austin after a public-private partnership between the DA's office and an insurance company was reported by The Texas Tribune and the Austin American-Statesman. Full Story
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Monday dismissed the idea of a federal government shutdown, saying instead that elected officials had a duty to serve despite disagreements within Congress. Full Story
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign has launched a business partnership with a street artist with a history of controversial statements on social media, including using racial epithets and rooting for President Barack Obama's assassination. Full Story
While Sen. Ted Cruz relishes fighting with Democrats and Republicans; his wife, Heidi Cruz, is quick with a hug. He tries to galvanize voters; she spends hours on the phone, trying to persuade them to max out their donations. Full Story
In the coming days, the deaths of Sandra Bland and Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth will continue to jolt statewide conversations about how the Texas criminal justice system deals with — or fails to deal with — mental health issues. Full Story
Following a newspaper investigation of Land Commissioner George P. Bush's work calendar, his office pushed back on a couple of fronts, releasing online a sharply worded letter to the editor and granting an interview to the Tribune. Full Story
Land Commissioner George P. Bush said Sunday he has put his "heart and soul" into his job amid questions about how much time he has spent working to elect his father president. Full Story
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is quietly building support for his presidential campaign in Texas, where his supporters believe his anti-establishment appeal makes him a perfect fit for the GOP primary electorate. Full Story
During a speech in Austin on Sunday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., taunted her Texas Republican colleague Ted Cruz over his potential role in another federal government shutdown. Full Story
As part of the massive exodus of refugees from the Middle East, Texas could soon become home to hundreds of Syrian refugees fleeing their country. The United States has announced it will take in 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. Full Story
A new standard, used by crime labs in Texas and nationwide when analyzing multiple sets of DNA taken from evidence, has prompted questions and a review of court cases dating back to 1999. Full Story
Revisit our Paid to Prosecute project, a six-month Texas Tribune/Austin American-Statesman investigation that revealed a chummy and unusual financial arrangement between Texas Mutual Insurance and the Travis County DA's office. Full Story
Other presidential campaigns have begun reaching out to financial and political loyalists to Rick Perry after the former governor suspended his 2016 campaign on Friday. Full Story
Any longtime Perry watcher worth his salt knows the handsome fly boy from Paint Creek, Texas will do everything in his power to stay relevant in state and national politics, even after a second embarrassing withdrawal from presidential politics. Full Story
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Friday suspended his bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, facing dwindling resources, bare bones staff and a staggeringly low position in the polls. Full Story