Another oil rig — owned by a Houston-based company — has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. (Sep 2)

The Public Utility Commission is poised to pass new rules that could prohibit some Texans from switching from one electric company to another. But as Mose Buchele of KUT News reports, advocates for the elderly and infirm are concerned about the impact of the proposal on some of the state's most vulnerable ratepayers. (Sep 2)

Today marks the first official day of the next phase of U.S. military operations in Iraq — but as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, Central Texas anti-war groups regard the conflict as far from over. (Sep 2)

The ethics bug is back. (Sep 2)

When Longhorn football kicks off at home this month, so will a brand-new marketing effort urging boosters to buy, of all things, green electricity. Colt McCoy's family has already signed up with Texas Longhorns Energy, which promises customers 100 percent power from Texas wind. The Aggies will roll out a similar deal on Friday. The programs are another sign of the universities' branding heft — even though they may not be the best deal within the confusing Texas electricity market. (Sep 2)

Journalist Emilio Gutiérrez says that after he reported on allegations that Mexican soldiers robbed citizens, the military threatened his life. That led him to seek asylum in the U.S. — but instead, he landed in an immigration detention center for seven months. He's still waiting to find out his ultimate fate.  (Sep 2)

Nothing has helped Texas "close the gaps" of higher education achievement more than financial aid for low-income students. But with coming budget cuts, tens of thousands of students could lose out on the state's largest and most generous financial aid program. (Sep 2)

As chairman of the Select Committee of Public Education in the '80s, Ross Perot took on high school athletics hammer and tongs: “If the people of Texas want Friday night entertainment instead of education," he said, "let’s find out about it." An excerpt from the forthcoming How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics. (Sep 2)

In this week's TribCast, Ross, Elise, Ben and Matt discuss the hottest Texas House races, Perry for president and the ramifications for elections in Harris County after fire destroyed voting machines last week. (Sep 1)

David Swinford's seat in the Texas House will apparently remain empty for the next four months. (Sep 1)

Bob Richter, public editor of the San Antonio paper, responds to the GOP House candidate's charges of biased coverage. (Sep 1)

The number of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. has declined considerably in the past few years when compared to the first half of the previous decade, according to a new study by the Pew Hispanic Center. (Sep 1)

The Institute for Creation Research has ended its fight with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which denied the Dallas-based Christian school the authority to offer master's degrees in science education. (Sep 1)

Your afternoon reading. (Sep 1)

Is $2 million a sufficient consolation prize for losing the governor's race? (Sep 1)

An interview with the former mayor of Dallas. (Sep 1)

The former Dallas mayor on her new life as an energy policy nerd, leaving journalism for the "dark side" of elective office, her continuing frustration over the Trinity River Project and her (lack of) political aspirations. (Sep 1)

A new Texas Department of Transportation study names Texas' 100 most congested roadways, which are heavily concentrated in Houston and the Dallas Metroplex; Bexar is the only one of the big five counties without a top-10 trouble spot. Policymakers hope the study will focus the public and lawmakers on the state's problem areas. (Sep 1)

The rules of the Texas Senate are designed to create an orderly process that respects the rights of individual members. They have lasted this long because they do the job well and consider the need for compromise in the legislative operation. Trampling the rights of the minority is never a good idea — and yet it has happened over and over again. An excerpt from the forthcoming How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics. (Sep 1)

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering new regulations for coal ash — the waste left over from coal-fired power plants. As Matt Largey of KUT News reports, those new rules could have a big impact in Texas, the nation’s number one coal consumer. (Sep 1)