The finger-pointing continued after the infection of two health care workers with the Ebola virus in Dallas. But questions were also raised as to whether state leaders used all the tools at their disposal to contain those who might have been exposed. And the state's task force on Ebola met, where it was emphasized that the state must be better prepared for future outbreaks of infectious disease.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's former adviser Kenneth "Buddy" Barfield pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of wire fraud, making a false tax return and embezzlement of funds contributed to a federal candidate. As part of the plea, Barfield admitted to taking $1.8 million from two Dewhurst campaign accounts from 2008 to 2012.

House Speaker Joe Straus took a position contrary to the increasingly popular stance in his party that the job-creating incentive Texas Enterprise Fund should be shut down. Straus, in remarks on Thursday at the annual meeting of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, said the program should be reformed but not necessarily eliminated.

Tonight's debate between Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic challenger David Alameel will be seen in English after all. The Univision affiliate in Dallas planned to broadcast the debate dubbed into Spanish on Saturday. But The Texas Tribune will livestream the encounter, as will KUVN 23 Univision.

Disclosure: Univision is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.