The first week of 2012 started with the first presidential voting of the cycle, and our coverage included Dehn's videos of Rick Perry's "reassessment" and "next leg of the marathon" speeches, Ramshaw's reporting on the rationale behind his decision and Root's analysis of just what happened in the hours after the Iowa results came in, plus Galbraith on the Texas critters that might be added to the endangered list, Tan's look at new laws regulating payday lenders, Hamilton on an impending battle over tuition increases at UT, and Murphy with a new data map using the latest Census numbers for Texas: The best of our best content from January 2 to 6, 2012.

Gov. Rick Perry has named embattled Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio his Arizona campaign chairman, despite a recent Obama administration report condemning alleged discriminatory practices in Arpaio's office. 

Could Gov. Rick Perry have been right when he decided to reassess his campaign after the Iowa disaster and, again, when he quickly decided to soldier on to South Carolina? Maybe.

Here's the problem for the Texas governor after his awful fifth-place showing in Iowa, as the specter of his first defeat has come into focus: He does not really know how to lose. 

What's usually known in December before an election year won't be known now until February: Who's actually in these races?

The bet here is that the U.S. Supreme Court wouldn't have taken the Texas redistricting case if they thought it was a good idea to hold elections using the San Antonio court's plan. If it was, why issue a stay, set arguments, and risk delaying the primaries?

During his speech, Gov. Rick Perry said he was going home for some "prayer and reflection" to decide whether to continue his presidential quest after a dismal fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday.  

One question has sprung from many minds since Rick Perry's stunning reversal on Wednesday: What's the governor thinking?

Gov. Rick Perry may have seeemed like a dead man walking after his fifth-place finish Tuesday night in Iowa. But as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, Perry's pressing on, and his supporters still think he's the only candidate with the mettle to challenge Mitt Romney.

Evan, Reeve, Brandi and Jim attempt to wrap their heads around the future of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, the state of the U.S. Senate race, and what lies ahead in 2012.

Despite a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses that led Rick Perry to say he was returning home to Texas to reassess his candidacy, the Texas governor surprised everyone by announcing this morning that he would stay in the race. 

A round-up of the morning show buzz after Tuesday night's Iowa caucuses.

Gov. Rick Perry will come home to pray and reflect and decide whether to continue his presidential quest after a fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

Gov. Rick Perry, after coming in fifth place in Tuesday night's Iowa caucuses, says he’ll return home to Texas to decide whether or not to continue his presidential bid. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports.

Gov. Rick Perry spent Tuesday doing everything he could to convince anyone he met to "have his back" in the Iowa caucuses. The Tribune talked with voters, decided and undecided, at caucus locations in Des Moines.

Want to track the results live in Iowa? Using data provided by the Iowa Republican Party via Google, WNYC has built an embeddable app that will update live as results come in this evening.

In a closing-argument ad replete with dramatic music, quick cuts of fresh-faced Iowans and a couple of clear nods to religion, Gov. Rick Perry asks caucus goers to answer America's call.

Gov. Rick Perry rallies Texas supporters who will fan across the state in an effort to convince Iowa caucus goers to support the Texas governor.