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News For July, 2010

  • Nelson Roach: The TT Interview

    By Kate Galbraith

    The past president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, who testifies before two House committees today, tells the Tribune that Texas liability law shortchanges workers caught in industrial accidents — an issue of renewed interest since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Full Story 

    Nelson Roach, past president of the TTLA.
    Credit: Nix, Patterson & Roach LLP

  • Face-Off: Porter vs. Weems

    By Elise Hu

    The two men battling for a spot on the Texas Railroad Commission go head-to-head — virtually — in the latest installment of our Face-Off video series. Watch as political novice and certified public accountant David Porter, a Midland Republican, debates Democrat Jeff Weems, an oil and gas attorney from Houston, on their respective qualifications for the job, whether there are enough pipeline inspectors and and the proper balance between environmental regulation and economic growth. Full Story 

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  • A Friend In Deed

    By Matt Stiles

    State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, who was involved in a controversial land deal with Gov. Rick Perry, failed to disclose ownership or sale of the property to the Texas Ethics Commission, an apparent violation of a state ethics rules, according to a review of his personal financial statements. Full Story 

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    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • The Weekly TribCast: Episode 39

    By Elise Hu

    In this week's episode, the TT podcast gang talks about Texas voting trends, the latest skirmishes in the governor's race and the eligibility questions surrounding state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Family Planning Quandary?

    By Emily Ramshaw

    Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, wants the attorney general to decide whether a Texas family planning rule — one that bans the state's Women's Health Program from contracting with clinics that "perform or promote" abortions — is constitutional. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Life's a Beach in Texas

    By Sarah Acosta

    Texas beaches aren't awash in oil like the sands are in some other Gulf Coast states, but they could be cleaner, a group of environmental advocates said today as it released an annual review of the nation's beaches. Full Story 

    Texas beach
    Credit: http://wwwdb.glo.state.tx.us/Beachwatch/images/beach1.jpg

  • A Toxic Issue

    By Kate Galbraith

    In Texas and nationwide, controversy is escalating over the practice of shooting water, sand and chemicals underground to retrieve natural gas. Some companies have responded by using less dangerous chemicals. Full Story 

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    Credit: Creative Commons/Daniel Foster

  • Richard Wiles: The TT Interview

    By Brandi Grissom

    The sheriff of El Paso County on how his job has changed in the wake of rampant violence in Juárez, whether National Guard troops are needed on the border and the practical effect of an immigration law like Arizona's. Full Story 

    El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles
    Credit: Courtesy El Paso County Sheriff's Office

  • One Man, Two Votes

    By Ross Ramsey

    State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, voted in the November 2004 presidential election twice, choosing between George W. Bush and John Kerry in Tarrant County, Texas, and again in Prince William County, Virginia, according to election records in the two states. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • TribBlog: Wait Times Drop In Texas ERs

    By Emily Ramshaw

    Wait times in Texas emergency rooms dropped by 14 minutes between 2008 and 2009, but it still takes just over 4 hours to be seen by an ER doctor, according to a new study by the health care research group Press Ganey. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • TribBlog: A Teen Debtor's Prison in Hidalgo?

    By Brian Thevenot

    The ACLU has sued Hidalgo County for jailing an estimated 150 impoverished youths for failure to pay fines racked up on school-related tickets. Such sentences amount to running a "debtor's prison" and violate the Constitution and Texas law, ACLU attorneys argue. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmerich

  • TribBlog: How Much Do Kids Count?

    By Alexa Garcia-Ditta

    Texas ranks 34th nationally in childhood well-being, has the third highest teen birth rate and is experiencing a rapid increase in child poverty, according to new numbers released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS Count data center. Full Story