The Brief: Feb. 6, 2014
Chris Christie is coming to Texas on Thursday and with a large target on his back placed there by Democrats. Full Story
Chris Christie is coming to Texas on Thursday and with a large target on his back placed there by Democrats. Full Story
Millions of dollars may be headed to Texas from BP to help make amends for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But a state agency has sparked a debate over a proposal to charge fees when that money is used to restore coastal habitats. Full Story
The contentious relationship between Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency was the primary focus of a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Full Story
UPDATED: The state’s highest criminal court on Wednesday reversed a lower court’s decision to allow further DNA testing in the case of death row inmate Larry Swearingen, sending his case back to a district court. Full Story
Evan, Reeve, Ross and Aman wonder whether the Texas gubernatorial race is among the country's most overrated, evaluate the candidates' media relations operations, and catch up on the comptroller's race. Full Story
A new national report on water use for hydraulic fracturing suggests that oil and gas companies are at risk of running short on the precious resource — especially in South Texas. Full Story
After years of political fighting, Congress has passed a farm bill that will bring certainty to agricultural and food assistance policy until 2018. Texas agricultural producers could see big changes. Full Story
During a two-day DNA hearing that ended Tuesday, prosecutors argued tests confirmed Hank Skinner’s guilt in a 20-year-old triple murder, but his lawyers said the results raised too many questions to allow him to be executed. Full Story
After about a year and a half of development, Texas A&M University-Commerce and South Texas College in late January unveiled a new, innovative response to Gov. Rick Perry's $10,000-college-degree challenge. Full Story
Add Greg Abbott, apparently, to those wanting to turn the page on coverage of Wendy Davis' life story. Full Story
Fundraising reports for the month of January show Greg Abbott largely outraising Wendy Davis with the help of several six-figure contributions, while Davis relied on smaller donations. Full Story
Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, has proposed a dramatic increase in state spending on border security and other crime-fighting initiatives. But he hasn't identified the funding to pay for the programs. Full Story
After detailing his "Securing Texans" policy at an event in Dallas on Tuesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott answered questions about his plans for border security and other issues. Full Story
At an event in Dallas on Tuesday, Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott talked about his plans to address border security, human trafficking and domestic violence. Full Story
Should Texas overhaul its electricity market? And if so, how much would it cost? A highly anticipated report has shed some light on those questions amid an increasingly contentious debate. Full Story
Texas in 2013 exonerated more people who were wrongfully convicted of crimes than any other state, according to a new report. Full Story
Take a look back at Beneath the Surface, our five-part series on the state's growing interest in groundwater. While more Texans are counting on groundwater to fuel the state's economic growth, legal and regulatory hurdles present challenges. Full Story
More than 20 years after then-Texas Comptroller John Sharp launched a popular program to cut government waste, the candidates to be the next comptroller are talking about reviving it. Full Story
Greg Abbott has reversed the campaign fundraising storyline of a month ago, raising more than three times the cash as the combined efforts of Wendy Davis and Battleground Texas. Full Story
As the oil and gas industry continues to flourish in Texas, several areas of the state are experiencing small earthquakes, and scientists see a link. But the shaking is just part of what has many of the affected residents on edge. Full Story