New in Trib+Water: The Disappearing Rio Grande
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: The Disappearing Rio Grande project, reckoning with water shortages and an interview with Karen Ford of WaterPR. Full Story
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The Brief: July 16, 2014
Greg Abbott's disclosure that he has close to $36 million in the bank as the campaign for governor starts to kick into high gear dominated a day where he and his Democratic rival Wendy Davis posted big fundraising numbers. Full Story
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![Gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis are shown on primary night on March 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich / Laura Buckman -
New in TribTalk: Krause on the Border Crisis
After letting the crisis on the border fester for over a month, Washington is still barely doing anything to stem the tide of migrant children entering our country, forcing Texas to act on its own, writes state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth. Full Story
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![A detainee sleeps in a holding cell at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in Brownsville, Texas. CPB provided media tours Tuesday of two locations in Brownsville and Nogales, Ariz. that have been central to processing the more than 47,000 unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally since Oct. 1.]()
Credit: AP Pool / Eric Gay -
Conservative Groups Urge Strict Budget Spending Cap
A coalition of conservative groups set forth a strict proposal for the state’s fiscal future, emphasizing hard spending caps to limit the size of government, with the release Tuesday of a budget report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Undocumented Journalist Faces Uncertain Future After Detention
Jose Antonio Vargas, the country's highest-profile undocumented immigrant, was detained by Border Patrol officials in McAllen on Tuesday. Now all eyes are on the federal government, which must decide whether to begin deportation proceedings or let Vargas stay. Full Story
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Van De Putte, Patrick Show Similar Fundraising Totals
Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick, who are facing off in a fiery race for lieutenant governor, have both raised about $1 million since the end of May. Full Story
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![State Sens. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston, will face off against each other in the general election for lieutenant governor.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney / Michael Stravato -
Court: UT-Austin May Use Race in Admissions
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday — for the second time — that the University of Texas at Ausin may use race as an element of its admissions decisions for candidates not admitted via the state's Top Ten Percent Law. Full Story
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![University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers spoke on June 24, 2013, about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of Fisher v. UT-Austin.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Abbott Has $35.6 Million War Chest; Davis Reports $13.1 Million Total
Attorney General Greg Abbott has amassed a $35.6 million war chest in the race for Texas governor. His Democratic opponent, Sen. Wendy Davis, says she has $13.1 million for the effort. Full Story
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![Greg Abbott, then a candidate for governor and now the governor-elect, spoke at a NE Tarrant Tea Party meeting at Concordia Lutheran Church in Bedford on Nov. 12, 2013. State Sen. Wendy Davis, who was also running for governor, spoke to veterans at Luby's in Forest Hill the day before.]()
Credit: Mark Graham / Cooper Neil -
Texas Democrats Divided Over Bill Targeting Border Crisis
Proposed legislation to address the surge of unaccompanied Central American children crossing into the U.S. is dividing Texas’ border lawmakers. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, spoke Tuesday, Sept. 3, during an El Paso town hall forum on whether the U.S. should take action against Syria.]()
Credit: Vanessa Monsivais -
In McRaven or Fisher, a New Kind of Chancellor
The two candidates to replace outgoing UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa — Admiral William McRaven and Dallas Fed Chief Richard Fisher — are neither a product of state politics nor of academia. Full Story
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![Admiral William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, was named the sole finalist to be chancellor of the University of Texas System on July 29, 2014. McRaven holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.]()
Credit: Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey, U.S. Air Force -
As Debate Continues Over EPA Plan, Utilities Say They're Getting Prepared
A federal plan to slash emissions from coal-fired power plants remains a source of deep division. But a number of utilities say their investments in natural gas and renewable energy sources have left them well-positioned to meet their potential carbon targets. Full Story
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![The Webberville Solar Project near Austin.]()
Credit: Mose Buchele -
Texas Sees Rise in Medicaid Signups
More than 80,000 additional Texans have enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program since the rollout of the Affordable Care Act last fall, despite Republican state leaders’ decision not to expand eligibility. Full Story
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![Yesenia Alvarado holds her daughter, Medicaid patient Melanie Almaraz, 2, while waiting to see Dr. Alberto Vasquez for the treatment of a fever at Su Clinica Familiar in Harlingen on Jul. 9, 2013.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal for The Texas Tribune -
Video: Ship Channel Fueling Industry, Debate
The Houston Ship Channel has grown in recent years and is now one of the world's most important transportation waterways. But some scientists argue the bustling channel could be vulnerable to what they say are the effects of climate change. Full Story
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The Brief: July 15, 2014
A bipartisan effort by two Texas lawmakers — GOP U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar — grabbed headlines as having the potential to break the logjam as to what to do about the surge in unaccompanied minors across the border. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) speaks with state Rep. Doug Miller R-New Braunfels, during a visit to the Texas Capitol on Feb. 19, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Letter Details Scope of UT Admissions Investigation
An investigation of admissions practices at the University of Texas at Austin will begin no earlier than Thursday, according to a letter sent to the Legislative Budget Board. Full Story
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![UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa greets guest at his resignation press conference on Feb. 10, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: Not Bad, for a Lame Duck Governor
The governor is coming to the end of his 14-year reign at the top of state governor, but Rick Perry is not showing the normal tendencies of a political short-timer. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry points out his new glasses in a speech to the Texas Republican Convention on June 5, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Water Planners Focus on a More Populous Texas, but Not a Hotter One
As state water planners prepare to spend $2 billion in public funds to address Texas’ water needs in the coming decades, scientists say state leaders' skepticism on climate change will only impair such planning. Full Story
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![Scientists say higher temperatures due to global warming are already diminishing water resources, and that climate change will cause the southern and western portions of the state to become drier. Those regions supply water for fast-growing cities like Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, as well as the Rio Grande Valley.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge -
Women Want State’s Help in Pelvic Mesh Fight
While thousands of women across the country are engaged in lawsuits against manufacturers of pelvic mesh implants, a Texas group is trying to get the state to take action against a company that makes the medical devices. Full Story
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![Aaron Leigh Johnson-Horton, founder of The Mesh Warrior Foundation, prepares gifts to mail to women with complications from a mesh implant at her home in Dallas, Texas on July 8, 2014.]()
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The Brief: July 14, 2014
The challenges to Republican-drawn maps in 2011 return to a San Antonio federal courtroom Monday morning with The Associated Press reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice is deciding to become more closely involved with the case. Full Story
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Inside Texas Politics: Children at the Border
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bob Ray Sanders about the latest in the UT-Austin saga, the border surge, President Obama's Texas visit and more. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey on WFAA-TV's "Inside Texas Politics" on July 13, 2014.]()