The Brief: March 23, 2015
As you read these words over your morning coffee, Ted Cruz is already a candidate for president. He announced about 11 p.m. Texas time via Twitter. Full Story
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John Reynolds was the newsletters editor for the Tribune from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he was a reporter for Quorum Report, a non-partisan online political newsletter focusing on the ins and outs under the Dome, for more than seven years – covering the waterfront from health and human services and redistricting to pensions and elections. A native of Atlanta, Ga., he started his journalistic career one day after the attacks of Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas, where he rotated through a slew of beats at The Avalanche-Journal. He received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and studied at the University of Georgia's graduate school in journalism. When not at work, he actively attempts to convince himself he is adept at tennis with varying levels of success. And he has adopted the Austin custom of appreciating smoked meats and listening to music in grassy/muddy fields.
As you read these words over your morning coffee, Ted Cruz is already a candidate for president. He announced about 11 p.m. Texas time via Twitter. Full Story
We've got the top 50 bank balances among officeholders and PACs, a look at oil prices and flagging tax revenue and a warning about new spending cap formulas — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
The Obama administration is poised to become more actively involved in the debate over hydraulic fracturing by issuing new federal regulations on the practice today. Full Story
Just how hard are plummeting oil prices hitting the Texas treasury? Data from the state comptroller gives us an idea. Full Story
Also, a senator says the state no longer needs its renewable portfolio standard, and a final count on bills filed. Full Story
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about spending limits, the shape of pre-K reform to come and the future of straight-ticket voting. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: Education advocates rally at the Capitol, the Senate approves high school graduation panels and an interview with Linda McSpadden McNeil of the Center for Education at Rice University. Full Story
Lawmakers late Wednesday afternoon signaled that they will tap the brakes on plans to consolidate the state's health and human services agencies. Full Story
A bill allowing the carrying of handguns on college and university campuses wasn't heard on the Senate floor on Tuesday because of a paperwork error. But it is expected to be heard today and will likely pass. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: How healthy lifestyles lead to a healthier brain, a big milestone in Liberia's fight on Ebola and an interview with Belinda Reininger of the University of Texas School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus. Full Story