The Brief: March 17, 2015
Oil prices are falling again with worries growing anew that the price per barrel might dip below $40. 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.
Oil prices are falling again with worries growing anew that the price per barrel might dip below $40. Full Story
Legislative activity begins to ramp up in the two chambers this week with speculation rampant that the Senate might take up as early as today legislation that would allow permitted gun owners to carry handguns openly. Full Story
Bill filing deadline is here, the "Former Fetus" kerfuffle is a further signal of the GOP internal rift and Rick Perry gets Right on Crime — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
Steelworkers and Shell Oil have struck a tentative agreement on a labor deal that would end a strike at 15 refineries and chemical plants, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday night. Full Story
The Legislature hits a big milestone as the focus of session begins to migrate to the two chambers. Full Story
The "Former Fetus" flap highlights the divide between House leadership and the Tea Party wing. Full Story
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about pending legislation sitting in the Lege and the potential for vetoes. Full Story
One lawmaker's protest against Planned Parenthood supporters at the Capitol on Wednesday had turned into something else later in the day: a threat that the gloves were about to come off in his fight against the House leadership. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A new series on communities lacking clean water, a new study links climate change to drought and an interview with Cameron Turner of the Agricultural Water Conservation Programs at the Texas Water Development Board. Full Story
State contracting has become one of the signature issues of the legislative session, but finding a fix won't be easy. Full Story