The Brief: Dec. 11, 2015
Accounts of a planned update to the state's child support enforcement system that is behind schedule and over budget left at least one lawmaker "kind of speechless." Full Story
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.
Accounts of a planned update to the state's child support enforcement system that is behind schedule and over budget left at least one lawmaker "kind of speechless." Full Story
With one weekend left in the candidate filing period, a compendium of who's submitted their paperwork so far to get on their respective party primary ballots. Full Story
Also, a large crowd shows up to witness the Rand Paul qualifying for the Texas presidential ballot. Full Story
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about possible comebacks for once robust presidential candidates. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: The Tribune launches a revamped public schools explorer, Google accused of student privacy violations and an interview with Norma Olvera of the University of Houston. Full Story
The campus carry debate took center stage again on Wednesday following a gun rights group's announcement that it plans to hold a fake mass shooting demonstration this weekend just off the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
Attorneys representing Abigail Fisher and the University of Texas at Austin appear again before the U.S. Supreme Court today to argue an affirmative action challenge that has national implications. Full Story
In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: Climate change may help spur insect-borne disease, new research raises questions on helpfulness of high doses of antioxidants and an interview with Iram Kazimi of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Full Story
GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz hit a new milestone on Monday with his campaign, showing up at the top of a poll for the first time in the key early voting state of Iowa. Full Story
It's a potentially big week for Texas at the U.S. Supreme Court with oral arguments scheduled on a pair of high profile cases touching on the hot button issues of minority voting power and affirmative action. Full Story