Bob Armstrong died Sunday night at age 82. He served as land commissioner for 12 years, and later at the U.S. Department of the Interior. "He was a lover of Texas," says one of his successors. Full Story
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A Democratic state lawmaker on Monday kicked off efforts to force a discussion about climate change in Texas, but he faces an uphill battle in a state where most Republican leaders don't believe it is a problem. Full Story
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Leading Texas Republicans on Monday asked the Obama administration for greater flexibility to administer Medicaid — a move that has gotten little traction in the past — while reiterating that they would not participate in an expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
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Starting today, you can sign up to receive daily or weekly roundups of all Texas Tribune stories by topic — from immigration to transportation to energy. Interested in the 2016 presidential race? We've got one for that, too. Full Story
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The Tribune's Jay Root and Neena Satija filed a story over the weekend on the problem of deferred maintenance at state government buildings in multiple agencies. It makes for some grim reading. Full Story
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Iowa and New Hampshire have the first presidential nominating contests, but there’s a key Republican primary fight going on in Texas: the money chase. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at GOP donors and bundlers in high demand. Full Story
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The first University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of 2015 had good news for likely White House hopefuls Scott Walker and Hillary Clinton — so we’re kicking off this week’s playlist with George Jones singing “The Race Is On." Full Story
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Sen. Rand Paul won his third consecutive Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll Saturday, dashing the hopes of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who came in third, and former Gov. Rick Perry, who placed eleventh. Full Story
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After years of budget cuts, raids on dedicated funding and deferred maintenance, rats, bats, leaking roofs and audible bathroom sounds are the new normal in state government. Full Story
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Houston professor Lex Frieden played a key role in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. On the law's 25th anniversary, Frieden, who has used a wheelchair for decades, reflects on sweeping changes in accessibility — and challenges that remain. Full Story
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The best of our best content from Feb. 23 to 27, 2015. Full Story
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In a Friday night scramble with the clock running down, Congress managed to pass a stopgap measure funding the Department of Homeland Security for seven more days. The search for a more permanent solution continues. Full Story
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In a major victory for insurance companies, the Texas Supreme Court said Friday that injured workers can't sue for damages in workers' compensation claims even when the insurer intentionally misrepresents their policies, or uses the criminal justice system to punish them. Full Story
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On 2/27, I talked about the future of immigration policy in Texas with Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera of the University of Texas at Brownsville; state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville; state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Harlingen; and Rio Grande City Mayor Ruben Villarreal. Full Story
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A new single-sticker system for inspecting and registering millions of Texas vehicles begins on Sunday, and some lawmakers are warning that the change will confuse Texas drivers. Full Story
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Buddy Barfield, once an adviser to former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison for embezzling millions of dollars from Dewhurst’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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Rick Perry spoke at the CPAC conference on Friday morning, presenting the former governor a chance to reset the table before the conservative base and the national press after his disastrous 2012 bid. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Agriculture is supposed to ensure consumers aren't getting ripped off by fuel pumps, retail scanners or other measuring devices. But the agency is so cash-strapped that consumers are getting "screwed" due to a lack of oversight, the agency's new commissioner says. Full Story
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Texas voters overwhelmingly favor government-required vaccinations for children, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And they rank vouchers lowest among a set of options for improving public education. Full Story
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2016 contender Scott Walker is surging in Texas and other locales, a new push on the Ex-Im Bank and the Legislature is getting into high gear — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
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