The Brief: Aug. 13, 2014
As the first phase of the latest legal fight over Texas' new abortion regulations comes to a close, the fate of one of the law's key provisions hangs in the balance. Full Story
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![A hallway at the Whole Woman's Health clinic in Austin.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
New in TribTalk: Villalba on the Texas Enterprise Fund
Some say Texas doesn't need to spend any more of its own money on attracting out-of-state businesses, but we can't stand by and wait around for other states to one-up us, writes state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas. Full Story
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![Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, takes questions from reporters after filing the Protection of Texas Children Act on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Senators Debate Funding, Merits of National Guard Deployment
At a state Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday, senators debated the merits and tactical strategies of Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to send Texas National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, during a Health and Human Services committee hearing on Feb. 19, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Pegasus Pipeline's Partial Restart Concerns Some
The reactivation of a stretch of the 66-year-old Pegasus pipeline has stirred concerns among some Texans who live along its path. Some worry that the 2013 Mayflower spill is an example of what could go wrong in their backyards. Full Story
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![Workers mop up tar sands oil from a creek in the wake of Exxon Mobil's Pegasus pipeline spill, Mayflower, Arkansas.]()
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Medical Center Considers Reverse Quarantine as Possible Ebola Prevention
The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is considering a reverse quarantine that would keep health staffers from patients for 21 days after they have traveled to countries affected by the Ebola outbreak. Full Story
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![Ebola virus virion. Created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith, this colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an Ebola virus virion.]()
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The Disappearing Rio Grande Expedition is Underway Once Again
Reporter Colin McDonald and photographer Erich Schlegel have resumed their journey to tell the story of the vanishing Rio Grande. To mark the renewal of their trip, we've added a new feature to our archive page – a map that tracks every check-in and post made during their trip. Full Story
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Credit: Erich Schlegel -
The Brief: Aug. 12, 2014
Wallace Hall's future at the University of Texas System turned clearer on Monday: Lawmakers scolded the embattled regent but decided to keep him around — for now, at least. Full Story
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![University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall talks with colleague Gene Powell during a break at a regents' meeting on May 14, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
New in TribTalk: Beeson on Texas Women; Davidson on Living Centers
Ann Beeson of the Center for Public Policy Priorities makes a case for why the gender gap in Texas politics matters, and John Davidson of the Texas Public Policy Foundation writes that the state should close its troubled centers for people with disabilities. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Gun Groups Oppose Proposal to Allow Alcohol Sales at Gun Shows
In an unexpected uproar, gun rights organizations are pushing back against a proposed Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission rule change that would allow the sale of alcohol at some gun shows. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Glasgow -
Transparency Committee Votes to Censure Hall
UPDATED: In a 6-1 vote Monday, the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations voted to censure University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Flynn (right), R-Van, talks to state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, on Oct. 23, 2013. Van is co-chair of the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations, whose members include Fischer.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Federal Audit: Texas Responsible for Misspent Medicaid Dollars
Texas is “ultimately responsible” for millions of misspent Medicaid dollars, according to a new federal audit, because a state agency failed to properly oversee the contractor. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Peter Skadberg / Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: Aug. 11, 2014
The rivalry between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Rick Perry warmed up over the weekend. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas thanks Republican delegates in Fort Worth on June 6, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
A New Test for Texas' Abortion Restrictions
The latest legal challenge to Texas’ sweeping abortion measures went to trial in a federal courthouse in Austin last week, as federal judges around the country grapple with the question of how far states can go in regulating abortion — a question likely to end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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![Amy Hagstrom Miller, center, chief executive of Whole Woman’s Health, the lead plaintiff in an abortion lawsuit, outside the federal courthouse in Austin on Aug. 4.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Some Texas Cities Turn to Higher Water Impact Fees
As cities across Texas continue to spread out, water suppliers and local governments are faced with the question of who should pay for building the infrastructure needed to handle the growth. Full Story
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![Real estate developers building new homes are facing higher water impact fees in Austin, San Antonio and other Texas jurisdictions.]()
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Inside Texas Politics: Dueling Ads Before Labor Day
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, we talked about the possible makeup of the state Senate in 2015, Rick Perry and Ted Cruz getting equal billing at RedState, Dan Patrick's new spokesman and more. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith on WFAA-TV's "Inside Texas Politics" on August 10, 2014.]()
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In the Valley, High Hopes for VA Voucher Program
Private medical providers in the Valley welcome additional resources to address the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' massive backlog, but they say the voucher program must be improved to maximize its effectiveness. Full Story
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![Dr. Alexander P. Sudarshan, an ophthalmologist, examined Jose Juan Herrera, a Vietnam War veteran, last month in Weslaco. Dr. Sudarshan treats patients referred by Veterans Affairs.]()
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Abbott: Davis is "Obama's Ideological Twin"
Asked about a Wendy Davis television ad focused on his dissenting opinion in a 1993 case involving a woman who was raped by a door-to-door salesman, Greg Abbott said, “the opinion speaks for itself.” Full Story
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![GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott speaking at the RedState Gathering in Fort Worth, Texas on August 9, 2014.]()
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The Playlist: New Man In Town
In a nod to a profile of Jeff Miller, a California transplant who is serving as Gov. Rick Perry's new strategist, written by the Tribune's Jay Root, we start this week's news-inspired playlist with Mighty Sam McClain's "New Man In Town." Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The best of our best content from Aug. 4 to 8, 2014. Full Story
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Cruz: 2016 Candidates Should "Stand Up and Lead"
Speaking at the RedState Gathering in Fort Worth on Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said “time will tell” whether he would launch a bid for president, but he encouraged those thinking of running for president in 2016 to "stand up and lead." Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz spoke at the Republican Party of Texas Convention on June 6, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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