A group of plaintiffs in the Llano Independent School District has obtained a court order banning the use of CSCOPE lessons until those lessons get State Board of Education approval. Full Story
The U.S. consul general in Ciudad Juárez on whether the war in Juárez is over, what the U.S. is doing to help and what the next few months in the border city will be like leading up to the shift in power from one administration to another. Full Story
Railroad Commission Chairman and Texas attorney general candidate Barry Smitherman released a new campaign video in which he promises to protect Texans against the "job-killing policies" of the Obama administration and the EPA. Full Story
If Gov. Rick Perry makes a second bid for the White House in 2016, there is mounting speculation that he may have some home-state competition for the Republican nomination from a certain junior senator. Full Story
Motorists in Texas will soon be allowed to use their cellphones to show proof of insurance during traffic stops. Proponents of the legislation say that the law will increase at the efficiency at those stops. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
Texas Democrats are hoping to fill out a statewide ballot that so far just has one candidate on it, and they're hoping a marquee candidate like Wendy Davis might prime the pump. Full Story
Charter schools with ties to faith-based organizations have cropped up across Texas. Proponents say that's a result of smart budgeting, but critics have concerns about oversight and worry that faith-based instruction could enter some classrooms. Full Story
One way that invasive aquatic species like the zebra mussel can spread across Texas waterways is via boats that aren't cleaned. New legislation requires boater education courses to address the importance of cleaning boats. This story is part of our monthlong 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
It took longer than expected, but after more than seven consecutive months of work in the Capitol, lawmakers were finally able to put the session behind them. So we start this week's news-inspired playlist with Brandi Carlile's "Hard Way Home." Full Story
In this week's Newsreel: The Texas Legislature leaves Austin, we get a glimpse at Wendy Davis' future politcal plans, and we are left with this question: Will Texas ever get out of the battle over its political maps? Full Story
Root reports on Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis and their gubernatorial moves, Satija on the new force in the state’s water wars, Murphy’s interactive on the most expensive water projects, M. Smith looks at grades for schools, Aaronson sorts out changes in women’s health programs, Aguilar finds some harmony between the U.S. and Mexico, Batheja on upgrades to the state’s 911 system, Dehn and Koh on new penalties for hit-and-run drivers, Grissom on possible interference in a criminal case, Hamilton on a positive focus at UT, Rocha on the outcome of the third special session: The best of our best for the week of August 5 to 9, 2013. Full Story
Fewer college students will be required to have meningitis vaccinations, and new rules also make it easier for some students to opt out of the vaccinations. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
U.S. officials on Friday called infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero's release from a Mexican prison deeply troubling, and said they would continue to seek justice over his connection to the 1985 slaying of a DEA agent. Full Story
Your evening reading: Data on the public's understanding of the Affordable Care Act; a couple of weeks until a decision from state Sen. Wendy Davis; an upcoming debate on CSCOPE Full Story
While most Americans do in fact have an opinion on the Affordable Care Act, to say that they understand it — at all, let alone “all too well” — runs contrary to the data currently available. Full Story
Jonathan Stickland and Trey Martinez Fischer don't have a lot in common ideologically, but they have at least one similarity: Their use of the House's rear podium as a platform when they're outnumbered or ignored. Full Story
In the 2013 legislative session, lawmakers sought to mitigate the impact of 2011 budget cuts by boosting women's health spending. But advocates have raised concerns that new abortion restrictions could create additional burdens. Full Story
With new laws increasing the penalties for drivers involved in hit-and-run fatalities or those who fail to stop and render aid, advocates hope there is more incentive for drivers to stay at the scene of accidents. This story is part of our monthlong 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
Obamacare — how Texas should implement it and how opponents in Washington should fight it — was a hot topic in Austin on Thursday, and the views expressed were not necessarily the most predictable. Full Story