The Brief: Oct. 25, 2012
Texas may miss out on the presidential drama, but a flurry of campaign activity today — including a visit from Bill Clinton — will seek to remind voters about drama further down the ballot. Full Story
Texas may miss out on the presidential drama, but a flurry of campaign activity today — including a visit from Bill Clinton — will seek to remind voters about drama further down the ballot. Full Story
In his latest ad, Democratic CD-14 candidate Nick Lampson of Beaumont claims partial credit for Amber Alerts, saying they're an example of bipartisan work when he was in Congress. Full Story
Evan, Ross, Reeve and Kate ponder the purpose of newspaper endorsements, wonder about water policy in the state and talk about the trial on school finance. Full Story
Your evening reading: state officials say cancer-research fund will recover from controversy; speculation about Romney cabinet includes Texas names; Cruz campaigns for Sheets Full Story
The surviving relatives of Cameron Todd Willingham have sent an application for pardon, hoping to clear his name eight years after his execution for a 1991 fire that killed his three young children. Full Story
At last Friday's quarterly meeting of the Texas Lyceum, I interviewed U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, about the future of Medicaid and Medicare, Texans without insurance and the likely fate of the Affordable Care Act. Full Story
After addressing concerns about security and preservation, the Texas Library and Archives Commission voted to allow Col. William Travis' famous 1836 letter to be displayed at the Alamo in February as part of a special exhibit. Full Story
Early voting in Texas is under way for the Nov. 6 general election. In an effort to remind our readers of their districts, we have revived and revamped the district discovery tool we deployed during this year's redistricting battle, except this time without the comparison to last election's districts. Full Story
The scandal in El Paso ISD is the worst to come along under the high-stakes testing regime that rules our schools, but we have no right to act surprised in Texas. Full Story
In Nueces County's HD-34, Rep. Connie Scott, R-Robstown, is facing former Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, for the third time in as many election cycles. Each is attacking the other's voting record. Full Story
As the Formula One Grand Prix gears up for its Austin debut, the event has become an example of the promises and pitfalls of trying to organize a carbon-neutral sports event. In the case of F1, the real challenge comes off the track. Full Story
A Texas Criminal Justice Coalition report says girls in the juvenile justice system don't get adequate counseling for past trauma. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department, however, takes issue with some of the report's conclusions. Full Story
In the second installment of a three-part series on Texas Republicans' lock on state government over the past decade, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the debt and tax burdens that have been passed on to municipalities over the years. Full Story
The U.S. ambassador-at-large on why he thinks people are uneasy about admitting that human trafficking is a problem, what Texas has done to help address the problem, and how the government can team up with the private and nonprofit sectors to draw attention to the crime. Full Story
The battle over voting rights in Texas appears to have gone international, and some state officials aren't happy about it. Full Story
International observers set to visit Texas to monitor elections next month have the attention of Attorney General Greg Abbott, who warned that observers can't interfere with Texas elections. Full Story
Your evening reading: Cruz, Shelton out with new ads; Republican state senator expresses support for gay rights legislation; fourth company in technology fund files for bankruptcy Full Story
State Rep. Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth, who is looking to unseat state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, highlights his ties to Fort Worth and work as a pediatrician in a new television ad. Full Story
For this week's nonscientific survey of politics and government insiders, we asked about the direction of the state and the country, the state of the economy and the most important problems facing Texas and the U.S. Full Story
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz released a new ad Tuesday targeting general election voters with a focus on encouraging small business growth and saving the American Dream. Full Story