Recovering organs from willing convicted murderers may seem like a reasonable method to reduce the organ waiting list, but the proposal is fraught with challenges that make it unlikely to ever be an option. Full Story
A federal proposal to list four Central Texas salamanders as endangered species has provoked a fierce debate about how humans affect the natural world. But the back-and-forth also foreshadows future fights likely to take place as more species come up for review. Full Story
Fall weather may bring more Texans outside, but delayed maintenance and years of cuts have left state parks and historical sites struggling — and some on the verge of closure. Full Story
The federal College Assistance Migrant Program started in 1972 at four colleges, two of which were in Texas. Of those four, only St. Edward's University in Austin has kept the program in continuous operation for 40 years. Full Story
Ramshaw on Texas Democrats’ efforts to keep some political money from leaving the state, Root on lessons learned at the GOP convention, Aaronson profiles an insurance regulator some say is too cozy with insurers, Aguilar on the next round in a the voter ID fight, Batheja on the most congested roads in Texas, Galbraith finds a rising tide of property-rights cases, Grissom on the latest reform in juvenile justice, Hamilton on computers that teach algebra, Ryan and Galbraith map struggling public water systems and M. Smith on the state’s request to waive some federal education standards: The best of our best from Sept. 3 to 7, 2012. Full Story
One of the House's most conservative members said Friday he is "pretty dismayed" about redistricting conversations revealed in a stern letter to House Speaker Joe Straus from a top Democratic legislator. Full Story
The top 10 homeowners insurers in Texas paid out more than $270 million in claims related to last year's Bastrop wildfires, according to a new report. But that is still much less than some other catastrophes, like Dallas' April hailstorms, which led to $2 billion in insurance losses. Full Story
Your evening reading: Texas Republicans slam Obama for weak jobless report; state's insurance commissioner answers bias charges; $29,000 salary bump over predecessor for new education commissioner Full Story
New Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams will get a salary bump of about $29,000 over his predecessor, the governor's office confirmed Friday. Full Story
The Texas Department of Transportation's annual list of the 100 most congested roadways ranks a section of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth as the worst stretch of asphalt in the state. Use our sortable table to look at TxDOT's list. Full Story
Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman has been the subject of concerns raised by lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups. But she deflects the criticism, saying her focus is only on how to best serve Texas consumers. Full Story
In an effort to address lagging student success in required algebra courses, the University of Texas at Arlington is taking an approach that is becoming more common throughout the country: letting computers do the teaching. Full Story
Two Latina Texans — actress Eva Longoria and College Democrats President Alejandra Salinas — graced the Democratic National Convention stage on Thursday night with messages that seemed targeted at young voters. Full Story
At this morning's TribLive conversation, GOP state Reps. and Texas Senate hopefuls Kelly Hancock, Ken Paxton and Larry Taylor came out against the state's policy of offering in-state tuition to the children of undocumented persons. Full Story
Your evening reading: state to apply for No Child Left Behind waiver; Texas Republicans lead attack on Obama before his convention speech; TxDOT approves fastest speed limit in U.S. Full Story
At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Texas Public Utility chairwoman Donna Nelson sharply criticized renewable energy incentives, saying that they are “one of the primary causes” of the current strains on the state power grid. Full Story