For health care in Texas, 2012 was a year rocked by scandals, budget cuts, legal challenges and major policy shifts at the state and national levels. Here's a look back at the year's biggest stories on health care. Full Story
Prosecutorial misconduct, the politics of immigration and continuing bloodshed in the Mexican drug war dominated Tribune headlines in 2012. Here's a look back at the crime, immigration and border stories of the year. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry's strikingly disastrous presidential bid, U.S. Sen.-elect Ted Cruz's surprisingly successful campaign and a Legislature full of fresh faces were among the top political stories of 2012. Jay Root and Ross Ramsey take a look back. Full Story
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we returned to the subject of gun laws, asking the same set of questions posed after July's theater shooting in Colorado. After Connecticut's schoolhouse shooting, the answers have changed. Full Story
In this very special episode, a varied cast of TribCasters revisit the highlights and lowlights of Texas politics in 2012. As a holiday bonus, we've included the previously unaired recording of this year's biggest TribCast blooper. Full Story
Drought, oil and gas production, fast lanes and toll lanes made headlines in 2012 in the Tribune. Here's a look back at the year's biggest stories on energy and the environment and transportation. Full Story
For public education in Texas, 2012 was the year of accountability. At the state's universities, the competition for dollars to boost research and status heated up. Here's a look back at the year's biggest stories about public and higher education. Full Story
With plenty of fodder from the elections, redistricting, the ongoing drought, massive cuts to family planning and major expansions in toll projects, the Trib development and data teams was busy in 2012. Here's the best of what we built. Full Story
The year 2012 in Texas Tribune videos: From Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign to rock-and-roller Ted Nugent, the U.S. Senate campaign, prosecutorial misconduct and pre-legislative prognostications, our cameras were running. Full Story
The courts aren't expected to finish their work on school finance until after the regular legislative session, giving lawmakers an excuse for leaving some expensive work incomplete for now. Full Story
Credit:
Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Corey Leopold
State Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat and former Harris County commissioner, are the front-runners in a special election to to replace state Sen. Mario Gallegos, who died in October. Full Story
In a growing trend across Texas, municipalities and public agencies are reaching out to the private sector for funding. Advocates say it's the only way to meet Texas’ growing water needs, but critics worry about accountability and rising water rates. Full Story
The regents of the University of North Texas System fired Dr. Scott Ransom, the president of the UNT Health Science Center, at a Friday meeting called expressly for that purpose. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, unveiled their school choice legislation, without many financial details and hardly a word about vouchers. And last week's schoolhouse shootings in Connecticut prompted Texas legislators to propose changes in the state's gun laws. Full Story
Aaronson on the latest twists in the saga of the state's embattled cancer institute, Galbraith on lawmakers getting serious about water, Grissom on what our bill tracker app says about pre-session legislative activity, Hamilton on an unusual fight over tenure, Murphy interactively charts congressional candidates' finances, Ramsey on guns and Texas, Root on what could be an awkward few months for Gov. Rick Perry and M. Smith on the Texas Senate's plans for education reform: The best of our best content from December 17-21, 2012. Full Story
Your evening reading: Perry issues 14 pardons; Texas' unemployment rate lowest since 2008; judge rules against Texas in Women's Health Program case Full Story
The embattled Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas on Friday appointed Wayne Roberts, the vice president of public policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, to serve as interim executive director. Full Story
It's Christmastime, which means it is also time for Gov. Rick Perry to issue pardons in a handful of criminal cases. On Friday, he pardoned 14 people, bringing his career total to roughly 200. Full Story