The Rio Grande Valley became one of the last regions to operate under Medicaid health maintenance organizations last year. Now, many doctors there say the red tape in the new system has taken the joy out of practicing medicine. Full Story
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Willie Nelson and Mickey Mouse may not have been candidates in the 2012 presidential election, but they won write-in votes. That support didn't get them any closer to the White House, as counties don't officially count write-in votes for uncertified candidates. Full Story
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A former U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent says that a new security policy announced in Mexico signals a growing focus on sovereignty and a shift from some initiatives considered priorities by the United States. Full Story
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The all-consuming "fiscal cliff" saga came to a dramatic end late Tuesday with a deal that won the support of only a handful of Texas Republicans. Full Story
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UPDATED: The fiscal cliff bill has passed the U.S. House with the support of four Texas Republicans: U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions, Kevin Brady, Mac Thornberry and Lamar Smith. Rep. Ron Paul was the lone member of the Texas delegation who did not vote. Full Story
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For more than a year, Evan Smith has traveled all over Texas to interview state legislators back home, in their districts, in front of hundreds of their constituents. At university campuses from Corpus Christi to Tyler and in between, lawmakers talked about issues that affect every one of us in Texas, from education and health care to water and immigration. Full Story
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A final decision in the school finance trial against the state involving more than two-thirds of its districts and charter schools likely won’t happen until after the lights go out in the 83rd Legislature. But that doesn’t mean what’s happening inside of the courtroom now won’t have an impact on policy under the pink dome. Full Story
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The state’s launch of the Texas Women’s Health Program will proceed as planned — without Planned Parenthood — on Jan. 1. Full Story
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Some state lawmakers don't trust themselves not to spend more money than they really think they should spend. They want a law that would tie their own hands. Full Story
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New President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico recently announced a plan targeting violence in the country. As the country and analysts wait to see results, some aren’t placing bets that the situation will improve soon. Full Story
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Health care providers across Texas are submitting proposals to transform the way they care for the poor and uninsured. But the complicated bureaucratic process for achieving these lofty goals to transform the system has led to disagreements over how to distribute money. Full Story
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For the last week of the year, we picked a sampling of our best of 2012: Hamilton on four-year graduation rates from Texas colleges, Ryan and Galbraith map the troubling levels of the state’s water reservoirs, Galbraith on groundwater fights in the Panhandle, Aaronson on the state insurance commissioner’s turbulent first year, Grissom, Ryan and Dehn on prosecutorial errors in Texas, M. Smith on what to do with failing school districts, E. Smith’s “Satan” interview with Gov. Rick Perry at TribFest, excerpts from “Oops!” — Root’s book on the governor’s presidential campaign, Rocha on the tussle over the Women’s Health Program, Ramshaw on a controversial effort to control Medicaid costs, Batheja examines the boom in toll roads, and Aguilar on “restorative justice” on the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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Criminal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Kenneth "Buddy" Barfield, a top aide to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Dewhurst's campaign accounts. Full Story
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Death row inmate Max Soffar says his 1980 murder confession was coerced. As his lawyers say his case highlights a broader debate about false confessions, police and prosecutors say he told them details only the killer would know. Full Story
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Third parties — outsiders — can't vote in the race for Speaker of the House. But the lawmakers who will actually elect the speaker next month are listening, and acting, on what's going on outside. Full Story
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Some Texas legislators are emphasizing the need for teachers and other school personnel to have increased access to firearms on campus. Ahead of the 83rd legislative session, bills have been proposed with that mission in mind. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who has waged a vociferous legal battle with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its regulation of industries and pollution, said he is hopeful for change at the EPA with the departure of its leader, Lisa Jackson. Full Story
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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
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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
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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
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