For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in state government and politics, we asked about the November race for U.S. Senate, whether Democrats will recover faster if Romney or Obama wins, about the GOP's weak spots and about whether the voters are as conservative as the people they've elected. Full Story
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This interactive shows how many Texans would lose food stamp benefits if a proposed $16 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is approved. Full Story
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As redistricting and voter ID await further court action, a smaller (but bleaker) round of voting drama has erupted in Harris County. Full Story
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After the 2012 elections shook things up for Texas Republicans, new opportunities loom for top dog Texas consultants. Many people are talking about Jason Johnson, who helped Ted Cruz win the GOP U.S. Senate primary. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers passed a law they hoped would prevent faulty eyewitness identifications, which have been the leading cause of wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project of Texas is checking to see if the law is being implemented. Full Story
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Oil may dominate in Texas, but coal is still king in some small towns. That's why talk of stricter air pollution regulations in towns like Jewett — where the economy is already stagnant — puts some residents on edge. Full Story
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Your evening reading: Perry touts Texas in Italy; after conventions, campaigns pushing Castro, Cruz online; Canseco, Gallego to debate in Spanish Full Story
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Rick Perry is talking up Texas in Italy. The Texas governor gave an update in a conference call from Milan, telling reporters he's seen a Formula One race and met government and business leaders in posh Lake Como. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco, R-San Antonio, and his challenger in Texas' 23rd Congressional District, state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, will debate on Sept. 25 — in Spanish. Full Story
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The state association that represents prosecutors reviewed 91 cases in which Innocence Project researchers identified prosecutor error or misconduct. The organization concluded there were actually only six cases of misconduct. Full Story
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It has been more than two decades since a Texas university was selected to lead one of the National Science Foundation's prestigious engineering research centers, but the University of Texas at Austin has broken the streak. Full Story
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After the biggest week of his political career, Julián Castro already has plans for his newfound national stardom. Full Story
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Booming oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford Shale play has made property values soar — a sudden, surprising and sometimes stressful boon to some of the state's poorest school districts. Full Story
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A court ruled last week that new voter registration rules in Texas can be enforced ahead of the November elections. While the effect of the new rules remains unclear, the ruling has cast new light on the state's low voter registration rates. Full Story
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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
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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
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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
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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
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This week, we hit some of the races remaining in Texas, Senate committee assignments and reporter Jay Root's take on campaign consultants. Full Story
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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
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