The Midday Brief: July 21, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Huckabee takes shot at Perry; latest Perry vs. Obama polling; SBOE hearings under way Full Story
Your afternoon reading: Huckabee takes shot at Perry; latest Perry vs. Obama polling; SBOE hearings under way Full Story
When Rick O'Donnell, a controversial former adviser to the University of Texas System, released an analysis of faculty data from University of Texas and Texas A&M, he anticipated that it might receive criticism. He was right. Full Story
Houston’s official nickname since 1967: Space City. It’s NBA team: the Rockets. Its MLB franchise is the Astros, and they played in the Astrodome. No wonder the city is in a funk as space shuttle Atlantis makes its final landing today. Full Story
Has controversy over The Response gotten to the governor? Full Story
The U.S. representative on his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, candidates who have adopted some of his ideas and a potential candidate he's never met. Full Story
Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said during a visit to Austin on Wednesday that a pollution rule adopted this month that has infuriated many Texas officials will save lives and can be enacted "cheaply and efficiently." Full Story
Eleanor Kitzman, now in South Carolina's government, will be the new insurance commissioner in Texas, starting next month. Gov. Rick Perry announced the appointment Wednesday. Full Story
Americans for Rick Perry, an independent group promoting would-be presidential contender Rick Perry, has suffered a setback in Iowa, but it’s picking up new volunteers in South Carolina. Full Story
In this week's TribCast, Evan, Ross, Reeve and Ben discuss David Dewhurst's campaign rollout, political fallout from the legislative session and who might be calling Rick Perry to run for president. Full Story
State Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, says that he won't be a candidate for Congress in the seat opened by Ron Paul's decision not to seek another term — but he might run for the state Senate. Full Story
U.S. Distict Judge Lee Yeakel today denied Rais Bhuiyan’s request to the stay the execution of Mark Stroman, the man who shot him and killed two others and is scheduled to die tonight for his crimes. Full Story
Your afternoon reading: Cruz responds to Dewhurst's announcement; handicapper says GOP likely to take Doggett's seat; Perry wins small straw poll Full Story
The contentious sanctuary cities legislation debate left a bitter aftertaste for some Texas Latinos, but will it translate into change at the ballot box next year? Full Story
Republican Ted Cruz parried David "unapologetically conservative" Dewhurst's video announcement this morning, calling himself the "proven conservative" in the U.S. Senate race. Full Story
If we are serious about higher ed reform, state lawmakers, our colleges and universities and the business community must work together and lead, not bury ourselves in lofty rhetorical arguments or burden our education system with misguided micromanagement. Full Story
On last night's episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert turned his focus to the any-day-now presidential campaign of Gov. Rick Perry — and what God has to do with it. Full Story
All it took was a few weeks of gossip and national attention to get Gov. Rick Perry into double digits among Republican primary voters. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst dribbled out his U.S. Senate announcement Tuesday, letting a preview for a relatively small group of supporters and activists slip into wide circulation on the internet before his campaign geared up for a big public show later in the week. Full Story
Supporters say the new chairwoman of the State Board of Education is a mild-tempered, fair leader who is well suited to oversee the fractious board. Her critics say she is a culture warrior who injects her religious and political agenda into classrooms. Full Story
A new sure-to-be-controversial analysis of faculty productivity data from UT and A&M argues that the institutions' employment practices resemble “a Himalayan trek, where indigenous Sherpas carry the heavy loads.” Full Story