Perry Names Smitherman to Railroad Commission
Gov. Rick Perry is moving Barry Smitherman from the Public Utility Commission to the Texas Railroad Commission, replacing Michael Williams, who resigned earlier this year to run for Congress. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry is moving Barry Smitherman from the Public Utility Commission to the Texas Railroad Commission, replacing Michael Williams, who resigned earlier this year to run for Congress. Full Story
Your afternoon reading: Perry's fundraising challenge; Texas and the new economic numbers; lawmaker wants Caylee Anthony law Full Story
Now that the legislative session is over, Gov. Rick Perry can leave the state as much as he wants. We've created the PerryTracker map to follow his travels, but what's behind the demand for his appearances? We talk to event organizers to find out. Full Story
Conventional wisdom says Rick Perry would have no trouble finding fans in Iowa. But what about in New Hampshire? Full Story
Conditions have clearly improved in Texas' colonias since devious developers first established them for migrant workers in the 1950s. But many efforts have fallen short, the result of bureaucratic nightmares and a spiral of confusion and fees. Full Story
A trio of brothers and their business partner are hoping to change grocery shopping habits in Austin with in.gredients, billed as the first “zero-waste, package-free” market in the nation. Full Story
Texas lawmakers actually finished their redistricting work this year, drawing new maps for Congress, the Texas House and Senate, and for the State Board of Education. But the fight is just starting, and could last beyond next year’s elections. Full Story
On the Texas side of the U.S. border with Mexico, an estimated half a million people live in colonias, impoverished subdivisions that often lack basic services. Take our video tour of some of the worst — and most improved — conditions. Full Story
Despite the Obama administration's plea for a stay, the U.S. Supreme Court won't stand in the way of Texas' plans to execute Mexican citizen Humberto Leal Jr. tonight. Full Story
Dave Carney, Perry's top political consultant, told the Tribune on Thursday that the Super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited money on political contests, isn't affiliated with the governor of Texas or with his explorations of the presidential race. Full Story
Your afternoon reading: death row case in Perry's hands; EPA sets new power plant rules; mulling Perry and the national media Full Story
An amendment attached to SB 1 during the special session will require applicants for driver's licenses and other state-issued identification cards to produce government-issued documents affirming their legal status. Full Story
They say everything's bigger in Texas — and apparently, that includes the people. Texas ranks as the 12th most obese state in the U.S., according to a new study by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Full Story
A small surprise met the Texas abortion sonogram law's first day in federal court. Full Story
Naomi Schaefer Riley, author of the book The Faculty Lounges ... And Other Reasons You Won’t Get the College Education You Pay For, and Daniel Hamermesh, economics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, debate the merits of tenure. Full Story
This week on the TribCast, Evan, Ross, Reeve, and Ben talk about the beginning of campaign season and which races to watch. Full Story
U.S. and Mexico inked a deal today that marks the end of a years-long dispute over how far past the border long-haul tractor-trailers can travel. Full Story
Today, in one of his first acts as the new Texas A&M University System interim chancellor, Jay Kimbrough discontinued a controversial Teaching Excellence Awards program. Full Story
Opposing legal teams presented arguments at the first courtroom hearing on Texas' new abortion sonogram law on Wednesday, and U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said he hoped to rule by September on whether the measure could take effect. Full Story
Randy Diehl, the dean of the University at Texas at Austin’s College of Liberal Arts, has released a response to the so-called "seven breakthrough solutions" for higher education, calling them "the wrong approach.” Full Story