The Midday Brief: Feb. 1, 2012
Your afternoon reading: Craig James defends himself over Mike Leach flap; O'Grady says Shapiro reneged on promise of an endorsement; education commissioner's comments on testing spur backlash Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Education Commissioner's Remarks Draw Backlash
Some high-profile members of the education community aren't pleased with Texas Education Agency chief Robert Scott's speech on Tuesday criticizing the role of testing in schools. Full Story
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![Robert Scott, the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, at a State Board of Education meeting on Sept. 24, 2010.]()
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Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News
Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones is making a run for a state Senate seat. But her opponent in the GOP primary, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, is challenging her on residency. That dispute is among this week's top political news items. Full Story
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The Brief: Feb. 1, 2012
The state of Texas on Tuesday made a case for its Republican-drawn redistricting maps, but a panel of federal judges didn't seem to buy it. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
At Port of Houston, Jobs Debate Centers on Trucking Limits
At the Port of Houston, which supports hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs, business leaders say outdated trucking regulations hurt their business. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, changing those rules would require legislative action. Full Story
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Paul Keeps His Focus on Smaller Caucus States
Ron Paul's fourth-place finish in Florida's primary on Tuesday wasn't surprising. Paul, who barely competed in the Sunshine State, is sticking to his focus on smaller caucus states, which award delegates based on a proportional system. Full Story
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Paul Finishes 2011 Strong With $13 Million Haul
Mere minutes before the campaign finance filing deadline, Ron Paul reported raising $13.3 million for his presidential bid in the fourth quarter of 2011, an amount larger than his previous three quarter's contributions combined. Full Story
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On the Records: Obama Releases Fourth-Quarter Bundler List
President Obama has released an update to his list of volunteer fundraisers, also known as "bundlers," that raise money on his behalf. And Texas bundlers collected at least $3.4 million for Obama's 2012 campaign. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Pro-Perry PAC Raised $5.5 Million to Help His Presidential Bid
Wealthy donors and companies, most of them from Texas, poured more than $5 million into an independent Super PAC that tried for a few months to help Rick Perry get elected president. Full Story
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On the Records: Leppert Releases Three Years of Tax Returns
Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has released his tax returns for 2008 through 2010, following the lead of his fellow Republican U.S. Senate candidates. Leppert reported an adjusted gross income of $443,000 in 2010, along with $95,856 in total taxes. Full Story
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Texas Schools Chief: Testing Has Gone Too Far
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott received a standing ovation today after he told a gathering of public school educators that the state testing system has become a "perversion of its original intent." Full Story
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![Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott speaks at the TASA midwinter conference in Austin, Texas February 1st, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Midday Brief: Jan. 31, 2012
Your afternoon reading: Paul heads west as Florida votes; Perry praises Gingrich in first interview since dropping out; closing arguments heard in D.C. redistricting case Full Story
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The Brief: Jan. 31, 2012
Hopes for a quick fix this week to the state's redistricting deadlock may have been dashed. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Jon Stewart, Lou Dobbs Spar Over Texas Redistricting
On last night's episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart and guest Lou Dobbs — a native of the Panhandle town of Childress — mixed it up over Texas redistricting. Full Story
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Travis County Considers Review of Murder Case
The Travis County district attorney's office is considering a review of the 1985 murder of Natalie Antonetti. Dennis Davis was convicted in 2011 of her murder, but the killing is eerily to two others that have been connected to another man. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Peter Carmel and Bruce Malone: The TT Interview
American Medical Association President Peter Carmel and Texas Medical Association President Bruce Malone on the Medicare cuts that physicians face, Texas' legal challenge to federal health reform and efforts to slash funding for Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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Perry's Dollars Dropped Steeply in Fourth Quarter
Gov. Rick Perry has filed his year-end campaign finance totals with the Federal Election Commission — and his fourth-quarter figures aren't pretty. Full Story
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Texplainer: What is a Court of Inquiry?
Hey, Texplainer: Courts of inquiry have been used to exonerate wrongfully convicted Texans and to look at earlier cases. When does a judge call for a court of inquiry, and what else can judges review in these proceedings? Full Story
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The Midday Brief: Jan. 30, 2012
Your afternoon reading: Gingrich looking to Southern states for delegates; Perry to appear at CPAC; AFL-CIO endorses Sadler Full Story
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Democrats Wait for the Political Winds to Change
Every Texas Democrat who has run for statewide office in the last 18 years has been defeated. Every Democrat on the ballot this year hopes to bust that slump. But Republicans in Texas have suffered a longer drought than what Democrats are currently facing. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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