The former general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority talks about rebuilding the organization after the "Trailergate" sex scandal, the environmental failures of public power and why electricity deregulation is a "huge mistake." Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: Gingrich joins Paul/Trump spat; new early-state ads for Paul and Perry; black lawmakers object to redistricting talk Full Story
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Herman Cain's exit has left an opening for Rick Perry, but the governor may have already lost his chance. Full Story
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David Leebron of Rice University is the state's highest-paid president of a private college, pulling down more than $1.5 million in 2009, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Five other private college or university presidents in Texas made more than $800,000. Full Story
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Voters choose dozens of important state officials without knowing a thing about them. So they rely on other cues — like political affiliations, pleasing names and who knows what else. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked what issues might surface in the party primaries, whether the Voting Right Act is still necessary — and if the state should mandate a Longhorn-Aggie game on Thanksgiving. Full Story
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Some Texas Republicans in Congress still have not endorsed a candidate in the contest for the party's presidential nomination. What are they waiting for? Full Story
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According to scientists, much of what is now Galveston Island could someday be under water. As Dave Fehling of KUHF News and NPR's StateImpact Texas reports, the potential crisis has some worrying that the city and state have ignored the threat. Full Story
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If the dog-sniffing evidence that led to the conviction of her father for conspiring to commit murder was unreliable enough for him to be released from prison, why is Megan Winfrey still serving a life sentence for the same crime based largely on the same evidence? Full Story
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Aaronson maps the growth of poverty in Texas, Aguilar on the suicide of an illegal immigrant, Galbraith on the prospect of more rolling blackouts, Grissom on a prosecutor's memory lapse, Hamilton on the prospect of public universities undergoing a sunset review, Murphy's latest awesome redistricting interactive, Ramsey on a stumbling start to the 2012 election season, Root on Rick Perry's latest populist tirade, M. Smith on the boom in for-profit teacher certification programs and Tan on the fight against cervical cancer in ... Africa: The best of our best content from November 28 to December 2, 2011. Full Story
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Redistricting. It's a long process all about drawing lines that determine elections and which political party is in power in Texas. Months after the Legislature established its maps, it's still not clear who Texans will be voting for in next year's congressional and state House and Senate races. The Trib's Thanh Tan and Ross Ramsey explain why. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, talked about the future prospects in politics — state and national — of his twin brother, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: Trump to moderate Republican debate; major Perry donors turning to Romney; Hochberg won't seek re-election to House Full Story
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The Legislature's foremost expert on school finance and one of its top public education advocates, state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, confirmed this afternoon that he won't seek re-election next year. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, offered his take on issues he'd face if elected to Congress next year, including same-sex marriage, Afghanistan, taxing the rich and health reform. Full Story
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In a new ad airing today in Iowa and apparently intended to appeal to conservative evangelicals, Rick Perry talks openly about his faith — and says liberals believe "faith is a sign of weakness." Full Story
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On Thursday, Rick Perry burnished his latest campaign tactic: easygoing humility. Full Story
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The Texas primaries will be held on March 6 next year, with runoffs more than two months later, on May 22. Maybe. If the federal courts decide redistricting maps should be redrawn before the voting starts, some of those primary contests could be moved to May. Full Story
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Experts speculate that a key factor in the increase in reports of child abuse and neglect is the struggling economy. The number of reported cases of abuse has grown 6 percent in Texas since 2008, before the recession. Full Story
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Texas has a long history of school finance lawsuits, many of them fought over the same themes. But in the latest round, one phrase has been conspicuously absent from the discussion: Robin Hood. Full Story
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