Sen. John Cornyn will not be “taking the nickel tour” of any Planned Parenthood branch, his office said Wednesday, in response to an offer by one of the organization’s Texas branches to arrange an informational visit. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: redistricting hearings pushed back; lawmakers take aim at junk food; Trump taking cues from Perry? Full Story
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House lawmakers will get another day to pore over redistricting maps, after Democratic members vehemently opposed an effort to change the deadline for submitting amendments. Full Story
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House lawmakers considered a bill this morning that would direct emergency services personnel to perform life-sustaining treatment on a patient without reviewing a written directive or living will first. Full Story
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Two University of Texas legends from the NFL appeared before lawmakers this morning to testify for a bill that would allow people certified in so-called muscle activation technique, or MAT, to practice without a massage therapy license. Full Story
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At Monday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, about the President's plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, the perpetual fight between Texas and Washington and what's likely to happen in 2012 Senate races — including the one to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
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One of the most controversial figures in Texas higher education no longer works for the state's largest university system. Full Story
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Partisan redistricting aimed to protect or harm politicians only hurts the voters and their ability to participate in the political process. At its core, this is not about me or my party affiliation. It's about the people of Senate District 10. Full Story
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Physical therapists are pushing a bill to allow them to treat patients without a physician referral. The measure faces stiff opposition from physician groups, which say it could present a health risk to patients. Full Story
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We’ve annotated the contracts of the 10 highest-paid school superintendents, along with those who lead the state’s 10 largest districts, so readers can view their pay in the context of retirement benefits, performance incentives, and perks like automobile and cellphone allowances. Full Story
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A new phone scam has highlighted the possible trouble ahead for Texans who had their personal information exposed — and, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, for Comptroller Susan Combs, whose office mistakenly leaked the data. Full Story
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Utility giant Duke Energy announced last week that it has hired a Kyle-based company to build what would be the world’s largest wind energy storage system for the Notrees wind farm in West Texas. As Lindsay Patterson reports for KUT News, the technology behind the project could solve some of wind power’s biggest problems. Full Story
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The House gave early approval today to a ban on salvia, a legal hallucinogen most often sold online and in head shops. Full Story
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State senators have unveiled a list of almost $5 billion in cash-flow tricks, property sales and fees that could be used to ease cuts in the state budget, but it's not enough to completely close the gap between what they have available and what they hope to spend. Full Story
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"It was not my choice to depart at this time," says the controversial higher education reformer, whose hiring by the University of Texas System Board of Regents sparked an outcry at the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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The Senate today approved creation of the Texas Energy Policy Council, which would be in charge of planning a long-term strategy for potential exploration and production of both renewable and nonrenewable energy. Full Story
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A bill passed by the Senate today would let the El Paso County Hospital District directly employ medical professionals to compensate for the severe shortage in the area. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: Democrats' chances in 2012; Obama's testy Texas interview; gay politics on Christian campuses Full Story
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Craft beer brewers came back to the Capitol today to ask lawmakers to grant them another way to get their beers in the hands of customers. But the chairman of a House committee said they may have to wait until next year. Full Story
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Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA-TV was one of four TV stations to interview President Barack Obama. Toward the end, the president got testy with reporter Brad Watson. Full Story
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