Before prison officials administer the lethal cocktail of drugs used to carry out executions, the condemned may say their final piece. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice keeps a record of these last statements. Full Story
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The short answer is yes — and no. It's still around, and would work if it was plugged in. But it can't be used for executions in Texas anymore. Full Story
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The best of our best from January 31 to February 4. Full Story
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No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
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A final ruling in the case of a Mexican reporter seeking asylum in the U.S. with his teenage son has been postponed until 2012 after his attorney was subpoenaed to appear in federal court in an unrelated case and asked for a rescheduling. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading: abortion sonogram hearings set for next week; Anchia's plum Super Bowl seat; and a Texas congressman's own budget woes Full Story
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There’s no universal definition but essentially, the term refers to the country’s top research-focused universities. While there are specific benchmarks to be considered part of that group, some aren't clear or rely purely on perception. Full Story
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The chief executive of the Texas electric grid operator discusses what caused the rolling blackouts across the state on Wednesday — and why he doesn't know if he lost power in his own home. Full Story
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State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, won't be on the 50-yard line for Sunday's Super Bowl in Arlington. But some could argue he's got the next best seat: at the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama. Full Story
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Slashing funds for community-based mental health care will hurt taxpayers and degrade the quality of life for thousands of mentally ill Texans and their families, Harris County Jail officials told Texas budget writers today in written testimony for the Senate Finance Committee. Full Story
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Heat sounds good right about now, but not the kind the Gov. Rick Perry's taking. Full Story
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The long-awaited Daily Show segment on alleged anti-Semitism in the 2011 Speaker's race was, predictably, funny. And that John Oliver: such a punim! Full Story
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Jim Spaniolo, the president of UT-Arlington, said the university is committed to increasing its engagement with research that “could change the quality of life of many, many people” — but funding cuts resulting from the state’s budget shortfall would slow that momentum. Full Story
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“Dear future son,” the North Texas father wrote in a prospective adoption letter. “I am a single dad who adopted a middle school boy in 2008. Now we are looking for one more kid so he will have a brother.” Instead, the father got shocking news: He would not be allowed to adopt again because his son is on a state registry of people who abuse children. Full Story
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Texas leaders aren't talking about secession, after an outbreak of conversation a couple of years ago. But the germ of the idea remains in the anti-federalist talking points that fueled Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election campaign last year and provided the outline for his book, Fed Up! Full Story
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Lawmakers today filed a bill they hope will help drivers, cyclists and pedestrians safely share the roads. Full Story
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The former Texas Solicitor General sat down with the Tribune last week to talk about what makes him stand out in the GOP crowd running to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and which Republican leaders he idolizes. Full Story
The chief executive of ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, said that "extremely cold" temperatures and windy conditions caused valves, pipes and other equipment in some power plants to fail. Full Story
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In our TribLive conversation this morning, state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, said he opposed a bill that would require school districts to check the immigration status of public school students. Full Story
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What happened yesterday to cause the rolling power blackouts across Texas? A chain reaction of problems involving the state's coal and gas appeared to be the cause — and wind plants were having trouble, too. Full Story
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