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All Coverage

  • Mostyn and Nixon: No Love Lost

    By Elise Hu

    Decorum broke down on Monday before a hearing began in Galveston County Court concerning a case involving plaintiffs' attorney Steve Mostyn, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), and state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood. Mostyn — one of the state's leading trial lawyers and Democratic donors — confronts Taylor's attorney, Joe Nixon, who in his former life as a legislator authored a 2003 tort reform bill limiting lawsuit damages. Mostyn berates Nixon about how he offered his services unsolicited to Taylor, who has sought to make public the fees earned by Mostyn and other lawyers who sued TWIA. Mostyn compares it to oft-criticized client recruitment by plaintiffs' lawyers (ambulance chasing, in other words). Full Story 

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  • Wind Storm

    By Elise Hu

    In a courtroom Monday, a Galveston County judge will decide whether to release details of millions of dollars in fees earned by attorneys in the largest class-action settlement paid out by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story 

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  • In Perfect Harmony?

    By Brian Thevenot

    Harmony Public Schools is the largest and fastest-growing charter school network in Texas, with eight new schools open this year and a total of 33 schools statewide serving about 16,500 students. Founded by Turkish academics, Harmony boasts small classes, a worldly faculty with advanced degrees and outstanding TAKS scores — which is why, perhaps, it's one of just three charter operators given permission by the Texas Education Agency to open new schools without going through the usual bureaucratic channels. Full Story 

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    Credit: Wenjing Zhang

  • Justice on the Cheap

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    As part of an occasional series looking into how shortfall-inspired budget cuts could affect different state agencies heading into the 2011 legislative session, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on the likely impact on the state's criminal justice system. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • Reality Check

    By Ross Ramsey

    You're looking at a strong election year if your downgraded forecasts have you picking up four to seven seats in the Texas House. Republican prognosticators are getting over some of their Labor Day exuberance (the predictions then, from the mouths of people who are usually sober about these things, was for a dozen-seat pickup). And they're learning that some of their candidates aren't perfect, a set of revelations that befalls everyone in politics around this time of the election cycle. Full Story 

  • HuTube: Perry and White Uncut

    By Elise Hu

    In lieu of a face-to-face debate, Rick Perry and Bill White are separately sitting down with the press between now and Election Day. This morning, WFAA-TV in Dallas aired back-to-back interviews with Perry and White discussing immigration, insurance and the coming budget crisis. Full Story 

    Republican Rick Perry and Democrat Bill White
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Aguilar on Mexican journalists in grave danger, Galbraith on the continuing saga of Texas vs. the EPA, Ramshaw on whether a broken hospital bed constitutes medical malpractice, M. Smith on the latest delay in the Cameron Todd Willingham case, Hamilton interviews a Sarah Palin-approved GOP candidate for Congress, Stiles goes all interactive in chronicling the massive increase in legislative filings in the last 20 years, Grissom talks about the criminalization of mental illness with an author who knows the subject first-hand, Philpott on closing the budget gap without federal stimulus money, Ramsey on everyone ignoring down-ballot candidates, Hu on the mysterious lack of Rick Perry yard signs and yours truly sits down with the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor: The best of our best from September 20 to 24, 2010. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • HuTube: The SBOE Debate on Islam in 70 Seconds

    By Elise Hu

    For our latest HuTube post, we picked out memorable testimony from Friday morning's five-hour State Board of Education debate. SBOE members ultimately approved a resolution instructing publishers to limit a perceived "pro-Islamic, anti-Christian bias" in Texas textbooks. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Islamapalooza

    By Tristan Hallman

    After a spring filled with bitter culture wars over textbooks, the Texas State Board of Education reopened the fight today with — what else? — a fight over alleged "pro-Islamic/anti-Christian" bias in Texas textbooks. Full Story 

    State Board of Education member Bob Craig, R-Lubbock, at the board's hearing Sept. 24, 2010.
    Credit: Elise Hu