The chairman of the Public Utility Commission talked to the Tribune this week about his controversial application for the top job at the state grid operator, as well as his views on energy efficiency and smart meters. Full Story
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White discusses ethics during a recent news conference from the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters. Full Story
Since 2004, the the Dallas County Jail has failed every year to meet state jail standards, racking up dozens of violations. But on Wednesday, more than six years and $138 million later, the massive lockup finally earned a certificate of compliance. Full Story
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Ben, Ross, Evan and Matt talk about President Obama's visit to Texas and who didn't want to be seen with him, the battle over strings attached to federal education money, Bill White's donor-appointees and the legal and political definitions of residency. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry's campaign has accused Democrat Bill White of making racially charged comments at an event in Dallas. The White camp says it was Scripture-based language on leadership. So, was it racial or religious? Full Story
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Lawmakers must fund more in-state medical residency slots if Texas wants to ward off a looming physician shortage, the presidents of the six University of Texas medical centers told the UT System Board of Regents on Wednesday. Full Story
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Of the 4.3 million babies born in the U.S. in 2008, 340,000 — about 8 percent — had parents who were undocumented immigrants, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. Full Story
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Texas is suing to stop the Obama administration's second offshore drilling moratorium. Full Story
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St. Edward's University did indeed turn down the opportunity to host Barack Obama's Monday visit — but for logistical reasons, not political ones, according to school officials. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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Tuesday night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, state Reps. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, debated the perilous issue del día: anchor babies. According to Riddle, women would give birth to terrorist babies in the U.S. who can then destroy America once they come of age. Full Story
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Washington dangled bait in front of Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday, but the governor still isn't biting. Full Story
The longtime House member from Plano and newly installed chancellor of the Texas State University System (sorry, Sen. Wentworth) talked to the Tribune on Thursday about why he took the job, the importance of Hispanic outreach, the case against cutting the state's higher ed budget, the trouble with the Legislature and what a good governor shouldn't do. Full Story
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For legal purposes, where you sleep is only part of the answer to where you live. There's also where you vote, where you intend to reside, whether you consider your nesting place temporary and where you pay taxes. Full Story
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On Tuesday, a House committee heard arguments over the future of the controversial Driver Responsibility Program — which pits outrage over heavy traffic fines on the poor against the state's need to finance trauma care in hospitals, which benefit from the fines. Full Story
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A large majority of the residents of Texas cities on the U.S.-Mexico border feel relatively safe despite harsh rhetoric from lawmakers and a consistent media portrayal of their communities as war zones, according to a poll released today. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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President Barack Obama's whirlwind sweep through Texas on Monday left in its wake some roused spirits and empty wallets but … not a whole lot else. Full Story
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Five of the nine members of the state's Commission on Jail Standards, which oversees the 245 county lockups, are elected officials from or employees of the counties whose facilities they regulate. Advocates say that's a conflict of interest, and they're calling for a change in the commission's makeup. Full Story
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At Goose Island, near Rockport, some of the nearly 200 pelicans rescued from the Gulf oil spill and sent to Texas seem to be thriving. But officials are holding their breath to see whether the rescued birds stick around or fly back to habitats that may still be contaminated. "Wildlife do crazy things," says the manager of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. "That's why they're called 'wild.'" But the ones that stay could face survival struggles, too, from coastal litter and competition with other species for food. Full Story
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