Judge Charlie Baird will decide today whether to recuse himself from an investigation into the innocence of Cameron Todd Willingham, the Corsicana man executed in 2004 for the arson deaths of his three young daughters. But with or without Baird, a bigger question is in play: Is a court of inquiry the appropriate venue to consider Willingham’s guilt or innocence? Full Story
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The Texas Association of Community Colleges is accusing the University of Texas of siphoning money from programs that support community colleges into UT’s College of Education. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony Wednesday in a case that could have far-reaching ramifications for criminal justice nationally. Lawyers for Henry “Hank” Skinner maintain that the Texas death row inmate has a civil right to access DNA evidence that could exonerate him in the 1993 murders of his live-in girlfriend and her two sons. Lawyers for the state argue that Skinner exhausted his opportunity to analyze potentially exculpatory evidence when his defense team declined to request testing at his original trial, fearing that the results might be incriminating. Full Story
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In this week's TribCast, Evan, Ross, Elise and Ben explore why polling matters, whether endorsements can sway voters and the effort to move up the Texas primary date in 2012. Full Story
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How does Republican Patrick McGuiness jab state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, in his latest TV ad? Hint: He rhymes Strama with Obama. Full Story
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El Paso Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody, who is in another pitched battle with Republican businessman Dee Margo in House District 78, pitches himself as a corruption fighter in his latest TV spot. Full Story
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As one of 40 parks across Texas benefiting from renovation projects, Bastrop State Park will spend about $4 million on improvements financed by the sale of voter-approved bonds authorized by the Texas Legislature. By April 2011, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expects to complete $44 million in repairs and renovations to state park infrastructure. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has released a new television ad, "Right Track," that argues Texas is, well, on the right track. Full Story
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As he was widely expected to do, state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, officially threw his hat into the race for Speaker today. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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An annual state-by-state ranking of energy efficiency policies, compiled by a Washington-based advocacy group, shows Texas slipping the fastest. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry's biggest threat might not be who you think. Full Story
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You can ask all the right questions in a political poll and still get a wrong answer. The results are based not only on how people answer the questions but on a pollster's educated guess about who'll vote and who won't. Full Story
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Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune is reporting this week on the hard-fought battles for Central Texas seats on the State Board of Education. Today: where candidates in District 10 — which covers 16 counties, including Williamson, Bastrop and parts of Travis — stand on a variety of issues. Full Story
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So what if coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels, faces tightening air-pollution standards from federal regulators? Texas is aggressively building new coal plants. An air-pollution permit recently approved for a plant in Matagorda County is one of six granted to projects that are not yet up and running, and four more projects — near Abilene, Odessa, Sweeny and Corpus Christi — have sought permits. Texas, which consumes far more coal power than any other state, already has 19 operating coal-fired power plants, the majority of which are in East Texas. Full Story
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In House District 47 — which sits entirely within Travis County — incumbent Democrat Valinda Bolton is locked in a tight race with Republican Paul Workman. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at where the candidates stand on the issue of transportation. Full Story
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Iconic Texas entertainer and perennial politician Kinky Friedman plans to endorse Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Kathie Glass. Full Story
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According to a Texas lawmaker, the severed head of Rolando Armando Flores Villegas, a Mexican investigator probing the case of David Hartley's disappearance on Falcon Lake, was delivered to the Mexican military in a suitcase Tuesday morning. Full Story
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The Democratic Governors Association released its second ad attacking Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday. Full Story
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Democrat Bill White held a news conference Monday in front of the Texas Ethics Commission, calling for limits on the size of contributions to gubernatorial candidates. Full Story
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