From Texas Weekly, this same week a year ago: "Kay Bailey Hutchison's term in the U.S. Senate runs through 2012 and she now says she won't resign earlier than the end of next year if she runs for governor. She has formed an exploratory committee." Full Story
Texas highways are efficient, unless you're in a car. Full Story
Holly Turner, running for the Texas House in Austin’s HD-47, got welcomed into the race by a fellow Republican’s press release with this headline Full Story
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Is retired Travis County D.A. Ronnie Earle — who talked about running for governor and then filed for lieutenant governor — a strong statewide candidate? Full Story
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Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per student… Ramsey’s look at redistricting and next year’s elections… Aguilar’s report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency that’s in the ag business… Rapoport’s peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programs… Smith’s conversation with Dan Patrick, in three parts… Grissom’s narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governments… Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tactics… Hu’s latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shami… Hamilton’s story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texas… And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009. Full Story
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The only thing definitively in the weeds here is the reliability of this poll. Full Story
The former Travis County District Attorney was expected to file for some statewide race, though precisely which one has been something of a mystery. Mystery solved. Full Story
Surely they don’t do it this way in Peoria? Full Story
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Not many local polls have been made public, but this one confirms the rumor mill: One, Rick Perry’s lead in conservative areas of the state is a few points above what the UT/Trib poll found statewide. And, two, the impression that, as of now, the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign is floundering if it's really trying to peel conservative voters away from Perry in significant numbers. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
Unemployment in Texas hit 8 percent in November — down from the 8.3 percent recorded the previous month and higher than the 5.4 percent registered in the same month of 2008, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
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Is this the end of the line, Carl? Full Story
Writing about congressional travel required days of tedious work because the information isn't easily accessible. Full Story
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We examine the claims and quirks of the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's Austin remarks from early December. Full Story
When public schools fail, students are allowed to transfer to better campuses. But only a tiny fraction ever do. Full Story
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Texas has the worst rates of cargo and heavy equipment theft in the country. Yet while criminals are raking in billions of dollars each year, the state has never had an organized system to address the problem. Full Story
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Three Democratic legislators who came out early for Fort Worth's Tom Schieffer in the race for governor say they'll go with Houston Mayor Bill White, who entered the race as Schieffer exited. Full Story
Members of the Texas congressional delegation took more than 200 privately funded trips, at a cost of more than $350,000, in 2008 and 2009. Full Story
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Newsweek has done its best Carnac the Magnificent impression and divined that the ultimate victor in the race to be the next governor of Texas will be...drumroll please... Full Story
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Rep. Carl Isett, R-Lubbock, has his hometown buzzing with rumors that he won't seek an eighth term in the Texas House. Isett didn't return calls and texts to confirm, and his office said simply that he'll have an announcement on Friday. Full Story
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