The Brief: Texas wants to reform foster care on its own
A new legal filing from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office on Tuesday argued that the state is capable of fixing its foster care system without federal oversight. Full Story
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UT-Austin gets bigger, but its energy bills and emissions are shrinking
UT-Austin’s energy system operates as an island, outside of the electricity grid that covers most of Texas. It's getting more efficient over time, avoiding millions of dollars in fuel costs. Full Story
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![Juan Ontiveros manages the University of Texas at Austin's energy system, which generates electricity, heating and cooling for the entire campus — independent of the state's electricity grid. The campus burns less fuel than it did 40 years ago, a time when it enrolled thousands fewer students.]()
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More money, certainty needed to upgrade pre-K, study finds
Most school districts in Dallas County took advantage of a new state grant program to bolster early education programs, but limited funds produced limited results. Full Story
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![Pre-kindergarten students at the Dallas Independent School District's Cesar Chavez Learning Center.]()
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Analysis: In politics, one day you’re in and the next day you’re out
The president-elect might be importing Texas political figures into his administration, but Donald Trump has shown no sign that he's bringing their view of federal power in with them. Full Story
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![Former Gov. Rick Perry, Donald Trump and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.]()
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Rick Perry returns to "Dancing with the Stars"
Perry, who was eliminated from the ABC show in September, came back to join rapper Vanilla Ice for his hit song "Ice Ice Baby" — first as a DJ, then as a fellow dancer. Full Story
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![Former Gov. Rick Perry returned to "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday for an appearance on its season finale. Perry was eliminated from the ABC show in September.]()
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Texas judge blocks overtime rule challenged by Paxton, others
A federal judge in Sherman has blocked a White House effort to make millions more workers eligible for overtime pay, handing a victory to Texas and 20 other states that had challenged the new Labor Department rule. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a May 25, 2016, press conference.]()
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Charlie Strong and Texans in the Trump administration (podcast)
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about UT football and Charlie Strong's potential ouster, possible Texans in the Trump administration and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's legislative priorities. Full Story
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Texas argues it can fix foster care without judge's oversight
A new legal filing from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has put Texas leaders in a delicate position of conceding problems in foster care but arguing against a federal judge's proposed reforms. Full Story
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T-Squared: Help us hear more voices from more Texans
No matter if you're elated or dejected by the election results, one thing is clear: It’s a good time for the press to hone its listening skills. Help fund the Trib’s first-ever community reporter, whose beat will be Texans. Full Story
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New in Trib+Health: Trump and future of healthcare
In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: With a new president, questions mount about the future of healthcare reform efforts, research is underway on utility of heart screenings for high school athletes and an interview with Michael Heffernan of GuidaBot LLC R&D. Full Story
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The Brief: Denmark’s district energy encourages Texas environmentalists
While this is a familiar concept in Texas, environmentalists and energy efficiency advocates said they hope that state officials can take steps to encourage similar investments in the Lone Star state. Full Story
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This energy technology gets no respect at all — but it's cutting carbon
Sometimes called the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the energy industry, the district energy concept has fueled Denmark's shift from fossil fuels. Energy efficiency advocates want to encourage more district energy projects in Texas. Full Story
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![Lasse Kjærgaard Larsen manages district heating in Marstal, the biggest city on the Baltic Sea island of Aero. The utility's solar thermal farm — once the world's largest of its kind — meets 55 percent of this city's heating demands.]()
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Election dealt some setbacks to Texas GOP's modest diversity
One-half of the Hispanic Republicans in the Texas Legislature lost their seats this election, but there were only six to begin with. Full Story
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![(L to R) State Reps. John Lujan and Rick Galindo and U.S. Rep. Will Hurd receive a last-minute campaign boost from Gov. Greg Abbott at The County Line barbecue restaurant in San Antonio on November 7, 2016.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for The Texas Tribune -
If UT fires Charlie Strong, it'll be another expensive coaching decision
The University of Texas at Austin will likely have to pay $10 million to get rid of football coach Charlie Strong. Buyouts like that are nothing new for the school. Full Story
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![University of Texas at Austin football coach Charlie Strong has two years and more than $10 million left on his contract.]()
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A tight North Texas legislative race gets a recount
Republican State Rep. Rodney Anderson leads Democratic challenger Terry Meza by 64 votes in a western Dallas County Texas House district that's accustomed to close contests. Now, there will be a recount. Full Story
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![State Rep. Rodney Anderson, R-Grand Prairie, and his Democratic opponent Terry Meza,]()
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In running for Cabinet post, Rick Perry meets with Trump in New York City
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry met Monday morning with President-elect Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry addresses media at a press conference following the unveiling of his official portrait at the Texas Capitol on May 6, 2016]()
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New in TribTalk: How do Texas Democrats win?
The Democratic Party already possesses a path to victory in Texas, but only if it assembles an unabashedly liberal, multiracial coalition that connects high politics with robust social movements, writes Texas Christian University assistant professor Max Krochmal. Full Story
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![Signs at the Texas State Democratic convention in San Antonio on June 17, 2016.]()
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The Brief: Officials neglect grant application for anti-overdose drug
While federal funding is never guaranteed, if accepted, the grant would’ve given the state $1 million to purchase an anti-overdose drug. Full Story
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1 energy crisis, 2 futures: How Denmark and Texas answered a challenge
Facing the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s, Denmark shifted from fossil fuels. Texas responded differently. Here's a look at how things went for each. Full Story
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![A wind farm generates electricity off the coast of Copenhagen. Wind energy accounted for 42 percent of Denmark's generation last year. Four decades ago, the country depended almost entirely on imported oil.]()
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Analysis: Live by the party, die by the party
Straight-ticket voting is generally popular with the political party in power, but not all Texas Republicans like it. The advantages and disadvantages vary widely by county. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at the Flawn Academic Center on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa