The state will divvy up $116 million among 578 school districts and charters to bolster high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Tuesday. Full Story
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A 4 percent budget cut may not seem like much to the casual observer, but for a state that already underinvests in education and health care, it represents potentially significant cuts to services that help Texans compete and succeed, writes Eva DeLuna Castro of the Center for Public Policy Priorities. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accepted more than $329,000 earmarked for his legal defense from wealthy donors and “family friends,” according to a newly released financial disclosure statement. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: Texas women and doctors wrestle with big questions on how to prepare for a Zika outbreak, Congress deadlocks on Zika funding and an interview with David Herrin of the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences. Full Story
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Texas leaders are looking to cut back on state spending as the region’s oil and gas industry continues to struggle. Full Story
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When Franky Palacios Paz was found naked and decapitated floating off South Padre Island, the local sheriff thought the murder would lead investigators back to Mexican drug cartel violence. He didn't expect a U.S. Border Patrol agent to be among those arrested. Full Story
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State lawmakers' 2013 abortion regulations — an effort to circumvent what was spelled out over time by the U.S. Supreme Court — would have been easier to defend with some evidence. But that wasn’t part of the sales pitch. Full Story
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Immigrants like UT-Austin professor Juan Miró continue to see opportunity in the inspiring words of the Declaration of Independence. But, he writes, those same words can also represent a big obstacle toward making the United States a welcoming country. Full Story
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In the span of a month, a Texas Senate seat will have been vacated and effectively filled, an unconventional turn of events that has Houston Democrats scrambling to replace one of their most venerated members. Full Story
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Residents of Grimes County gathered in the gymnasium at Navasota Junior High School to voice their displeasure with a proposed 15-mile toll road that would connect metropolitan Houston with Bryan/College Station. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is using this July Fourth weekend to urge British businesses to move to Texas — an "independence" pitch inspired by "Brexit." Full Story
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The oil bust is threatening to deal a serious financial blow to schools in oil-producing regions across the state — particularly if it lingers. Full Story
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As Donald Trump moves to professionalize his presidential campaign, the presumptive Republican nominee is turning to a stable of top-flight operatives with ties to Texas and its junior U.S. senator. Full Story
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Texas' top elected officials are asking state agencies to scale back their budget requests by 4 percent, seeking to further rein in state spending for the 2018-2019 cycle. Full Story
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Ted Cruz is not banking on a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention, Paul Ryan comes calling for cash today in Wimberley and the insiders weigh in on the "Brexit" — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($). Full Story
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The number of drug-induced abortions performed in the state fell sharply in the first full year after the enactment of a controversial 2013 abortion law, parts of which were struck down this week. Full Story
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A ban on the trade of shark fins in Texas goes into effect Friday — just in time for the popular string of Discovery Channel programming known as “Shark Week.” Full Story
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Texas lawmakers want to get a leash on property taxes, which requires them to restrain local governments. The local governments point to expensive state government mandates that drive up their costs. It's hard to fix blame, or credit. Full Story
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In the Roundup: The High Court overturns the state’s abortion regulations, the Texas Attorney General weighs in on the Fort Worth superintendent’s transgender policy and a new poll shows a little promise for the Clinton campaign in Texas. Full Story
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Thursday that the Pentagon is lifting its ban on transgender troops. While some Texas lawmakers have raised concerns, transgender Texan service members and LGBT advocates are cheering. Full Story
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