Texas Conducts First Execution of the Year
Richard Masterson, who was convicted and sentenced to death for a 2001 strangulation and murder in Harris County, was executed Wednesday night. Full Story
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![Richard Masterson]()
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TribCast: Political Money, State Police, Ken Paxton on Sports
On this week's TribCast, Ross talks to Evan, Terri and Kiah about officeholder and campaign financial reports, about Ken Paxton’s legal troubles and his official opinion on fantasy sports gambling, the state’s new education chief and the musings of its top law enforcement officer. Full Story
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University Officials to Defend Expansion Plans
University leaders from across Texas may face tough audiences this week as they are asked to explain their ambitious expansion plans before two key higher education policy boards. Full Story
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![A conceptual rendering of the University of Texas System campus that Chancellor Bill McRaven hopes to build in Houston.]()
Credit: The University of Texas System -
Texas Fights Back Against Court-Ordered Foster Care Reforms
Despite a major victory in federal court last month, advocates for reforms to Texas’ long-term foster care system are steeling themselves for a lengthy battle to force Texas officials to follow through on changes ordered by a federal judge. Full Story
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The Brief: Ted Cruz Absorbs a Snub and a Diss in Iowa
Sarah Palin was a huge boon to Ted Cruz when she came to Texas to throw her support behind his bid for the Senate. On Tuesday, she snubbed Cruz to endorse Donald Trump for president. Full Story
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![Republican primary candidate Ted Cruz, center, is joined on stage by Sarah Palin, left, and Senator Jim DeMint, right, at a rally in The Woodlands, Texas, on Friday July 27, 2012.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato -
Carson Volunteer From Texas Dies After Car Accident
Braden Joplin, a Texas Tech student who was in Iowa volunteering for Ben Carson's presidential campaign, died Tuesday following a car accident. Full Story
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![Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson (l.) and Carson campaign volunteer Braden Joplin, a 25-year-old student at Texas Tech University who was killed in a wreck on icy Iowa roads on Jan. 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Ben Carson campaign -
New in TribTalk: Richard Linklater on Bernie Tiede
Having heard and seen Bernie Tiede's testimony in the killing of Marjorie Nugent, filmmaker Richard Linklater writes that he looked for a steely killer — but instead found a good man who had done a bad thing. Full Story
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![Bernie Tiede, who had been imprisoned since 1997 for the murder of Marjorie Nugent, was released from the Panola County Detention Center in May 2014. He was released on the condition that he live with filmmaker Richard Linklater, director of the movie "Bernie."]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson -
Snubbing Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump for President
As the battle between White House hopefuls Ted Cruz and Donald Trump grows increasingly bitter, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stepped into the fray on Tuesday by endorsing Trump over Cruz, a former ally. Full Story
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Iowa Governor Hopes Ted Cruz Loses Caucuses
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Tuesday he hopes U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz loses the state's caucuses, a remarkable departure from neutrality by the influential Republican in the race for the White House. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to a crowd gathered at Kings Christian Bookstore in Boone, Iowa, on Jan. 4, 2016. Cruz kicked off a six-day, 28-county bus tour across Iowa in a push to reach out to voters before the state's first-in-the-nation caucus on Feb. 1.]()
Credit: Rebecca F. Miller -
Attorney General Says Fantasy Sports Sites Involve Illegal Gambling
While placing bets in fantasy sports leagues may involve skill, there is still an element of chance that would equate such leagues with illegal gambling in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a nonbinding opinion released Tuesday. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke at the 2015 Open Government Conference in San Marcos on Dec. 9, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Ex-Texas Agriculture Commission Worker Alleges Discrimination
Shelia Latting, who is black, filed a lawsuit in state district court in Travis County Tuesday, claiming she lost her job a year ago as deputy chief financial officer due to racial discrimination at the agency. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller during a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs hearing on Dec. 8, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
DPS Director: Sandra Bland Escalation Trooper's Fault
Texas Department of Public Safety director Steve McCraw said Tuesday that Trooper Brian Encinia acted unprofessionally and violated protocol when he stopped Sandra Bland. Full Story
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![Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, is interviewed by Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith on Jan. 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
Video: A Conversation with Steve McCraw
Full video of our 1/19 conversation with Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Topics discussed: guns, Sandra Bland, race and policing, and border security. Full Story
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U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Obama's Immigration Program
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Tuesday to consider the Obama administration’s controversial immigration program, which has been on hold for nearly a year after being blocked by a Texas-based federal judge. Full Story
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![Immigrants and activists participate in press conference and rally on Nov. 19, 2015, before a 37-mile march to show support for immigration reform. The marchers planned to walk for three days, from the federal immigration detention facility in Taylor to the Texas Governor's Mansion in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: For Texas Officeholders, Money is the Best Defense
Money is the armory of politics; a large-enough war chest can intimidate potential rivals. And other officeholders have taken note, collecting towers of money like medieval rulers erected castles. Full Story
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Latest Census Data Shows Poverty Rate Highest at Border, Lowest in Suburbs
Border counties are home to the largest share of residents living in poverty, while a few suburban counties contain the smallest shares of poor people, according to the latest poverty estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story
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New in Trib+Health: Tempering Hopes on Cancer Cure
In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: Tempering expectations after cancer cure "moonshot" is announced, new evidence that Prozac can ease Down syndrome symptoms and an interview with Ranjana Mehta of Texas A&M University. Full Story
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The Brief: Date, Channel Change Announced for Houston Debate
The Republican presidential primary debate set to happen days before Texans cast their ballots in the state's primary election will remain in Houston but with a new television channel as host. Full Story
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![GOP presidential hopefuls (l-r) Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush pledge allegiance at the CNN debate in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 15, 2105.]()
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Eye on Trump, Pro-Cruz Super PACs Launch Biggest TV Play Yet
A super PAC supporting U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is making its biggest investment yet in television advertising, reserving $2.5 million of airtime in Iowa and South Carolina with less than two weeks until the first nominating contests begin. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to a crowd gathered at Prime Time Restaurant in Guthrie Center, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016.]()
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Petition May Force Vote on Austin Rideshare Regulations
With less than two weeks to go before Austin’s stricter vehicle-for-hire ordinance goes into effect, a group backed by Uber and Lyft says it has collected enough signatures to overturn or force a public vote on the new rules. Full Story
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![Austin Uber drivers participate in a September rally against a proposal by the Austin Transportation Department to set regulations similar to those for traditional taxi drivers such as fingerprint-based background checks. The Austin City Council passed the proposal in December, and Uber and Lyft threatened to pull out of the city.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles