Coming this Sunday, the first of hopefully many joint projects between the Tribune and the Houston Chronicle will see publication โ both on our site and on the Chron’s front page.
Houston
Visas for Victims
The federal government has more than tripled the number of visas granted to undocumented victims of such crimes as domestic violence and rape. The policy change is designed to aid prosecutors in securing witnesses and convictions, but some fear the incentive of legal status will spur false accusations.
The Workers’ Comp Whistleblowers
Former employees of the Division of Workers’ Compensation at the Texas Department of Insurance say their higher-ups have failed to sanction or remove dozens of physicians accused of fraudently overbilling and overtreating patients, costing insurers millions of dollars. The allegations of stalled enforcement action have sparked an inquiry by the State Auditorโs Office, records show.
HuTube: What’s Happening Yao
KPRC-TV in Houston took the “Why Yao” question straight to Gov. Rick Perry.
The Party of “Whoa!”
How do the three candidates vying to be the state GOP’s next chair feel about the hot-potato issue of immigration? Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports that they believe their fellow Republicans shouldn’t rush to embrace the controversial new Arizona law.
HuTube: Why Yao?
The latest Texans for Rick Perry web video gives us an idea of how the campaign will frame Democratic opponent Bill White. But what is Yao Ming doing in there?
Is Texas a Sanctuary State?
Aides to Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election campaign have accused his Democratic challenger, Bill White, the former mayor of Houston, of running a โsanctuary city,” where officers don’t inquire about immigration status during routine patrols and investigations. But Houston’s policy is remarkably similar to that of Texas DPS under Perry. If Houston is a sanctuary city, why isn’t Texas a sanctuary state?
TribBlog: AG Takes Action on Oil Spill
The Gulf oil spill that currently spans almost 50 miles wide and 80 miles long is โgrowing worse by the dayโ with โno end in legitimate sight,โ Attorney General Greg Abbott said at a press conference this morning.
Bill White Ad: “Man on the Move”
Bill White commercial, originally caught in the wild, but later released by his campaign. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate is running this in the Houston area starting tomorrow, May 3.
On the Records: Mapping U.S. Attorney Vacancies Nationwide
President Obama and the U.S. Senate haven’t yet installed U.S. Attorneys in any of Texas’ four federal court districts. As our national map shows, more than half of the country is in the same situation.

