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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey July 30, 2011

Aaronson examines the Texas jobs "miracle," Root on how Rick Perry built his financial portfolio, Tan and Wiseman on Perry vs. Ron Paul, Philpott on how budget cuts will affect a mental health provider, yours truly on a House freshman who was less than impressed with his first legislative experience, M. Smith on public schools charging for things that used to be free, Hamilton on a new call to reinvent higher education, Grissom on a rare stay of execution, Galbraith on the end of a Panhandle wind program, Aguilar on the increase of legal immigration into the U.S. and Texas: The best of our best content from July 25 to 29, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
AG Ruling May Spell End of Willingham Probe

By Brandi Grissom July 29, 2011

The Texas Forensic Science Commission’s investigation of the science used to convict Cameron Todd Willingham may be at an end after the state’s top attorney ruled that the panel cannot consider evidence in cases older than 2005. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Marjorie Kamys Cotera / Todd Wiseman
Criminal Appeals Court Grants Rare Execution Stay

By Brandi Grissom July 28, 2011

In a rare move Thursday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, stayed the scheduled Aug. 18 execution of Larry Swearingen, convicted of the 1998 rape and murder of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn
Tracking the Money: Presidential Candidates and Texas

By Becca Aaronson July 25, 2011

Texans are already opening their pocketbooks to show support for their favorite presidential candidates. The Tribune’s visualizations of data from federal campaign finance reports reveal who has collected and spent the most in Texas. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson / Todd Wiseman
DPS Can't Reveal Cost to Protect Perry, Purges Records

By Jay Root July 22, 2011

State officials said Friday they can’t reveal how much money taxpayers are spending to protect Gov. Rick Perry — and that records of security costs compiled before 2008 have been “purged.” Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
On the Records: Shifting Unemployment Rates in Texas

By Becca Aaronson July 22, 2011

New Texas Workforce Commission stats show that Texas has gained more than 220,000 jobs since last year. Check out this visualization of unemployment rates broken down by city for June 2010 and June 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson / Todd Wiseman
Thompson Feeds Her "Little Dogs" and Throws a Bone to Bigger Ones

By Emily Ramshaw July 22, 2011

Rep. Senfronia Thompson’s almost 40-year House tenure is defined by her defense of the underserved. But her legislative career is peppered with occasional paradoxes. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Steve Moakley / Office of Senfronia Thompson
Updated: Court Declines Stay for 9-11 Revenge Killer

By Ioanna Makris July 20, 2011

U.S. Distict Judge Lee Yeakel today denied Rais Bhuiyan’s request to the stay the execution of Mark Stroman, the man who shot him and killed two others and is scheduled to die tonight for his crimes. Full Story

Credit: Ingrid Husby
State Seeks Clearance for Political Maps

By Ross Ramsey July 19, 2011

Texas bypassed the Obama administration's Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state's new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
In Texas, Jailbreaks Aren't Like the Movies. Usually.

By Brandi Grissom July 17, 2011

A favorite plot device on television and in movies, jailbreaks, at least in Texas, are pretty rare. But that doesn't stop inmates from trying. And trying. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
Inside Houston's Harris County Jail

By Brandi Grissom July 17, 2011

Lt. Ronny Taylor talks about some of the security measures in place to prevent inmates from escaping from the Harris County Jail in Houston. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey July 16, 2011

Check our new Perrypedia — a home for stories and data about you-know-who, Ramshaw on health care in the colonias, Root's look back at Rick Perry's years as a Democrat, M. Smith on the pressures facing the TEA, yours truly on David Dewhurst's impact on the U.S. Senate race, E. Smith's panel discussion on the Cameron Todd Willingham case, Hamilton on Perry and higher ed, Murphy on who's paying the pole tax, Grissom on Alto's decision to close its police department, Aguilar on labor and security worries over trucking on the border and Galbraith on what government can't do during a drought: The best of our best content from July 11 to 15, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
A Naked Gamble That the Pole Tax Gets Stripped

By Ioanna Makris July 15, 2011

Four years and one seemingly endless lawsuit after Texas lawmakers passed a $5-per-patron strip club fee, just 111 of the state’s 176 strip clubs have paid any money. (View our interactive here.) Full Story

Credit: Tom Pennington
Lawyers, Guns and Money

By Julián Aguilar July 14, 2011

The Department of Justice's decision this week to require firearms dealers in Texas and three other border states to report the multiple sales of long rifles will come down to a funding battle in Washington. Full Story
Updated: Shooting Victim's Case Sent to Federal Court

By Ingrid Husby and Ioanna Makris July 14, 2011

Rais Bhuiyan is suing Gov. Rick Perry to stop the state from executing the man who shot him in the head 10 years ago. Full Story

Credit: Ingrid Husby
TribLive: A Conversation About Cameron Todd Willingham

By Evan Smith July 14, 2011

Following our Tuesday night screening of Incendiary: The Willingham Case, I talked about the science of fire and death penalty politics with the filmmakers, Steve Mims and Joe Bailey Jr.; former Forensic Science Commission Chairman Sam Bassett; former Texas Gov. Mark White; and acting Corsicana City Attorney Terry Jacobson. Full Story
Perry Blasts New Federal Gun Rules

By Chris Hooks July 13, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry is attacking new Department of Justice reporting requirements for gun dealers in states on the U.S.-Mexico border, calling the new rules “misguided” and “constitutionally questionable.” Full Story

Credit: @rickperryfacts
After Execution, Perry Faces Political Fallout

By Matt Largey, KUT News July 11, 2011

The U.N.'s top human rights official says that the U.S. broke international law when the state of Texas executed a Mexican national last week. Matt Largey of KUT News reports on what that could mean for Gov. Rick Perry as he nears a presidential run. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith July 9, 2011

Aguilar on a change in law that affects applications for state-issued IDs, Galbraith on how the drought is taking its toll on wildlife, Hamilton on an outsider's attempt to lower the cost of higher ed, Murphy visualizes the partisanship of House members, Ramsey on who becomes Lite Guv if David Dewhurst takes another job, Ramshaw on life in the colonias and three stories about Rick Perry — Grissom on how his death penalty stance might play in a 2012 presidential race, Root on how he cemented his reputation as one of the state's most powerful governors and Tan on the growing demand for him to speak elsewhere: The best of our best content from July 4 to July 8, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Supreme Court Gives OK to Leal Execution

By Morgan Smith July 7, 2011

Despite the Obama administration's plea for a stay, the U.S. Supreme Court won't stand in the way of Texas' plans to execute Mexican citizen Humberto Leal Jr. tonight. Full Story