U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said that despite reports that some Democrats are urging their colleagues not to work with Republicans on immigration reform, the party wants to see something pass before the year ends. Full Story
UPDATED: The Court of Criminal Appeals has ordered a new hearing in the case of Marcus Druery to determine whether he is mentally competent to be executed. Full Story
Months after lawmakers cut millions of dollars in funding for the state juvenile justice department and ordered the closure of a detention facility, movement to shutter a Corsicana facility for mentally ill youths remains stalled as state leaders reconsider its demise. Full Story
A top immigration lawyer says activist immigrants like the DREAM 9 in Arizona betray the cause they champion and can dilute important cases like that of Carlos Gutierrez, who sought asylum in the U.S. after criminal gangs cut his legs off. Full Story
M. Smith on wasted private tutoring efforts, Satija on government protection for the lesser prairie chicken, Root finds a new nest of Democratic trial lawyers, Malewitz finds a border skirmish featuring mollusks, Hamilton with the latest on politics at the University of Texas, Batheja on the link between vehicle traffic and bond ratings, Aguilar finds some promise in a juvenile justice program in Eagle Pass and Aaronson covers the court fight over new abortion regulations: The best of our best for the week of Oct. 21-25, 2013. Full Story
In the Eagle Pass area, the number of juvenile felony cases referred to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Bruce Ballou has fallen more than 40 percent since 2012. It's a sign, he says, that his rehabilitative approach is working. Full Story
Failures in the foster care system put children in Texas and across the nation at greater risk of falling into the sex trade, activists and lawmakers asserted Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Full Story
Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico. Full Story
UPDATED: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst sent the president a letter demanding repayment for the more than $156.6 million that Texas counties have spent since 2011 on jailing undocumented immigrants with federal detainers. Full Story
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday filed a lawsuit against what the advocacy group claims are egregious abuses of power within the ranks of border law enforcement. Full Story
Roughly a thousand people turned out at the Alamo on Saturday to protest current state law that prohibits the open carrying of handguns and other gun restrictions. Full Story
UPDATED: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says President Obama’s choice to succeed former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lacks the experience to head the agency. Full Story
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas' challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories. Full Story
A state law passed in 2011 requires Texas jails to report monthly estimates of the cost to house undocumented immigrants. This interactive table shows the total number of immigrants housed and the cost to each county from October 2011 to September 2013. Full Story
As lawmakers in Washington call for a review of how asylum law pertains to Mexicans seeking protection, one Mexican exile is embarking on his own public relations campaign. Full Story
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said Monday that they will not heed a request to return a supply of execution drugs from the pharmacist who sent them to the state. Full Story
In an effort to keep immigration reform alive during the debate over the government shutdown, congressional Democrats have filed legislation that includes elements of a border-security measure backed by a key GOP leader. Full Story
Full video of Reeve Hamilton's sit-down with three candidates for Texas Attorney General — state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas; state Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney; and Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman — at the 2013 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
One year after President Obama’s decision to allow undocumented-immigrant youths to apply for renewable work permits and a two-year reprieve from deportation proceedings, Texas — perhaps due to its immigration policies — beats the national average of approved applicants. Full Story