Root on the end of Rick Perry’s presidential campaign, Murphy on what happens to his campaign cash, Ramsey on his next act, Ramshaw, Aaronson, Murphy, Chang and Seger interactively chart the rise and fall of his run, Aguilar talks Juárez violence with a documentary filmmaker, Galbraith on the tug-of-war over surface water, Grissom and Murphy on three decades of capital punishment in Texas, Hamilton and Aaronson on our workforce needs in 2018 and Tan on the state’s much-reduced list of women’s health clinics: The best of our best content from January 16-20, 2012.
Economy
Get the latest on jobs, business, growth, and policy shaping the state’s economy with in-depth reporting from The Texas Tribune.
Texas Economy Improving; Unemployment Rate Low
Texas’ unemployment rate — 7.8 percent — is the lowest it’s been since July 2009, when the recession was just heating up, according to employment statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission today.
State Employment Continues to Shrink
Texas cut nearly 8,000 state jobs over the last year, according to a new report from the state auditor’s office. Use this interactive to compare how the $15 billion in cuts passed by lawmakers in the last session has affected state-funded organizations within each article of the budget.
Texas Tech Companies Oppose Anti-Piracy Bill
Online piracy is hurting the nation’s economy and putting lives at risk, says U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith. He wrote the Stop Online Piracy Act to address the problem, but his bill has gotten the cold shoulder in his home state.
Texas Keeps Close Eye on Mexico’s Presidential Race
Texas economists and politicians are closely watching what this summer’s presidential contest in Mexico means for the peso and, in turn, the state’s symbiotic business ties to our neighbor to the south.
As San Antonio Grows, So Does Its Confidence
In the last decade, companies have flocked to San Antonio, making it an economic center rivaling Houston and Dallas, and rattling the Alamo City’s pre-existing inferiority complex.
Updated: 10 Most-Read Stories of 2011: Perry, UT and TSA Groping
With 2011 winding down, we take a look back at the stories our readers liked best, judging by the number of pageviews they received.
Enterprise Fund Lures Businesses, But Job Numbers in Dispute
As Gov. Rick Perry pushes his employment initiatives on the presidential campaign trail, he often touts the jobs created by the Texas Enterprise Fund. But Perry’s opponents say the fund’s contributions to the Texas economy have been far overstated.
On the Records: Texas Has Largest Population Growth
The Lone Star State is getting bigger. Texas had the largest population growth of any state between April 2010 and July 2011, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Slideshow: Mexican Cowboys Fans Take Bus Tour to Dallas
The warnings were clear: avoid traveling the highways in northern Mexico at night. But it wasn’t enough to stop some of the most fervent Mexican fans of the Dallas Cowboys from traversing them to get to a game.


