The 5 Best Texas Tribune Events of 2017
From DeRay to Dawnna, here are Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith's favorite conversations of the year. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, in conversation with The Texas Tribune's Evan Smith at the Austin Club on Nov. 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
18 days that shook the Texas congressional delegation in 2017
There has never been a year in Congress like 2017, and most there spent the last year adjusting to an erratic president and an even more volatile American public. Full Story
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![A police officer mans a shooting scene after a gunman opened fire on Republican members of Congress during a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.]()
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In Texas' urban areas, leaders wrestled property taxes and pension woes
As city officials sought help overhauling pension funds and fought off lawmakers' attempts to legislate local matters, urban Texans continued having trouble finding affordable places to live. Full Story
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![A home in West Dallas sits just a few blocks from where new developments are being built. The new construction is driving up the cost and property taxes of nearby homes. A new report from Harvard University says Americans in cities across the U.S. are having a harder time finding affordable places to rent or buy.]()
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(Some of) the best Texas Tribune photos of 2017
From tumultuous sessions in the Texas Legislature to widespread devastation from Hurricane Harvey, reporters and photographers for The Texas Tribune were on scene to capture the big picture and the human details. Full Story
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In Texas politics, 2017 began with "bathroom bill" fight, ended with wave of retirements
After the national spotlight shined bright on Texas politics last year — with a wild presidential race that drew in the state and its leaders — 2017 brought a focus much closer to home. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott looks on as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (left) and House Speaker Joe Straus shake hands at the Capitol on May 27, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
O'Rourke, national press association call for Mexican reporter's release
An effort to free Mexican reporter Emilio Gutiérrez and his son from immigration detention has garnered national attention. And now, a border congressman has also stepped in to advocate for the duo. Full Story
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![Mexican journalist Emilio Gutiérrez]()
Credit: Julian Aguilar -
Can you tell these fake Texas news stories from the real ones? Take our quiz to find out.
The furor over fake news showed no signs of slowing down in 2017. Take our quiz to see how good you are at identifying falsehoods. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Amid Texas transportation battles, toll lanes scrapped while bullet train survived
Texans successfully fought back against tolled highway projects in 2017. Meanwhile, motorists are now forbidden to text while driving and ride-hailing companies emerged from the legislative session with a major victory. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Former state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon dies at 74
Ruth Jones McClendon, the former longtime state representative from San Antonio, has died. She was 74. Full Story
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![Sen. Rodney Ellis and State Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, celebrate Gov. Abbott's signing of HB48 that establishes the Timothy Cole Exoneration Review Commission. In background is Cole's brother, Cory Session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway responds to Democratic criticism of House intelligence investigation
The Texas Republican has been tight-lipped about the sensitive investigation he is leading in the U.S. House. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, in his Rayburn office in Washington, D.C. on November 20, 2014.]()
Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call -
A Texas House candidate mocked a sheriff on social media. Did he violate the law?
Bo French says the "Thief Bill Waybourn" Facebook page he created to mock Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn was merely satire. Three law enforcement groups are calling it a "scandalous crime." Full Story
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![State Rep. Charlie Geren, left, is being challenged in the House District 99 Republican primary race by Bo French, right.]()
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How the border fence cut through one Brownsville neighborhood (video)
An investigation by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica revealed that landowners were paid unevenly for similar plots of land when the federal government began taking property to build a border fence in the Rio Grande Valley. Hear the stories of a few of those landowners. Full Story
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Hey, Texplainer: U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold got his name off the 2018 Republican primary ballot. How did that happen?
U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold announced he wasn’t running for re-election last month, days after the deadline to withdraw his name from the March 6 primary ballot. Yet his name was still omitted. How did that happen? Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Farenthold of Texas to retire amid sexual harassment scandal
U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, announced Thursday he would retire from Congress after finishing his current term following new allegations that included former employees describing him as verbally abusive and sexually demeaning. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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U.S. Rep. Williams endorses Farenthold challenger as sexual harassment scandal grows
U.S. Rep. Roger Williams is set to help fundraise for an opponent of a fellow Republican congressman, embattled U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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Texan Don Willett confirmed by U.S. Senate to federal 5th Circuit Court
The U.S. Senate confirmed Don Willett, a Texas Supreme Court justice, to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. A confirmation vote on Jim Ho, a former state solicitor general, is expected later this week. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett testifies during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to confirm him and Dallas attorney James C. Ho to the 5th Circuit Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Allison Shelley for The Texas Tribune -
Texas 2018 primary ballots now set as filing period closes
A hectic candidate filing period came to a relatively calm close Monday evening, with few major surprises as the field was set for the 2018 primaries in Texas. Yet it's been a tumultuous few weeks across the state's political landscape. Full Story
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![Former General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson announces he's running to again head the agency, at the Austin Club on Dec. 11, 2017. He will face incumbent George P. Bush in the Republican primary in March 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
After years of seeking asylum in U.S., a Mexican reporter and his son just narrowly escaped deportation
A Mexican reporter who has sought asylum in the United States for nearly 10 years was, along with his son, abruptly handcuffed and nearly sent back to Mexico on Thursday. Their attorney eventually halted the deportation. Full Story
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![Mexican reporter Emilio Gutiérrez has sought asylum in the United States since 2008.]()
Credit: Julian Aguilar -
Report: U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold underwent sexual harassment training in 2016 after complaints
U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold said he and his entire congressional staff underwent sensitivity and sexual harassment training in 2016, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday. Full Story
![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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Hey, Texplainer: Why does a state as big as Texas have a part-time Legislature?
The state Constitution outlines the duration of each legislative session and how much each lawmaker makes per year. Changing either would require a constitutional amendment. Full Story
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![The House chamber at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 16, 2017, the morning after the end of the special session.]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune
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