TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

Use this interactive to explore the nearly $100 million in grants that Texas has received through the federal Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has been an ardent and highly visible opponent of giving undocumented immigrants a way to become U.S. citizens. He is advocating a middle ground — legalization and more visas without citizenship. 

As the Texas Department of Transportation blames a funding shortfall for its plans to convert some rural roads to gravel, South Texans argue they are being unfairly punished for the region’s drilling boom.

In a ruling issued Wednesday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared that Steven Staley, a mentally ill death row inmate, cannot be forcibly medicated for the purpose of making him competent for execution.

University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa plans to send letters to leaders at the system’s 15 institutions to address how they report alumni membership dues in their fundraising totals.

In Texas oilfields, thieves are targeting batteries that power pipeline monitors, saddling drillers with big replacement costs and stalling production. Some fear the temptation to steal will only swell as production expands.

Justice Nathan Hecht will replace Wallace Jefferson chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday. He'll be up for election next year.

Many Texans gauge the health of the Guadalupe River by the speed of their tubing trip. Given the drought conditions plaguing most of the state, people come prepared to walk. On a broader scale, the shallow spots are indicative of the growing demand on the spring-fed water source.

In Texas, where licensed gun toters are allowed to bypass the metal detectors at the state Capitol and the sitting governor once shot a coyote while jogging, getting between Texans and their guns can be politically dangerous.

Texas' biggest oil and gas companies are looking to take a prime role in protecting threatened species in the state, and such participation is drawing mixed opinions among environmental advocates.

The current crop of seniors will likely be among the last not containing a majority of Hispanic students. It will also, based on preliminary enrollment data from the 2012-13 school year, likely be among the last not containing a majority of students from impoverished backgrounds.