Eli Okun was an intern at The Texas Tribune in 2014. He has a degree in international relations at Brown University, where he worked as the editor-in-chief of The Brown Daily Herald. He previously worked for the Providence Business News, The Washington Post and the Current Newspapers in Washington, D.C.
State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, urged the GOP to focus on appealing to Hispanic voters, emphasizing that the “ultimate survivability of the Republican Party” is at stake, in an Austin speech Thursday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/02/14/Villalba-2.jpg)
A once-obscure federal export credit agency has landed at the center of a national debate over business and free-market ideology, with potentially enduring ramifications for the Texas companies it supports and the Republicans it is dividing. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/JebHensarling.jpg)
Five Republican nominees for seats in the Texas Senate voiced public opposition Monday to a proposal that would allow a controversial new form of betting on horse races in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/06/10/lonestar-track.jpg)
After Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial campaign released an ad featuring the attorney general in a movie theater, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema responded Thursday with a tongue-in-cheek message to admonish him: Don’t talk while the movie is playing. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/07/16/UP9A1371.jpg)
A new workforce report released Wednesday by the Texas comptroller’s office emphasizes the importance of investing in training and education to keep up with a rapidly changing employment landscape. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/02/11/SusanCombs.jpg)
The special election to replace state Sen. Robert Duncan will take place Sept. 9, Gov. Rick Perry announced Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/05/12/BDA_3468.jpg)
Texas ranks among the 10 worst states on a variety of indicators of child well-being, according to a new national analysis out Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/25/schoolbreakfast.jpg)
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Friday announced a slew of appointments to various Senate committees or boards in advance of the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/05/27/7C2A7189.jpg)
A district court judge ruled against death row inmate Hank Skinner on Tuesday in the wake of new DNA testing, saying it was “reasonably probable” he would still have been convicted had the evidence been available at trial. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20100120-IMG_2761-2.jpg)
A coalition of conservative groups set forth a strict proposal for the state’s fiscal future, emphasizing hard spending caps to limit the size of government, with the release Tuesday of a budget report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/BudgetTexas.jpg)