Past Contributions

• T-Squared: Rick Perry, Newsweek and the Trib

  By Evan Smith April 17, 2010

  Now it can be told: The Governor of Texas is on the cover of this week's issue of the venerable newsmagazine as part of its first-ever collaboration with The Texas Tribune. Full Story 

• TribBlog: New GOP Group "a Little Undemocratic"?

  By Evan Smith April 15, 2010

  Karen Hughes, a communications advisor to Speaker Joe Straus, told our TribLive audience this morning that it was "a little undemocratic" of the newly formed Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas not to invite every Republican in the House and Senate to join. Full Story 

• TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

  By Evan Smith April 10, 2010

  Grissom on her two hours in Juárez, Grissom, Ramshaw and Ramsey on four of the runoffs on Tuesday's ballot, Ramshaw on the religious experience that is voting for Dallas County's DA and an energy regulator's play for a job at the entity he regulates, Mulvaney on the Texas Senate's biggest spenders, Aguilar on whether — as U.S. officials claim — 90 percent of guns used in Mexican crimes really flow south from Texas, M. Smith on the continuing Texas Forensic Science Commission follies, Stiles on how inmates spend their money behind bars and how counties are responding at Census time, Hamilton on the creative accounting and semantic trickery that allows lawmakers to raise revenue without hiking taxes when there's a budget shortfall, and Hu on Austin's first-in-the-nation car-sharing program. The best of our best from April 5 to 9, 2010. Full Story 

• 2010: Shapleigh, Moreno Back Naomi Over Norma

  By Evan Smith April 3, 2010

  State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, and former state Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso, will endorse challenger Naomi Gonzalez over incumbent state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, in the April 13 runoff that will decide the winner of the House District 76 seat, according to the El Paso Times. Full Story 

• TribBlog: A Redistricting Compromise?

  By Evan Smith March 31, 2010

  Republican and Democratic members of the Texas congressional delegation are discussing a possible compromise designed to cool off the overheated politics of congressional redistricting by dividing the expected spoils once U.S. Census figures are in and the reapportionment process begins in 2011, two members of the delegation say. Full Story 

• T-Squared: Thanks a Million-Plus

  By Evan Smith March 31, 2010

  We've more than exceeded our goals for monthly unique visitors and page views — and way, way, way ahead of schedule. For that, we have you, Randy Neugebauer, and Gay Jesus to thank, among others. Full Story 

• Annise Parker: The TT Interview

  By Evan Smith and Matt Stiles March 31, 2010

  Three months into her new job, the mayor of the state's largest city says she's working hard to combat the effects of a down economy, putting partisan differences aside to join with GOP congressmen in lobbying Washington to keep NASA intact, and trying to untangle the longstanding knot that is mass transit. Full Story 

• Annise Parker: The TT Interview

  By Evan Smith March 31, 2010

  Three months into her new job, the mayor of the state's largest city and the nation's fourth-largest city says she's working hard to combat the crippling effects of a down economy, putting partisan differences aside to join with Republican congressmen in lobbying Washington to keep NASA intact, and trying to untangle the longstanding knot that is mass transit. Oh, and she's staying as far away from the governor's race as humanly possible, though she has a stern message for political operatives who may be looking to tarnish the man she replaced: Don't mess with Houston. Full Story 

• James Baker Says ...

  By Evan Smith March 30, 2010

  The former secretary of state talked foreign policy, partisan politics and the national debt at an event co-presented by the Tribune, the Center for Politics and Governance at UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the LBJ Library. Full Story 

• Advice for Bill White

  By Evan Smith March 29, 2010

  He has 31 weeks to make his case that we should fire Rick Perry and hire him instead. But when should he introduce himself to voters? When should he start attacking the governor? When should he spend his millions? Democratic strategists Glenn Smith and Keir Murray and blogger Charles Kuffner answer those and other pressing questions for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Full Story