UPDATED: Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman released a web video via Twitter, Facebook, and his website on Monday formally announcing his candidacy for the 2014 Republican nomination for attorney general. Full Story
A group of motorcycle enthusiasts from Mexico make the trek to Texas to add their own signature to a truly American experience: the Republic of Texas Biker Rally. Full Story
Texas craft breweries are getting a major boost thanks to a new state law recently signed by Gov. Rick Perry allowing them to go head to head with major alcohol brands across the nation. Full Story
There are only a few days left in the current special session, so we lead off our playlist inspired by the week's news in Texas politics and policy with "Almost Over" by Elliott Smith. Full Story
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The end of the special session is in sight, the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune polls are out and a judge says new school finance litigation case will begin in January. Full Story
M. Smith on the latest delay in school finance litigation, Root on mounting speculation about the future of Rick Perry, Dehn and Rocha with a field report on the Texas drought, KUT’s Philpott on budget worries for the state’s top corruption prosecutor, Galbraith and Murphy map the status of state reservoirs, Hamilton and Batheja track efforts to unseat a University of Texas regent, Aguilar on the progress of federal immigration reforms, Aaronson reports on the special session debate over abortion in Texas: The best of our best for the week of June 17 to 21, 2012. Full Story
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Changes to the number of high-stakes tests given in Texas high schools has sparked worries about students' college readiness. Full Story
The feud between Senate Finance Chairman Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, and Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick, R-Houston, grew more heated Friday. Full Story
Your evening reading: after dramatic hearing, House committee quietly approves abortion bills; Pitts says he has support to impeach UT regent; key vote on immigration bill in U.S. Senate set for Monday Full Story
UPDATED: State Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, the House's chief budget writer and a critic of some current University of Texas System regents, said Friday he is confident he has the support needed to unseat UT Regent Wallace Hall. Full Story
The Texas Legislature has moved closer to passing a bill that would solve constitutional problems that have left prosecutors without sentencing options for some juveniles convicted of capital murder. Full Story
After abruptly ending hours of public testimony that went into the wee hours of Friday morning, the House State Affairs Committee reconvened on Friday and quietly approved House Bill 60 and its companion, Senate Bill 5 — omnibus abortion restriction legislation. Full Story
UPDATED: The House State Affairs Committee did not vote on an omnibus abortion bill after more than nine hours of testimony. Opponents of the measure say the abrupt end to the hearing may open the door to killing it. Full Story
When a fellow senator voted against the state budget because certain programs weren't funded, he forgot to mention that he was directly responsible for those funding decisions. Full Story
In a special edition of the TribCast, Jim Henson, Daron Shaw and Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project talk with Reeve about the latest findings in the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
This month, the sole public water well in Barnhart went dry for nearly three days. Residents in the Permian Basin community say that the area's thriving fracking industry is important but that a proper balance must be struck. Full Story
Seventeen Democrats in the Texas Legislature participated in a new video offering support to gay teens. The video is the latest entry in the nationwide "It Gets Better" campaign, which began in 2010. Full Story
The effort to give World War II hero Audie Murphy a Texas Legislative Medal of Honor fizzled for the second time in two years. Supporters wonder if Murphy and other veterans from the "greatest generation" are being forgotten. Full Story
Texans strongly favor criminal and mental health background checks on all gun sales, and they are divided when it comes to concealed weapons on college campuses, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story