"I always wanted to run for office," Bill Hobby writes. "And I grew up in a family that had been part of state government for a couple of generations." An excerpt from the forthcoming How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics. Full Story
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Eighteen Democrats in the Texas House have asked President Obama to send U.S. surveillance aircraft from Iraq to Texas to help guard the state's border with Mexico. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry delivered an ultimatum to his leading challenger, Bill White: Release your tax returns by Sept. 15 or "the people of Texas will not get the opportunity to see the candidates debate." Full Story
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Gubernatorial candidate Bill White unveiled a border security plan today and chided Gov. Rick Perry over border cameras and his "unauthorized" spending of security money. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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Another oil rig — owned by a Houston-based company — has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Full Story
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The Public Utility Commission is poised to pass new rules that could prohibit some Texans from switching from one electric company to another. But as Mose Buchele of KUT News reports, advocates for the elderly and infirm are concerned about the impact of the proposal on some of the state's most vulnerable ratepayers. Full Story
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Today marks the first official day of the next phase of U.S. military operations in Iraq — but as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, Central Texas anti-war groups regard the conflict as far from over. Full Story
The ethics bug is back. Full Story
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Nothing has helped Texas "close the gaps" of higher education achievement more than financial aid for low-income students. But with coming budget cuts, tens of thousands of students could lose out on the state's largest and most generous financial aid program. Full Story
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Journalist Emilio Gutiérrez says that after he reported on allegations that Mexican soldiers robbed citizens, the military threatened his life. That led him to seek asylum in the U.S. — but instead, he landed in an immigration detention center for seven months. He's still waiting to find out his ultimate fate. Full Story
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When Longhorn football kicks off at home this month, so will a brand-new marketing effort urging boosters to buy, of all things, green electricity. Colt McCoy's family has already signed up with Texas Longhorns Energy, which promises customers 100 percent power from Texas wind. The Aggies will roll out a similar deal on Friday. The programs are another sign of the universities' branding heft — even though they may not be the best deal within the confusing Texas electricity market. Full Story
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As chairman of the Select Committee of Public Education in the '80s, Ross Perot took on high school athletics hammer and tongs: “If the people of Texas want Friday night entertainment instead of education," he said, "let’s find out about it." An excerpt from the forthcoming How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics. Full Story
In this week's TribCast, Ross, Elise, Ben and Matt discuss the hottest Texas House races, Perry for president and the ramifications for elections in Harris County after fire destroyed voting machines last week. Full Story
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David Swinford's seat in the Texas House will apparently remain empty for the next four months. Full Story
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Bob Richter, public editor of the San Antonio paper, responds to the GOP House candidate's charges of biased coverage. Full Story
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The number of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. has declined considerably in the past few years when compared to the first half of the previous decade, according to a new study by the Pew Hispanic Center. Full Story
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The Institute for Creation Research has ended its fight with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which denied the Dallas-based Christian school the authority to offer master's degrees in science education. Full Story
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Your afternoon reading. Full Story
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Is $2 million a sufficient consolation prize for losing the governor's race? Full Story