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  • The Tuition Time Bomb

    By Brian Thevenot

    It costs an average of 63 percent more to attend a four-year state school today than it did in 2003 — and that's still not enough to keep pace with bulging university budgets. Some policy makers see the higher education business model on the cusp of collapse. Full Story 

    Tuition increases in Texas public colleges 2003 and 2008
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Latinos and the Pay Gap

    By Julián Aguilar

    In Texas, they earn 35 percent less than their Anglo counterparts — a disparity that's bigger here than elsewhere. Is it because of education, age, discrimination, or some combination of the above? Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Guest Column: The 2010 Agenda: Criminal Justice

    By Scott Henson

    In response to shrinking budgets, there's a risk that lawmakers might feel compelled to scale back funding for treatment and diversion programming. Instead, it's time for the state to seriously consider closing one or more of the 112 prison units it currently operates. Full Story 

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  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    A big week, with the State Board of Education working on social studies textbooks — Thevenot was all over that this week, starting with a story that got national attention — and then the first debate between the GOP gubernatorial candidates, a story we tag-teamed with poll analysis, Hu's and Ramsey's live-blogging, Philpott's audio, and video. Our first TribLive event coaxed some news out of House Speaker Joe Straus, and E. Smith also interviewed Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on beaches, politics, and, um, politics. We featured M. Smith on athletes in politics, Aguilar on the pack of Republicans chasing U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, Rapoport on women in campaigns, and Hamilton on candidates outside the spotlight. The best of our best from January 11 to January 15, 2010. Full Story 

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  • History Lessened

    By Brian Thevenot

    On day three of the State Board of Education's social studies curriculum hearings, targets of the conservatives' ire included Marcus Garvey, Clarence Darrow, and Ted Kennedy. Full Story 

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    Credit: Abby Rapoport

  • TribBlog: Nullification Now

    By Morgan Smith

    For the disgruntled ultraconservative, nullification may be the new secession. But as one prominent legal scholar puts it, “If you believe in nullification, you don’t believe in the constitution.” Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Snip, Snip

    By Ross Ramsey

    No surprise here, but still: State leaders want state agencies to cut five percent from their current budgets "due to the uncertainty of the state's short-term economic future, as well as potentially substantial long-term costs associated with the passage of federal legislation currently being debated in Washington, D.C." Full Story 

  • Not Exactly a Game-Changer

    By Ross Ramsey

    In the first debate of this political season, Rick Perry didn't fall on his face, and Kay Bailey Hutchison didn't either. For a politician with a reputation to protect, that's the description of a win. The third candidate in the race, Debra Medina, held her own. Full Story 

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    Credit: Matt Otero/pool

  • Civil Civics

    By Brian Thevenot

    State Board of Education members played mostly nice with one another Thursday, as they added and subtracted historical figures to the social studies curriculum. In: the first Hispanic Texas Supreme Court justice, Tejanos who died at the Alamo, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Out: "Ma" Ferguson, Henry Cisneros, and Dolores Huerta. Full Story 

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    Credit: Abby Rapoport