The Brief: Dec. 18, 2014
The awarding of a no-bid Medicaid fraud detection contract to the 21CT company continues to draw scrutiny with three separate news reports published Wednesday evening. Full Story
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![Jack Stick, the top lawyer for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.]()
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The Brief: Dec. 17, 2014
In an election where Austin voters changed their form of city government, an outsider, Steve Adler, easily bested City Councilman Mike Martinez for mayor. Full Story
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The Brief: Dec. 16, 2014
The Tribune's Jim Malewitz tries to get at, in a piece also published in Politico Magazine, the root causes that spurred the town of Denton to approve a ban on fracking last month. Full Story
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Dissecting Denton: How One City Banned Fracking
State lawmakers, the oil and gas industry and national environmental groups are asking deep questions about Denton, home to two universities, 277 gas wells and, now, thanks to a group of local activists, Texas’ first ban on fracking. Full Story
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![A grassroots effort to ban fracking in Denton succeeded last fall, but has now been trumped by state lawmakers.]()
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The Playlist: Tears Over Beers
Three Texas breweries filed a lawsuit against the state for allegedly "stifling the craft beer renaissance," so we begin this week's news-inspired playlist with "Tears Over Beers" by Modern Baseball. Full Story
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Roundup: Health Agency Overhaul and Abbott's Agenda
This week in the Roundup: Gov.-elect Greg Abbott highlights the issues he'll prioritize in the coming legislative session, the state loses out on millions of federal dollars for pre-kindergarten programs, and Texas' health care system is on the cusp of a major overhaul. Full Story
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Newsreel: Abbott Priorities, HHS, Charter School
This week in the Newsreel: Abbott unveils key issues for next session, the sunset commission recommends health and human services agencies be consolidated and 14 charter schools don't meet state performance standards. Full Story
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Court Tells TDCJ to Name Lethal Injection Drug Suppliers
The name of the compounding pharmacy supplying lethal injection drugs for Texas executions must be released because it is public information, a judge ruled late Thursday. Full Story
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Panetti Doesn't Need Mental Health Treatment, Prison Doctor Says
As the state and Scott Panetti's defense team battled over whether his execution should be halted last week, a four-page affidavit provided a tantalizing peek into the mental health care Texas has provided for the schizophrenic death row inmate. Full Story
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![Death row inmate Scott Panetti.]()
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The Brief: Dec. 9, 2014
The New York Times is reporting on efforts by GOP big donors and fundraisers "to clear the field" so that a single establishment candidate can compete for the 2016 presidential nomination. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Abbott Says Education Will Be Top Policy Priority
During a news conference in which he announced the selection of his senior staff, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott said Monday that he wants to improve the educational foundation that students receive in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Full Story
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![During a news conference on Nov. 11, 2014, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott announced that he's appointing Cameron County Judge Carlos Casco as the next Texas secretary of state.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Livestream: Gov.-elect Greg Abbott on Transition, 84th Session
We're livestreaming Gov.-elect Greg Abbott's news conference Monday, in which he will give an update on the transition process and outline his priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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The Brief: Dec. 8, 2014
Incoming Gov. Greg Abbott made it clear he would not play favorites in 2016, telling Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd in a Sunday appearance on the show that his endorsement would come only after Republicans select their presidential candidate. Full Story
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Abbott Declines to Endorse Perry, Cruz for 2016 Run
Texas Attorney General and Gov.-Elect Greg Abbott on Sunday declined to throw his support behind any the Texas Republicans rumored to be considering a run for the White House in 2016. Full Story
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Abbott's Political Tightrope: Balancing Far Right and Hispanics
After winning 44 percent of the Hispanic vote on Election Day, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott may find himself in turbulent political waters as he attempts to balance the interests of his Republican base and his newfound Hispanic friends. Full Story
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![Gov-elect Greg Abbott at an executive aviation terminal on election eve.]()
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The Playlist: I'm Getting Ready
Gov. Rick Perry is stepping up his game ahead of a potential presidential bid by breaking bread with donors and engaging in long policy briefing sessions, so we open our weekly news-inspired playlist with "I'm Getting Ready" by Michael Kiwanuka. Full Story
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Roundup: Executive Orders and a Stay of Execution
This week in the Roundup: A Texas inmate with a history of schizophrenia receives a stay of execution, and Gov. Rick Perry and his successor, current Attorney General Greg Abbott, take turns addressing immigration. Full Story
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Governor's Mansion to Be Tweaked for Abbott
Texas' first governor to use a wheelchair will move into a mansion built 134 years before ADA accessibility requirements. But thanks to an arsonist’s Molotov cocktail, the home needs only minor fixes. Full Story
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![The Governor's Mansion, Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: Dec. 5, 2014
Voters in Senate District 18 go to the polls on Saturday to choose who will serve out the remainder of the term of Glenn Hegar, the state's next comptroller. Full Story
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Newsreel: Abbott Lawsuit, E-Verify, State Budget
This week in the Newsreel: Abbott files suit over the president's immigration executive order, Perry tells state agencies to check citizenship of workers and state budgeteers approve funding to keep state police on the border. Full Story
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