TribLive: Combs on Abortion and Family Planning
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about her late-in-life switch from pro-choice to pro-life and the impact of cutting family planning funding. Full Story
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TribLive: Combs on the Data Breach
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the data breach on her agency's web site that inadvertently exposed the personal information of 3.5 million state employees and retirees. Full Story
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Education Board Could Give Schools More Control Over New Exams
The State Board of Education may try to modify the state's rigid new standardized exams — the STAAR tests — in a way that allays school districts’ concerns that they're losing local control over grading. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Bradley Announces Special Prosecutor in Morton Case
Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley this morning announced the appointment of the Texas Attorney General as special prosecutor in the Michael Morton case. A special grand jury is also being formed, he said. Full Story
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![Presiding Officer of the Texas Forensic Science Commission John Bradley during a commission meeting April 14th, 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Online Classes Booming, But With Red Flags
As the popularity of online learning grows, public schools are grappling with how to most effectively integrate it into their classrooms — and some in the education community worry about the increasing influence of for-profit companies. Full Story
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![Eagle Scout and high school graduate Will Clarkston, 20, logged in to The Bridge School from his bedroom in Houston on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. He is taking online classes now and planning to attend community college in the spring.]()
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Updated: Bradley Withdraws Motion to Expedite Morton Case
The Williamson County district attorney this afternoon withdrew a motion he had filed seeking to quickly dismiss the Michael Morton case. Morton's attorneys worried that he was attempting to quash investigation of allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. Full Story
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![Michael Morton sits beside his mother, Patricia Morton, during an emotional press conference in October 2011 after a judge agreed to release him on personal bond after he spent nearly 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife. Recently tested DNA indicates another man committed the 1986 killing.]()
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Texas Launches No Kid Hungry Campaign
A sea of 150 elementary and middle school students from Austin and Waco met on the steps of the Capitol today to sing, cheer and kick off the Texas No Kid Hungry Campaign. Full Story
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Will New Voter Registrar Rules Decrease Turnout?
A new law imposing citizenship restrictions on deputy and volunteer voter registrars has voting rights groups worried that fewer Texans — in particular, fewer minorities — will cast a ballot next year. Full Story
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Experts Say Morton Case Shows Justice System Still Needs Reform
In the wake of Michael Morton's release from prison last week based on DNA testing that shows someone else killed his wife 25 years ago, defense lawyers are calling for reforms to ensure prosecutors must turn over exculpatory evidence. Full Story
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![Michael Morton sits beside his mother, Patricia Morton, during an emotional press conference after a judge agreed to release him on personal bond after he spent nearly 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Murphy, Ramshaw and Root on Rick Perry and race, Philpott on Perry's vague economic plans, Tan and Wiseman on Barack Obama's foray into Texas to defend his jobs plan, Aguilar on Perry's proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico, Ramshaw on efforts to leash rising health care costs, M. Smith on upcoming legal challenges to the state's school finance system, Aaronson interactively explores Medicare spending proposals, Galbraith on efforts to pass — and to oppose — a $6 billion water program, Grissom on the release of a man wrongly convicted of murder and Hamilton on efforts to let the public write some legislation: The best of our best content from October 3 to 7, 2011. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Once Again, Texas Faces Lawsuits Over How It Funds Its Schools
The lawsuits over public education funding that are currently taking shape will be the latest in a long history of court intervention in Texas' school finance system. But how much can the judiciary do to fix it? Full Story
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Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News
State campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week. Full Story
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Updated: An Emotional Morton Thankful His Was Not a Capital Case
After an emotional day in court, Michael Morton left prison today, almost 25 years after he was convicted of murdering his wife. His release came after prosecutors agreed his conviction should be overturned based on the results of recent DNA testing. Full Story
![Michael Morton sits beside his mother, Patricia Morton, during an emotional press conference in October 2011 after a judge agreed to release him on personal bond after he spent nearly 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife. Recently tested DNA indicates another man committed the 1986 killing.]()
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Updated: Morton Wins Release From Prison After 25 Years
Michael Morton, who served 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife Christine, now will be released after DNA evidence linked another man to the crime and to another murder 16 months later. Full Story
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![Debra Jan Baker, Michael Morton (center), Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on the shrinking of state government, Aguilar on the controversy over in-state tuition for the children of undocumented immigrants, Galbraith on Rick Perry vs. the EPA, Grissom on a startling development in a 25-year-old murder case, Hamilton on Ken Starr's first year as president of Baylor, Ramsey on what inmates have to do with redistricting, Ramshaw on the state's crisis in insurance coverage, Root on Perry's presidential grind dance and Smith on obstacles to addressing childhood obesity: The best of our best content from Sept. 26-30, 2011. Full Story
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Prisoners Don't Vote, but They Sometimes Count
Texas prison inmates can’t vote, so most counties ignore them. But they can change the value of your votes for Congress and the state Legislature. Full Story
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Federal Court to Texas Election Officials: Wait
State officials in Texas can hold off on election preparations, a federal court said Thursday, but with Texas' political maps still in limbo, they also didn't get a new set of deadlines to help them get ready for the 2012 elections. Full Story
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Schools, Textbook Publishers Adjust to Power Shift
A new state law decentralizing the selection and purchase of instructional materials for Texas students has sparked debate about how it will affect the politically charged State Board of Education's power to control what’s taught in Texas classrooms. Full Story
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Cattle Rustler Wins Release From Prison
Roddy Dean Pippin, the diabetic cowboy who has been in prison for more than eight years, will get to ride out of the big house next month after the state's highest criminal court ruled today that he has done his time. Full Story
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Credit: Courtesy Jacie Pippin -
DNA Test Links Morton Case to Unsolved Killing?
In a startling development, Travis County authorities are investigating whether an unsolved 1988 killing of an Austin woman is related to the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, for which her husband, Michael Morton, is serving life in prison. Full Story
![Debra Jan Baker, Michael Morton (center), Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman