Travis County

Greg Abbott Invents War on Christmas, Declares Victory

Despite its vaguely official-sounding name, the Christmas Bureau of Austin & Travis County is not a branch of local government. It's a nonprofit charity, one that purports to help needy individuals and families during the holiday season. That seems to be what the organization did from 1964, when it ... More >>

Planned Parenthood V. Texas, Round 1,867: Judge Rules PP Can Stay in the WHP, For Now

I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it's true: the argument between the state of Texas and Planned Parenthood over the Women's Health Program looks like it's never, ever going to end. This case has dragged itself through state courts, federal courts, and back down to the state level again, ... More >>

Dallas Police & Fire Pension Sues State to Keep Records on a Development Private

Even as the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System (DPFP) tries to deflect media attention from its shiny, shiny Museum Tower project, Courthouse News reports that it's also fighting to avoid releasing information on a different luxury developer, one that it wholly owns. The pension system filed ... More >>

How One Man's Flaming Water Fired Up a Battle Between Texas and the EPA

Steve Lipsky's epic battle and what it means for the future of fracking.

Rais Bhuiyan, Victim of Post-9/11 Shooting, to Sue the State to Try to Spare Attacker's Life

​At 10 this morning on the steps of the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, Rais Bhuiyan, who was shot in the face by white supremacist Mark Stroman as part of a post-September 11, 2001 shooting spree, will announce that he's filing suit today against Gov. Rick Perry and other state offi ... More >>

Plano ISD Teacher Says Not All "Sex With Student" Stories Should Be Treated Equally

​It would appear that Robert Lange, a social studies teacher at Williams High School in Plano, is well-liked by his students; one writes that he was "was the coolest teacher I have ever had." And not so long ago he was awarded cash money for having been named a finalist for the H.E.B. Excellence i ... More >>

Searching for the Soul of Austin

The neo city on the hills is a far cry from its cheap pot, cold beer and low-rent former ways.

City Attorney, City Manager Insist They're Not Hiding Trinity Project Docs From Us

Dallas City Attorney Tom Perkins​Just spent 20 minutes getting an earful from Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm and City Attorney Tom Perkins, who insisted, over and over, that the city's lawsuit over those Trinity River records has nothing whatsoever to do with our request to see "all the individual ... More >>

AG's Office Says DA Watkins Must Hand Over Appointment Schedule to GOP Chair Neerman

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Two months ago to the day, we told you about Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman's public information request for the calendar of Democratic Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins dating back to his first day in office -- January 1, 2007. Seeme ... More >>

Craig Watkins Doesn't Want Anyone to Know Where He's Been, And He's Asking the Attorney General to Make Sure He Doesn't Have to Tell

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​In an attempt to keep Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins's schedule private, his office has asked for an opinion from the Texas attorney general regarding a public records request for Watkins's calendar dating to his first day in office. In a May 6 letter to Atto ... More >>

In the War of Attrition Waged by the Texas Attorney General Against Robert O'Donnell, There Were Unintended Consequences

Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison Are Locked In A Pitched Battle Over The Soul Of The GOP. They Are Also Running For Governor.

The police raid on the Rainbow Lounge has rocked the world of Fort Worth gays

In Texas, Is Blue the New Red?

A BounceBack for Mannatech? Um, OK?

Dallas Can't Spin Latest Jail Lawsuit

The County can't get away from the latest bad news on its troubled jail

Man, They Really Want to Make Sure Craig Watkins Doesn't Screw This Up

A Fallen Star Is Born

Tom DeLay's scandals are a gold mine for two Texas filmmakers

Damned Hollywood Liberals

The Hammer and the Nailing

The Big Stick

Ray Hunt gets one end of it; guess which end is reserved for the rest of us

No DeLay

Bad politics is good business for filmmakers

Trip to Bountiful

Oh, the talent given us at this year's remarkable Dallas Video Festival

Shoe One

...was the FBI. Watch out, City Hall. Shoe Two's comin'.

Ruh-Roh

Those silly officials from around the state think the law should apply in Dallas

Haunted House

The discovery of three dead babies opens up a mystery with little chance of solution

Mary's Scarlet Letter

Poss needs to pony up details on her ethics finding

Lost Youth

A civil suit alleges prosecutorial misconduct in one child's death, another's incarceration

Innocence Lost

Was the case against Lacresha Murray, the youngest Texan ever tried for capital murder, a rush to judgment or a story of justice denied?

Blame Game

Is the insurance industry a bully or are the moldies just being hysterical?

Victimless crime

Bungling thieves, piles of gold, jailhouse snitches, and bloody clothes. Prosocuretors in Madalyn Murray O'Hair's disappearance had everything -- except three corpses

Buzz

Caught napping; Save that gerbil; Ill-chosen words

Naked eye

Turn on and tune in to the Dallas Video Festival

Lost legends

Tary Owens helped rescue the early roots of Texas music. Then those songs saved Owens from himself.

Grandma goes electric

Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander wants to take the state into the 21st century -- and herself into higher office -- with her vision of "e-Texas"

Maverick rides again

Democratic media whiz Mark McKinnon left partisan politics behind until George W. Bush swept him off his feet

The net tightens

Investigators close in on a suspect in the disappearance of atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Sonny boy so true

A bill that would increase the fees for filing county records rises from the ashes

Blowing smoke

Denton residents like Parks and Delores Olmon want to know how a posse of city slickers managed to railroad plans for a lead-belching copper factory in their town

GOP to gays: Butt out

Texas' Log Cabin Republicans find themselves the ultimate outsiders--vilified by both the GOP and fellow gays

Dr. Bombastic

Dallas oncologist Dennis Birenbaum claims he's been given a bad rap by the state and media. Now he's going to make them pay.

Cooking Up a Storm

Temperamental Dallas chef Avner Samuel is a genius in the kitchen, but he may have burned the one thing that matters most--his bridges

Cry tough

Essential bassist Tommy Shannon hangs in there

Dr. Lucas' Little Shop of Horrors

What drove veterinarian LISSALUCAS to allegedly starve dozens of animals and repeatedly butcher routine surgeries?

Sonny is grounded

Governor vetoes a Dallas businessman's sweetheart legislation

Not so fast, Sonny

A sweetheart bill down at the Texas Legislature will let you pay to make one Dallas businessman richer

Buzz

Snoozepaper

Striving for mediocrity at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Sink hole, uh

Austin's great alt-rock hope swings for the empty bleachers