Great Texas Drought of 2011 Was the Costliest Ever

It was clear when A&M’s livestock economist said the drought had an agricultural toll of $5.2 billion back in August — which didn’t even really mark the nadir of the heatwave — that we hadn’t seen the worst this drought could do. Now we know: $7.62 billion in agricultural losses…

This is Why The Voter ID Debate is Not Going Away

Is Texas still racist enough to warrant hand-holding by the federal government? That’s the essence of where the voter ID debate stands now and where it’s headed. Though it may seem like a straightforward question, and one that many politicos have reduced to a “yes” or “no” sound bite, the…

Columbine, Hollywood, and the National Obsession That Never Ends

The news first surfaced in the Hollywood trade press last month: The Lifetime cable network is developing a miniseries about the 1999 school shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Based on a best-selling book about the tragedy, the project involves a team of heavyweight producers whose collective film…

The Calm After the Storm

Stephen Masker, one of our contributing photographers, sent along this stunner of a photo, taken Tuesday following the wicked storms in Dallas. Notable: It was shot with an iPhone 4S…

Collecting Internet Sales Taxes — What a Great Damn Idea, Mofo

Well, crap. Look, I’m generally pro-government. You know, down with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who said, “I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.” And like any good leftie hippie-type, I just love kitschy Main Street shops that I’d definitely ride my bike to if it weren’t…

State Begins Crunching Costs of Road Damage From Gas Exploration

The Texas Department of Transportation foots much of the bill for the road damage brought about by trucks traveling to and from hydraulic fracturing operations, and for the first time, the agency is collecting data with an eye to possibly recouping future funds. Short-term spending for TxDOT includes $40 million…

Meet the Race Car-Driving Conservative After Rep. Ralph Hall’s Seat

America is in a pissy, irascible, throw-the-bums-out, anti-incumbent kinda mood. Even, apparently, if it means unseating a longtime congressman with some serious seniority and a choice committee chair. According to Charlie Cook over at the National Journal, there are some 22 House Republican primaries to watch this year. Rep. Ralph…