Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

The Justice Department has already investigated allegations of civil rights violations inside two of Texas’ 13 state schools, following reports of widespread abuse and neglect at those facilities. Friday’s announcement indicates federal investigators have reason to believe there may be violations inside Texas' 11 other facilities.

And there's the rub. Kelly is caught in a sad, patently unfair paradox of American health care. Patients forced to pay out of pocket — be they the 45.7 million uninsured Americans, or international visitors — are charged the most.

As state revenue from the Texas Lottery continues to decline, two Senate committees on Wednesday began searching for ways to boost the state's take from the games of chance – including the possible privatization of the entire lottery operation.

State Sen. Robert Duncan on Wednesday expressed concern about the Teacher Retirement System of Texas' recent replacement of its longtime fiduciary counsel... The Lubbock Republican said it appeared the system's new outside law firm, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, is rife with potential conflicts of interest.

If former Texan Tom DeLay's lawyer is right, the Hammer could escape being nailed on criminal charges by (take your pick):

a) Activist judges using technicalities to let criminals off the hook, or

b) An incompetent Texas Legislature.

The Heberts were among 45.7 million American families without health insurance in 2007, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Texas' overall uninsured rate of 25.2 percent, and its 20.2 uninsured rate for children, continued to be the highest in the country.

The College Board reported Tuesday that average Texas scores slipped a couple of points in math to 505 and four points in reading to 488. The national averages were the same as last year at 515 in math and 502 in reading. A perfect score on each is 800.

The Sun City's poverty rate of 27.4 percent in 2007 was better than the rates for Buffalo (28.7 percent) and Detroit (33.8 percent), two former economic powerhouses. El Paso's 2007 poverty rate was only slightly improved from the 27.7 percent rate of 2006.

Money-laundering charges against former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and two indicted co-conspirators may be dismissed because the 2002 campaign finance case involved checks and not cash, a lawyer for DeLay said Sunday night.

It remains to be seen whether the Sunset Commission, made up mostly of state legislators, will adopt the staff recommendation and urge the Legislature to abolish the construction commission. But if it doesn't, the Legislature should at least give this rather tame watchdog a jaw and some teeth — and the will to bite.

Inmates were surveyed at only 146 of the state and federal prisons in the U.S. Of these, the Texas facilities where sexual assaults were most prevalent were state prisons: Clemens in Brazoria County, Estelle in Walker County north of Huntsville, Allred, Mountain View and Coffield, the report said.

Pit bulls are notorious for brutal attacks similar to Ms. Sorto's. Some blame the media for amplifying such attacks. But statistics in three North Texas cities show that animal control officers responded to more dog-bite calls involving pit bulls in the past year than any other breed.

Americans who lack health insurance will spend about $30 billion out of pocket on medical care this year, but others -- mainly the government -- will end up covering another $56 billion in costs, according to a new study.

The government will allow food producers to zap fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with enough radiation to kill micro-organisms like E. coli and salmonella that for decades have caused widespread illness among consumers.

Rail has been one of the major drivers in El Paso’s economic growth. Before rail, El Paso was a sleepy town of 736. After rail, in one month from May to June 1881, El Paso’s population jumped from 761 to 1,500.

While Chicago is known as the "Windy City," on a statewide basis, Texas could probably lay claim to a similar moniker, especially since it is the nation's leading producer of wind powered energy.

A state mental health plan naming the preferred psychiatric drugs for children has been quietly put on hold over fears drug companies may have given researchers consulting contracts, speakers fees or other perks to help get their products on the list.

On Tuesday, Rep. Frank Corte of San Antonio and Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston asked Attorney General Greg Abbott for a legal opinion on the issues, hinting at a possible flare-up over immigration issues in the 2009 legislative session.

State officials suspect there are dozens of underground child care operations in West Texas. "I suspect it is a growing problem," said Greg Cunningham, regional spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn told the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club this week that Texas is a national model for improving access to health care.