Texas Tribune

texastribune.org — Nine out of 10 Texans agree: Congress is the least liked branch of government, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. They trust the judicial branch of the federal government more than the executive or legislative branches, and more than half of likely voters want the courts to overturn all or part of the federal health care law.

texastribune.org — GOP discovers that Mitt Romney could win (Politico): "Top Republicans, long privately skeptical about their presidential prospects, are coming around to a surprising new view - that Mitt Romney may well win the White House this November. ... Sen.

texastribune.org — After several weeks of focusing his attacks in his bid for U.S. Senate on former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst launched a broadside against former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert on Wednesday. Dewhurst's campaign unveiled LiberalTomLeppert.com, a site filled with criticisms of Leppert's record while mayor of Dallas, all of which Leppert has in the past dismissed as false or misleading.

texastribune.org — Ross, Reeve, Ben and Jim break down the numbers from the latest UT/TT poll and consider the tenor of the state's legislative races as election day approaches. Download audio file Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them.

texastribune.org — Texas earned a D+ for state integrity, tying with six other states for 27th place, according to a study released Monday by a group of public watchdog agencies. Texas scored 68 percent, along with Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Montana and West Virginia.

texastribune.org — Two influential incumbents on the State Board of Education - who are often at odds with each other - are both facing primary challenges that could result in a power shift on the fractious board.

texastribune.org — We’ve built a searchable database to feature Children At Risk’s 2012 rankings for the state’s 5,800-plus public schools. This year’s rankings are based on 16 criteria, including SAT and ACT scores and attendance and graduation rates.

texastribune.org — Some Texans could face blackouts in 10 years as a result of electricity shortages, according to a report released Tuesday by the power grid operator for most of the state. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas' report on its long-term outlook forecasts that by 2022, Texas will need more electricity during peak hours than it can generate.

texastribune.org — Interactive: Political Action Committee Endorsements Endorsements of primary candidates have been piling up, so we took the full lists from some of the most prolific groups and charted them for the various state races. If a candidate isn't on this list, it's because he or she wasn't endorsed by any of the these particular endorsers.

texastribune.org — Candidates in the two crowded Republican primary races for the Texas Railroad Commission, grasping for voter attention and trying to break out of their respective packs, could be headed to July runoffs, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.

texastribune.org — There are no hard-hitting ads or abrasive exchanges in the GOP primary race for the newly drawn House District 33, which encompasses fast-growing Rockwall County and the outer north, east and western edges of Collin County. Former judge and lawyer Jim Pruitt and Scott Turner, an ex-NFL player turned businessman, have had a respectful but competitive race.

texastribune.org — A 2009 Pew Research Center study indicates that 10 percent of internet users ages 18 and older have used a social networking site for some sort of political or civic engagement. With just younger voters, 18 to 29, that number jumps to 37 percent.

texastribune.org — Texas' Republican primary for U.S. Senate is close - and could be headed for a July 31 runoff - with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst holding a single-digit lead over former Solicitor General Ted Cruz, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.

texastribune.org — COLUMBIA, S.C. - Gov. Rick Perry is running into some blowback from voters over his attacks on "multimillionaire" Mitt Romney and the brand of "vulture capitalism" the former Massachusetts governor supposedly practiced at a corporate takeover firm.

texastribune.org — Houston trial lawyer Steve Mostyn, Texas' largest single contributor to Democrats in 2010, is pouring money into a May 29 GOP primary race, taking aim at state Senate hopeful Larry Taylor. Mostyn gave one of Taylor's opponents, Dave Norman, $275,000, about a third of the money the candidate raised for the most recent filing period, April 20 through May 19.

texastribune.org — Billy Millwee, who oversees the state's giant Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance programs, will retire in August. Millwee has been a state employee for more than 20 years - 18 of them with Texas' Medicaid program, which at last count served more than 3.3 million poor or profoundly disabled Texans, the majority of them children.

texastribune.org — Researchers at two law schools Monday released an unprecedented listing of all the exoneration cases from the last 23 years. Only two states had more exonerations than Texas, according to the report.

texastribune.org — Both Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz are employing their most high-profile endorsers in hopes of motivating voters in the last week of early voting for the May 29 primary. The Cruz camp is using an automated call featuring Sarah Palin to primary voters.