National Geographic Bee Texas eighth-grader Rahul Nagvekar took the top prize at the 2012 National Geographic Bee. Here are some glimpses of the competition, on stage and behind the scenes. Rahul Nagvekar chalked up his victory in this week’s National Geographic Bee to an educated guess. “It was a guess, a 50-50 chance,” said the eighth-grader from Sugar Land. “It just happened to be a good guess.” The 14-year-old Texan’s guess — the German city of Regensburg — was the correct answer to the question about the Bavarian city located on the Danube River which was a legislative seat of the Holy Roman Empire from 1663 to 1806. The son of two Houston engineers, Nagvekar went into Thursday’s finals with a significant lead but faced ... Continue reading →
TEXMESSAGE Friday, May 25 Good morning, TexMessagers! Today in 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress his goal to initiate a project to put a “man on the Moon” before the end of the decade.. TEXclusive Rep. Bill Flores on the campaign trail (AP photo) Congressman Bill Flores toured an Enervest hydraulic fracturing site yesterday in Texas’ Barnett Shale region, and called for a reduction in “burdensome” regulations on the hydraulic fracturing process, saying that would help boost America’s “economic recovery and job creation.” Flores toured the Enervest site as a part of the nationwide House Energy Action Team 2012 American Energy and Jobs Tour. The point of the tours is to “highlight America’s domestic energy resources and the ... Continue reading →
David Dewhurst at Scholz Garten (Peggy Fikac / Hearst Newspapers) The band played Can’t Buy Me Love and the lobby was well-represented at Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s campaign event at Scholz Garten on Wednesday evening. Dewhurst mingled and gave an upbeat speech, thanking the crowd for coming (“It’s amazing what beer will do”) and touting his record and his desire to send President Obama back to Chicago. He turned on the tough talk when reporters asked him about hard-charging opponent Ted Cruz, a favorite of national tea party and intellectual conservative groups who portrays himself as a conservative warrior. After citing big money that he said “Washington insider” groups have spent against him, Dewhurst said, “One thing that Mr. Cruz is sadly mistaken on – ... Continue reading →
Poll: Rick Perry’s endorsement is a net minus for Dewhurst, Palin’s is a plus for Cruz Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst David Dewhurst’s Senate campaign has been airing an enthusiastic endorsement from Rick Perry — hoping that the governor’s kind words will win him conservative support against Ted Cruz, who has compiled a long endorsement list of prominent conservative figures and groups. But a new Public Policy Polling survey found that Perry’s plug isn’t doing Dewhurst any good. If anything, it hurts him. According to the poll, 24 percent of likely Republican primary voters say they’d be more inclined to vote for the candidate backed by Perry, while 28 percent say they’d be less likely to back the governor’s choice. The picture is very different ... Continue reading →
The Texas presidential primary has been all but forgotten amid the state’s U.S. Senate free-for-all and some attention-grabbing congressional and legislative races. But the May 29 primary remains a test for Republican nominee-in-waiting Mitt Romney. If the former Massachusetts governor performs well enough in Texas he could formally clinch the Republican presidential nomination in Texas. Romney, the only Republican candidate who is still actively campaigning in upcoming primaries, is between 79 and 107 votes shy of the 1,144 delegates he needs for the Republican National Convention. Texas’s 155 delegates could put him over. But Texas Republicans warn that Romney’s lack of attention to the Lone Star State could prolong the contest for one more week, when California and New Jersey would end any remaining suspense. ... Continue reading →
Former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, famous for his scathing humor, let it all hang out in a letter to the California Alliance for Retired Americans after a recent visit to Oakland. The retired Republican’s letter is a brief, but tightly packed, tirade against senior groups that fail to acknowledge that Social Security and Medicare are the primary contributors to the nation’s long-term fiscal deficits. But one example: “The Social Security System will now ‘hit the skids’ in 2033 instead of 2036. If you can’t understand all of this you need a pane of glass in your naval (sic) so that you can see out during the day!” Simpson is one of the co-chairs along with former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, of ... Continue reading →
Texas eighth-grader Rahul Nagvekar, 14, stands among fellow contestants. (National Geographic) As 10 seventh and eighth-graders from across the country compete for the 2012 National Geographic Bee title, one Texas teen will be there to strut his stuff. On Thursday morning, 14-year-old Rahul Nagvekar from Missouri City will compete in the 24th annual geography bee in Washington, D.C., moderated by “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek. The whiz kid, who also competes in math and science competitions, attends Quail Valley Middle School. Texas eighth-grader Rahul Nagvekar, 14, will compete in the for the 2012 National Geographic Bee. (National Geographic) Aside from the 2012 Bee crown, the champion wins a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and an all-expenses paid trip to the ... Continue reading →
