And for today's 2305

Lincoln's Media Strategy.
- There's nothing new about president's manipulating how the press covers them.

The Bumpkinification of the Midterm Elections.
-We're just like you - and not even that smart.

Why Is It Illegal to Not Vote in Most of Latin America?
- More than a few nations make voting compulsory.

If the Republicans win the Senate...
- More gridlock? Or might there be incentives to actually govern?

For Thursday's 2306 - 10/30/14

Settled Into GOP, Lozano Hopes to Hold District.
- Can the Texas Republican Party lure more Latinos into the fold?

Do Falling Oil Prices Threaten the Budget?
- What's good for your wallet is not necessarily good for the state's.

The quickest way to vote in Texas.
- . . . is to vote straight ticket, but it can create problems.

Fort Worth is ground zero for Texas governor’s race.
- It's the reddest big county in the state, but also home to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

In Blue Dallas County, Republicans Play Defense
- Big D is surprisingly liberal.

Vote Set on San Antonio's Historic Water Gamble
- San Antonio needs the water.

And for 2305:

League City target of civil rights audit.
- The audit stems from the city's ban on undocumented minors being housed in the city and might impact block grant money they receive from the national government.

Density Of Industrial Hog Farms In North Carolina Prompts Civil Rights Investigation.
- The EPA will helps determine whether the location of hog farms in the state creates a negative impact on the health of minority communities.

George Zimmerman not expected to face civil rights charges in Trayvon Martin death.
- Insufficient evidence exists to determine whether the killing was motivated by race.

Eric Holder's Expansive Vision of Civil Rights.
- This helps explain at least some of the animosity directed against him.

True net neutrality needed to protect civil rights.
- Online access is the next front in the battle for civil rights.

Civil Rights Movement knocks on the door of the FCC.
-

For 2306 today:

California voters will be able to decide if certain felonies can be reclassified as misdemeanors.
- The purpose is to reduce prison over crowding.
- Here's background from the New Yorker.

Derek Cohen and Deborah Fowler: Texas Legislature should decriminalize truancy.
- There may be better ways to handle truancy than pushing kids into the criminal justice system.
- The Texas Committee on Jurisprudence is holding hearings on whether civil penalties are more appropriate.

UT/TT Poll: Texans Favor Voter ID by 3-to-1 Margin.
- But the results are divided over partisan lines.

UTSA professor champions new approaches to criminal justice.
- He'd like a shift away from arrest and punish to "community justice and restorative justice."

A Plan to Cut Costs and Crime: End Hurdle to Job After Prison.
- Does Texas make it too tough for ex-felons to find jobs? Does this make it more likely that they will return to prison?

Editorial: The benefits of fighting abuse with education vs. jail time.
- Batterer prevention programs seem to work better than jail sentences.

About those Texas Courts ....

For today's look at the judiciary in 2306:

Texas Supreme Court case set water groundwater rules for state.- The court is about to make a major decision impacting the ability of the state to manage water supplies in the state.

Texas Supreme Court May Hear Kountze ISD Cheerleader Case.

- The court will help clarify the precise meaning of the establishment clause in Texas.

Some Judicial Opinions Require Only 140 Characters.
- One of our Texas Supreme Court Justices loves that Twitter.

For today's discussion in 2305 - 10/21/14

Supreme Court Will Consider Police Searches of Hotel Registries.
- Motel owners don't like a city ordinance that requires them to open up their books whenever the police want them to.

Why House Republicans Alienate Hispanics: They Don’t Need Them.
- At least this year - 2016 might be different. Gerrymandering plays a role, as does the distribution of population.

Buying Your Vote: Dark Money and Big Data.

- More and more of what's spent on campaigns is hidden.

Political Polarization & Media Habits.
- Liberals and conservatives get their news from entirely different news sources.

For today's discussion in 2306 - 10/21/14

All of these are from the Texas Tribune;

Texas on Lonely Side of Battle Over Ozone Science.
- Who controls the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality?

Yale Survey: Most Texans Believe in Global Warming.
- But only 44% think it is due to human activity.

Analysis: Behind Voter ID, Federal Pre-Clearance.
- Do racial minorities in Texas still need federal protection from the Anglo majority?

Supreme Court to Decide What a Billboard is Worth.
- The court's decision could impact the cost of future highway projects.

A little twist on political knowledge quizzes - its a matter of priorities.

All clear?

The malware scare might be over - so I'll get back to posting things for class.

Thanks to the student that cleared this up.