• Israel nears the second week of its bombardment of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas rocket fire. Women and children were killed at a United Nations school hit by Israel, bringing the Palestinian death toll close to 700. With American disinterest in procuring peace, France is trying to broker a cease-fire.
• Two-term Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, pulled off a surprise coup over the weekend, replacing Tom Craddick as the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. See “Looks Like a Straus Waltz to House Speaker” and “Welcome to the 81st.”
• The mayor’s race took an acrimonious turn, as candidate Brewster McCracken pressed the issue of whether Lee Leffingwell‘s expected campaign announcement would trigger an expensive special election. See “City Hall Hustle.”
• The Department of Justice released the results of its 18-month investigation into Austin Police Department policies this week, filled with myriad recommendations for improvement. See “DOJ: 160 Ways Austin Police Can Improve.”
• In testimony to the House Select Committee on Hurricane Ike on Jan. 7, Texas Faculty Association Executive Director Tom Johnson accused the University of Texas of “lie after lie” in its push to lay off staff at UT Medical Branch at Galveston in the aftermath of the hurricane.
• Rosemary Lehmberg was sworn in Wednesday as Travis County district attorney, replacing Ronnie Earle, who retired after hitting the 32-year mark in his D.A. career.
Quote of the Week
“I’m very comfortable and proud of my long Republican roots and credentials, and that’s what frankly gives me the confidence to be able to reach out to Democrats and not apologize for it.”
– House speaker apparent Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio
This article appears in January 9 • 2009.