Christmas T-3 Morning News Round-Up

The news is a little thin in this week when no one is around. But a few reporters are still filing stories, even if it is from hotel bars or interweb cafes.


The Chron has a story about the paper-trail hazard accounting for serious trouble with voting machines - printer jams. No, I'm not kidding.

Martin Hubert, the latest addition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is bailing on that gig after less than four months to become the state's deputy comptroller. The Dallas Morning Editorial argues for a delay in hearings over coal plants until a new commissioner is appointed. I agree, but fear the new guy will be Coaltrain, The Coaliest Mascot.

The Culture Warriors fighting the Glorious Battle against Immigration in Farmer's Branch have laid the table for a lengthy legal battle over their city ordinances prohibiting landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. The bad news? With a likely $50,000 price tag, the call for donations to defray those legal costs amounted to $122, so far. A hundred of that came from one guy. From Dallas. Who doesn't live in Farmer's Branch.

Finally, state health agencies and lobbyists did some bad things.