What was it, exactly, that caused Vickie Dawn Jackson, a sweet, soft-spoken nurse at Nocona General Hospital, to become one of the most prolific serial killers in Texas history?

After spending a few days at the Capitol among the operatives and the onlookers, I began to draw some … conclusions.

After James and Linda Rowe were killed in a grisly refinery explosion in Texas City in 2005, their wild-child daughter could have taken a modest settlement and started to rebuild her life in a small Louisiana border town. Instead, she chose to fight—and brought a multibillion-dollar oil company to its knees.

Five of the best museums in the state have cafes designed to tempt the most refined tastes and sophisticated palates. A few have masterpieces on the menu; others are works in progress.

The eightieth session began with a Speaker’s race, ended with a Speaker’s race, and was consumed in between by the usual mix of nuanced issues and nasty politics. Along the way, a handful of lawmakers put the common good ahead of all else. And a handful of lawmakers didn’t.

I subject myself to yet another seminal Texas experience: the hunt.

The Best and Worst list explained.

What to do about those controversial statues on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

Since 2002, Palo Duro Canyon State Park has grown from about 16,000 acres to more than 26,000. That’s a good start.

My hometown sings a new song.

The news about Making News.

Tonnyre says good-bye.

In hate with Roger Clemens.

The CEO of Blue Bell gives us the scoop.

When is it okay to say you’re from Texas?

Willie’s picnic goes AWOL.

“Al Qaeda would not have been able to come back to life, in my opinion, had we not invaded Iraq. That action breathed life back into the movement.”

Steve Brodner, David Courtney & Andrea Valdez, and Bryan Curtis