Abby Rapoport

For God’s SakeDec 22, 2011
On a drizzly, gray November day, the First Federated Church in Des Moines looked particularly formidable. The mega-church is a gigantic brick building, a [...] Full Story
In Another Blow to Public Schools, Hochberg Leaving LegislatureDec 02, 2011
Scott Hochberg was none too happy that everyone called him a nerd. “You can’t think of something to call me?” he groused more than [...] Full Story
The Brains Behind the CurtainNov 30, 2011
Rick perry has said that his 2010 book “Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington” is not the kind of book one [...] Full Story
The V.I.P. RoomNov 30, 2011
It’s difficult to describe Phil Wilson’s profession. Over the past decade, Wilson, 44, has slid through six very different jobs in Texas politics. In [...] Full Story
Who’s Sinking Faster: Rick Perry or Dave Carney?Nov 30, 2011
Yesterday, the Perry presidential campaign pushed hard for attention around the governor’s latest endorsement: highly controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. Instead, most Perry headlines [...] Full Story

How the Budget Got CutJun 08, 2011
The 82nd Texas Legislature passed perhaps the leanest and cruelest budget in state history. That’s really saying something. The Legislature isn’t exactly known for [...] Full Story
Hard LessonsJun 02, 2011
The rules are a little different in Penny Smeltzer’s classroom, a portable trailer at Westwood High School in Round Rock. When student messengers come [...] Full Story
The Student’s FriendMay 09, 2011
Tyrant’s Foe—Allen Weeks When 11,000 Texans flooded the Capitol grounds in March to protest proposed cuts to education, there were plenty of memorable characters [...] Full Story
School DazeApr 12, 2011
It had the ingredients of a Tea Party rally—homemade signs, frustrated disaffection, thousands chanting slogans. But instead of messages lambasting government and the injustice [...] Full Story
Chief Justice Calls for Legal Aid Funds; Juvenile Justice ReformFeb 23, 2011
Joint sessions of the House and Senate can feel a bit like childhood birthday parties—everyone’s so excited by the change of pace, it hardly [...] Full Story