Articles by Paul J. Weber

Texting While Driving Ban Advances in Texas House

A renewed push to make texting while driving illegal in Texas stayed afloat on April 17, but only after narrowly defeating bipartisan resistance to an outright ban over concerns that ranged from racial profiling to government meddling. The House eventually …

Tornado-Wrecked Dallas-Area Begins Assessing Damage

The tornado hurtled toward the North Texas nursing home. Physical therapist Patti Gilroy said she saw the swirling mass barreling down through the back door, after she herded patients into the hallway in the order trained: walkers, wheelchairs, then beds. …

Hackings, Emails Shine Rare Light on Texas-Based Intelligence Firm

Austin, Texas-based private intelligence analysis firm Strategic Forecasting Inc (Stratfor) was paid by Coca-Cola to gauge the threat of Olympic protesters, provided Dow Chemical information on environmental activists, and sells what clients and subscribers consider some of the best geopolitical …

La.’s Road Home Program Hits the Road for Katrina Victims

Louisiana’s Road Home program, criticized by lawmakers for too slowly disbursing grants for homeowners ousted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is hitting the road to reach more applicants. The program, which provides repair money and buyouts to homeowners in storm-ravaged …

Three Dead in North Texas Tornado

Late-night tornadoes swept through rural North Texas on May 9, killing three people, hospitalizing 10 and reducing homes to bare concrete slabs, officials said. An elderly couple were found dead in a destroyed home in the tiny community of Westminster, …