Brazos Politics

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GOP targets illegal immigrants' eligibility for child tax credit

Republicans are looking to deny child tax credits to illegal immigrants -- refund checks averaging $1,800 -- in an effort that has roused anger among Hispanics and some Democratic lawmakers. The proposal, which would require people who claim the fed ... full story

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Rick Santorum gets wins in Minnesota and Missouri

WASHINGTON -- A resurgent Rick Santorum won Minnesota's Republican caucuses with ease Tuesday night, relegating front-runner Mitt Romney to a distant third-place finish that raised fresh questions about his ability to attract ardent conservatives at ... full story

Study: TV is king for political news

WASHINGTON -- In this campaign season, the social networks have nothing on the news networks. A new survey from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press finds cable news most frequently cited as a regular source of political campaign new ... full story

Sports scandals follow James' candidacy

AUSTIN -- In the sports world, Craig James was a star football player for Southern Methodist University and the New England Patriots. He later became a household name in Texas as a television analyst for ESPN. Now that he's running for the Senate, J ... full story

President Barack Obama changes stance on taking PAC money

WASHINGTON -- Reversing an earlier stand, President Barack Obama is now encouraging donors to give generously to the kind of political fundraising groups he once assailed as a "threat to democracy." He had little choice, his campaign says, if he was ... full story

Rick Perry says he's back in Texas and ready to work

ROUND ROCK -- Rick Perry acknowledged Monday that he's not used to losing but also vowed "I'm not slipping off into the sunset" while promising to battle federal energy and environmental policies he says would cost Texas jobs. Making his first spee ... full story

Political divisions make tax reform unlikely

WASHINGTON -- Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax? Not like ... full story

Judge scraps compromise redistricting plan

SAN ANTONIO -- A federal judge ordered all sides in the Texas redistricting lawsuit to keep talking Monday, just hours after the attorney general announced a compromise plan that prompted immediate pushback from several minority groups involved in t ... full story

If re-elected, Obama has chance to widen influence through courts

WASHINGTON -- A second term for President Barack Obama would allow him to expand his replacement of Republican-appointed majorities with Democratic ones on the nation's appeals courts, the final stop for almost all challenged federal court rulings. ... full story

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Analysis: Mitt Romney's wins leave rivals few options

LAS VEGAS -- Mitt Romney's decisive victory in Nevada was never much in doubt. He won the state's caucuses four years ago, kept his organization active and he could count on support from Mormons who made up a quarter of caucus goers this year. But t ... full story

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Mitt Romney gets easy win in Nevada

LAS VEGAS -- Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney cruised to victory in the Nevada caucuses Saturday night, notching a second straight triumph over a field of rivals suddenly struggling to keep pace. In victory, the former Massachusetts ... full story

Economy trumps all in Nevada

LAS VEGAS -- In Nevada, people could once buy homes and feed their families with money earned from free-spending tourists who flocked to Sin City for relaxed gambling and liquor laws.But things have changed dramatically in the four years since the Wh ... full story

Economy a wild card in election

WASHINGTON -- The stronger the economy gets, the more the presidential race comes down to what voters believe: Are things actually getting better? Or is it all still a mess? If the economy's direction is the key, President Barack Obama's hand just ... full story

No guidance for county amid redistricting fight

Brazos County Elections Coordinator Jaime Hines usually starts contacting polling locations six months before a primary election. The county's full-time election preparations -- printing ballots, mailing voter registration cards and much more -- be ... full story