Some members of the Texas State Board of Education have expressed disappointment over comments by the newly appointed Chairperson of the Board. Barbara Cargill (R-The Woodlands) said there are only “six true conservative Christians” on the 15-member elected body.

More than twenty years ago, a young and newly converted Republican named Rick Perry introduced himself to Texans in a statewide campaign ad that personified Texas-sized confidence. If you saw the spot, you heard an authoritative man's voice tell the simple story of why a small-town farmer was born to be a leader for the Lone Star State. Not everyone can sport chaps and a cowboy hat, throw around some rope, ride a horse, and sip from a steaming hot cup of coffee without looking ... well, a little phony.

Small businesses that offer wireless connections to their customers could be on the hook for illegal downloads that happen on their networks, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). 

Record labels, movie studios and other industry groups recently struck a deal where participating internet service providers (ISPs) will issue warnings to customers whose accounts are allegedly used to steal content. The NFIB says small business owners could be charged, fined or worse.

A man who was shot in the face in a hate crime stemming from the September 11 attacks will find out tomorrow whether his assailant will be executed. Rais Bhuiyan is suing the State of Texas and asking a court to stop the execution of Mark Stroman.

We hope you--like us here at Watching and Waiting--had a relatively Perry-free, Potter-filled weekend. You have to take a break from muggle politics every now and then. But, now that (SPOILER ALERT) the Dark Lord has been vanquished, it's back to work for us and for you.

Rick Perry 101

People in charge of recommending bond-funded improvements to Travis County infrastructure like roads and parks have slashed their original recommendation from 120 projects to 36. But they still couldn't bring the price tag down to the $150 million county commissioners had requested.

The county's 2011 Citizens Bond Advisory Committee submitted its finalized list of recommendations today. The total cost would be $205 million.

Parents in Keller, Texas, a relatively affluent suburb of Fort Worth, will have to start paying for their children to ride the school bus next year. Here’s how much it will cost:

• One student is $185 per semester
• Additional students are $135 each
• Students eligible for free and reduced lunch are $100 each
  

Almost 60 percent of middle and high school students in Texas have been suspended or expelled.  That’s according to a new report out today by the Council of State Governments and researchers at Texas A&M University. 

The study looked at state data on almost 1 million Texas public school students over six years.

The report also found that:

Border Patrol Helping Heat Distressed Immigrants

Border Patrol agents in South Texas have stepped up efforts to search for and rescue suspected illegal immigrants who may be under heat stress.  The Associated Press reports the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector has launched "Operation Heat Wave." 

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Has an Austin grocery store ever received this much hype before it has enough money to open a single location? Perhaps it’s the packaging-free premise explained in this catchy video, or maybe it’s the lack of healthy grocery options in East Austin, but in.gredients has attracted a lot of media attention.

Now here’s some more: in.gredients has announced a location for its yet-to-exist store. It's going to be at 2610 Manor Road.

Ron Paul has been a national figure for so long that it's easy to forget he's one of ours.

You know. Texan.

After years in the national spotlight and, sometimes, at the edges of the spotlight, Paul announced that he won't seek re-election to Congress next year. Instead, he'll spend his time campaigning for president for the third time.

Former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani appeared on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday to discuss the current 2012 GOP presidential field.

Giuliani told Candy Crowley he hasn't ruled out running for president again and pointed to his leadership experience after 9/11 as one reason he would be an effective commander-in-chief. He also said Texas Gov. Rick Perry is among the "one or two" candidates yet to declare and he believes Perry "has a great record, probably one of the strongest records of any governor in America. Rick is a good friend."

Crowley said Perry is talking to Giuliani's fundraisers next week. 

Watch the interview above. The Perry talk starts about four minutes into the video.

When a 19-year-old University of Texas sophomore terrified the campus with an AK-47 last September, police from different agencies struggled to communicate with each other as they sought to secure the situation. That was one of many findings contained in a report released today by the University of Texas Police Department.

Nolan Ryan, the CEO and club president of the Texas Rangers, was hospitalized in Houston after experiencing discomfort in his chest yesterday morning at his home in Georgetown, according to a press release on the team's website.

Ryan is also part owner of the Round Rock Express. The 64-year-old received a double-bypass surgery in 2000.

He is currently undergoing tests for his reoccurring heart condition and  is expected to be released from the hospital sometime this week.