Two days a month, Judge James Mize dials back the drama, anger and misery he usually sees in his family law courtroom to help couples complete simple divorces so they can get on with their lives.
On the same day that Gov. Greg Abbott declared that taxpayers should stop investing in technology startups, a bankruptcy proceeding in an Austin courtroom was Exhibit A about the perils of investing public money in entrepreneurship.
California's court system is still trying to recover from $1 billion in budget cuts during the recession that forced layoffs and courthouse closures across the state. During that time, as people were forced to wait longer for their day in court, several court administrators and judges established innovative measures to improve access or make courts more efficient.
After West Virginia legislators voted to delete a law that counts burning tires and some coal as alternative fuels, national small government groups are turning the uncontroversial repeal into a rally cry to remove more stringent energy standards in other states.
It flew through the Republican-run House in 2012, and a year later 79 of the Democratic-led Senate's 100 members embraced it. With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress, the chances for repealing the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices are better than ever.
Consumers may see improved networks after AT&T and Verizon, the two largest U.S. wireless companies, spent billions in the government's latest airwaves auction.
The Justice Department has agreed to turn over a legal opinion regarding government surveillance and census data after a years-long court fight with a privacy group.
Holding out the promise of major medical breakthroughs, President Barack Obama on Friday called on Congress to approve spending in medical research that tailors treatment to an individual's genes.
