Foreclosure Postings Dip for August

Bexar County foreclosure postings have been on a steady upward march lately. But a drop in postings for the Aug. 4 auction – the lowest number since the March auction – could signal the local foreclosure market is entering a quieter phase. Lenders are moving to foreclose on 1,139 properties in August, according to local foreclosure tracking firm RexReport.com. More

Some States Bar Towns From Requiring Fire Sprinklers in New Homes

A handful of states are passing laws that prevent municipalities from requiring fire sprinklers in new homes, months after such mandates were adopted into a widely used residential building code. Texas, North Dakota and Idaho have passed laws prohibiting local jurisdictions from requiring sprinklers in single- and two-family dwellings. Lawmakers who support such bills say that homeowners should be able to choose whether they want sprinklers, which add to the cost of a home. More

OSHA Takes Hard Look at Texas Construction

The spike in on-the-job construction deaths in Texas has caught the attention of federal investigators. This month and next, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dispatching extra inspectors to Texas. The agency is also hiring new permanent investigators to combat the 31 percent increase in construction-related deaths in just four years, a toll especially heavy on Hispanic workers. More

Jobless Claims Drop, But Clouded by Auto Sales

The number of newly laid-off Americans signing up for unemployment benefits last week, and those using this safety net over a longer period, both plunged. But the government figures released Thursday were clouded by difficulties adjusting for temporary shutdowns at auto plants. More

Foreclosures Rise 15 Percent in First Half of 2009

The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes soared by nearly 15 percent in the first half of the year as more people lost their jobs and were unable to pay their monthly mortgage bills. The mushrooming foreclosure crisis affected more than 1.5 million homes in the first six months of the year, according to a report released Thursday by foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. More

Homeless Veterans to Get Federal Vouchers for Housing

The federal government has allocated nearly $648,000 to give 105 homeless veterans in Fort Worth vouchers to help pay for permanent housing. Statewide, officials expect about 800 homeless veterans to qualify for a total of $5.2 million in housing vouchers. More

Former Donors of Gov. Rick Perry Backing Kay Bailey Hutchison

At least 26 past major donors to Gov. Rick Perry are now giving to rival Kay Bailey Hutchison, contributing more than $1 million to the senator in the last six months. Among some of the largest defections from the Perry camp are businessmen and one-time supporters whom the governor appointed to prime positions on state boards and agencies. More

Perry Questions Whether Hutchison Will Run

Gov. Rick Perry says U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison may not run against him in the 2010 Republican primary for governor. Hutchison has said she's challenging him and will make a formal announcement in August. But Perry told reporters Tuesday "it's always a possibility" Hutchison may not run. More

Big Donors Fuel GOP Governor's Race

About 20 Republican benefactors each have ponied up $100,000 or more toward Gov. Rick Perry's re-election or the developing campaign launched by his expected GOP challenger, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, according to contribution reports released Wednesday. The hefty commitments fed kitties far exceeding what Democratic hopeful Tom Schieffer and potential aspirant Kinky Friedman accumulated during the first six months of the year. The donations also reflect rising interest in the race among Republicans, whose candidates have swept statewide elections for more than a decade without a heavyweight brawl to choose a gubernatorial nominee.More

The Otherworldly Non-Race for the U.S. Senate

The race to be the next U.S. senator from Texas is starting to seem like it is taking place in a strange, alternative universe, unaffected by what’s happening here on Earth. Some big-name Texas politicians are running in an election for which there is no announced date. They’re hovering around, trying to lay the groundwork for a campaign that may last a couple of months or may last six months. None of the candidates is talking about his or her opponents much. And the dynamics of the race will be fundamentally changed once Gov. Rick Perry appoints someone to hold the seat temporarily. More