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A senate hearing at the capitol dials down the accountability standard for state dropout recovery schools under a bill authored by Sen. Leticia Van DePutte.

If the bill passes, dropout recovery schools would not face the same accountability standard as any other public school in the state.

Justina Gonzalez runs the Por Vida Academy & Charter School in San Antonio, an at-risk school for students that have fallen behind.

Lawmakers at the state capitol are hoping to give colleges and universities the ability to conduct DPS background checks for students living on campus.

Currently many colleges conduct public background checks on students seeking on-campus housing, but some college administrators don't believe they go far enough. Edward Williams, who works in residential life at Kilgore College in East Texas, testified in favor in the bill.

The Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz has found a great deal of success with her varied catalog of work. To try to define it in only a paragraph, or two, would be unfair and probably impossible. Likewise, her work defies any attempt to be pigeon-holed into a nationalistic or ethnic box. Yes, some of the catalog reflects her Mexican roots. But other titles speak in a musical language which should only be described as contemporary.

Texas lawmakers approved a bill that replaces funds taken from public education and mental health providers but changes the structure of the state’s Medicaid.

The senate voted 29 to 2 in favor of the budget, with Senators Silvia Garcia, D-Houston, and Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, voting against the bill.

Iceland's Ásgeir Trausti has taken the music charts in his native country by storm since his debut album, "Dyrd I Daudathogn," came out in September of last year. The presale of his album broke records on Icelandicmusic.com, reached gold sales in six weeks and has since gone platinum.

While some of the musical backing in his songs may sound familiar, the vocal stylings in his native Icelandic make the vocal feel more like a participating instrument than a means to deliver the lyrics.

A set of bills in both the Texas House and Senate are there to ensure that the state’s veterans are able to use military training to obtain jobs. 

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte authored the bill that ensures training and certifications obtained by veterans and their spouses while serving in the military immediately transfer with them into civilian life. 

Acting on a commission for "La Forza del Destino" from the Bolshoi Theatre in St. Petersburg, Verdi responded on a practical level by preparing for winter; it would premiere in late November.

He sent ahead Italian provisions - sausage, pasta and salami - acquired a very warm coat and commenced work.

Masterpiece of chaos

With undisputable pop leanings and an ear for a sweet vocal melody, Diego Peralta is one of the leading independent voices on the Chilean music scene in his hometown of Valparaiso.

Diego was one of only a few musicians representing Chile at this year's South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW), and this was his first time in the United States.

After decades of impunity, a former Guatemalan strongman stands trial for genocide. How the proposed minimum wage increase would affect Latinos. How a declining interest in Chicano studies reflects an identity shift for many Latinos. This summer, Phoenix, Ariz. is trying to diversify city lifeguards, the classic summer job for teens.