Ben Philpott
Ben Philpott covers politics and policy for KUT 90.5 FM. He has been covering state politics and dozens of other topics for the station since 2002. He's been recognized for outstanding radio journalism by the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters and twice by the Houston Press Club as Radio Journalist of the Year. Before moving to Texas, he worked in public radio in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and at several television stations in Alabama and Tennessee. Born in New York City and raised in Chattanooga, Tenn., Philpott graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in broadcast journalism.
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The Texas National Guard says it will not offer benefits to same-sex spouses. The announcement was made despite an order from the Pentagon that all marriages should be treated equally.
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Republicans in the Texas Senate failed to pass sweeping new abortion restrictions. The vote was not taken before time ran out in the special legislative session. Earlier, Democratic state Senator Wendy Davis spent nearly 11 hours Tuesday filibustering the bill.
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry called state lawmakers into a special session to deal with district maps used in the 2012 elections. A federal court had ordered new maps to better represent the growing Hispanic population.
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Ted Cruz, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the Republican National Convention.
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The Republican race to succeed retiring GOP Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison wasn't supposed to be a heated primary battle, but it's become one of the hardest fought and most expensive intraparty races of the year. The runoff should be decided Tuesday.
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP presidential race with great fanfare and immediately became a front-runner. But his candidacy quickly deflated. Now, Perry is trying to mount a comeback in Iowa, appealing to social conservatives with provocative ads and embarking on a bus tour of the state.