David Martin Davies

Bexar County brings the future to the present with approval for an all-digital library called BiblioTech. So are people ready for it? The Medina Lake water level continues to drop, so how close is it to becoming a big dry hole?

Pothole filled roads, bumpy highways and shaky bridges in Texas are posing mounting challenges to Texas drivers, according to a new report from TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation research organization.

Of the 100 transportation challenges identified in the report, five out of the top 50 are located in the San Antonio area.

The Presidential Inauguration is Monday and Washington D.C. is ready for the massive celebration.

Also celebrating will be San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, and many other Latino celebrities, public officials and community leaders who worked on the Obama campaign. People who now hope to be rewarded with comprehensive immigration reform.

The Latino Inaugural Ball will be more like a star-studded extravaganza concert at the Kennedy Center and hosted by star Eva Longoria. Mark Anthony is performing, Jose Feliciano will jam and Rita Moreno will entertain.

Standardized testing in Texas: Are changes on the way? And what happens to the test papers when students have filled in the last bubble? How do you teach the bible in public schools without promoting a religious viewpoint? The Texas Legislature tries to figure out education funding (again), and now that the president has been re-elected for a second term, Latinos are asking about immigration reform.

The City of San Antonio’s banning of two residents from city hall and the city council chambers are going to be challenged in court.

The Texas Civil Rights Project has decided to take the case of Michael Cuellar, who was banned from City Hall and city council meetings by SAPD and City Attorney Michael Bernard.

Cuellar and John Foddrill, who was also banned from city buildings, are at the center of a debate about first amendment rights to petition the government.

A follow-up on last week’s program about being banned from city hall. First an extended interview with City Attorney Michael Bernard and then the ACLU sounds off on the right to petition the government. Finally, Evita Mendiola, the spokesperson for Haven for Hope talks about how the cold weather affects the homeless in San Antonio.

As President Barack Obama enters into his second term, he’s building a new cabinet. Latino political activists are watching the process closely and waiting to see if Hispanics are going to be well represented - while also reminding the White House that Latinos are now powerful voting bloc. 

In the first Obama administration two cabinet posts were filed by Latinos – Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Also former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was nominated to be Commerce Secretary but was forced to withdraw.

Texas Matters: State revenue numbers look good for this session of the legislature; there is even a surplus. Gov. Rick Perry suggests that the extra money be used to cut taxes, while others want to restore funding to education and health programs that took cuts in the last legislative session. Gun owners in Texas stand their ground as the federal government comes up with its next move to cut down on gun violence.

San Antonio City Attorney Michael Bernard is standing by the ban he’s placed on John Foddrill and Michael Cuellar. The two are not allowed to go to City Hall or attend city council meetings. 

Foddrill and Cuellar are two former San Antonio city employees who were both fired from their posts; both men claim they have found evidence of waste in the city government.

A San Antonio research team has uncovered a way to cure the deadly Hepatitis C – promising shorter treatments and fewer side effects than today’s standard treatment.

Hepatitis C can be treated today with a battery of interferon interventions treatments -- which takes 48 weeks and the side effects are debilitating -- but a new treatment using a combination of drugs needs only 12 weeks to kill the virus with much fewer side effects.