Good morning, Houston. After almost two weeks of clouds and rain, we were starting to wonder if we might be getting seasonal affective disorder — we stuck our head under our desk lamp for a while, but it didn't seem to help. Needless to say, we're really happy to see the sun this morning. But not, you know, this happy.
>> Another DeLay?: The Travis County District Attorney's office is appealing a court decision to throw out conspiracy charges against Tom DeLay, the former U.S. representative from Sugar Land, claiming the language of the law means DeLay can be charged with conspiring to violate the Texas election code. But DeLay's lawyers don't agree, saying conspiracy didn't apply to the election code before 2003, a year after DeLay is alleged to have committed the crime. And it'll be a while before we have a decision: The Court of Criminal Appeals could take months to make a ruling.
>> Infant found in shopping bag: A woman at a northwest Harris County apartment complex made a terrible discovery Wednesday afternoon: a newborn baby, with her umbilical cord still attached, in a plastic shopping bag. The baby died; her mother, who apparently suffers from depression or mental illness, hadn't been open about her pregnancy, family members said.
>> More details on border plan: Gov. Rick Perry talked more yesterday about "Operation Wrangler," his $100 million plan to crack down on drug and human trafficking along the Texas-Mexico border by putting 604 National Guard troops on patrol. The guardsmen would be part of a much larger operation involving a variety of agencies from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the UT Center for Space Research; more than 6,800 total personnel will work for 11 "joint operational intelligence centers" along the border and smuggling corridors. Also involved: 2,200 vehicles, 48 helicopters, 35 patrol ships and 33 aircraft.
>> Today's weather: As we noted before, it's sunny! Look for mostly clear skies through the afternoon and night (clouds could move back in on Friday, so enjoy it while you can). This afternoon's high will be around 60, with an overnight low of 38.
More news after the jump ...
- Police are still looking for a woman who was kidnapped during a carjacking in southwest Harris County yesterday
- The League City council voted to make the city smoke-free last night; the new law will take effect next week
- Coming to Baybrook Mall in June: an Apple store, the fifth in the Houston area
- Liquor wholesalers have been pushing for the ability to sell alcohol directly to restaurants and bars in Texas — and they've given state officials almost $1.7 million to help ease their struggle
- Former Enron investor relations chief Mark Koenig has begun serving an 18-month prison sentence at Three Rivers, south of San Antonio
- Two leading opponents of a George W. Bush presidential library at Southern Methodist University now say they don't oppose the library, but they are still against a think tank that would accompany it
- Houston home sales increased 5.4 percent last year, indicating that the city is bucking the national trend of housing slumps after years of spectacular growth
- Houston Community College will begin construction on a science building at its Central Campus on Friday, the first project in a $200 million capital improvement campaign
- On Tuesday, a robber tried to shoot a gas station clerk during a robbery, but his gun jammed — he ended up stealing money anyway, and the crime was caught on surveillance video
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