With DFPS staffing crisis, the call is coming from inside the house | Texas Take

Plus: Fired Uvalde CISD police chief is an exile in his hometown

View in browser October Sale: 6 Months for 99¢! Access fall events, football and more local news. Subscribe Today. Read an investigation into the Department of Family Protective Services staffing crises, informed by interviews with half a dozen staffers, along with hundreds of pages of emails, resignation letters and personnel files. Inside the hiring crisis plaguing Texas' child welfare agency Monica Knighton was the 12th hiring specialist on her 14-member team to leave in a year. She didn't go quietly.    A hard fall: Pete Arredondo, fired Uvalde school police chief, is exile in hometown Uvalde's school district celebrated the arrival of Pedro "Pete" Arredondo as its new police chief 2½ years ago, welcoming home a native son. But after the failed police response to the Robb Elementary mass schooling, he's an exile in his hometown.   Biden names new U.S. attorneys in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas If confirmed, Jaime Esparza, Alamdar Hamdani and Leigha Simonton will oversee federal prosecutions in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, respectively.   Dem consultants hired by Fort Bend County under scrutiny A political consulting firm with Democratic ties hired for a COVID outreach contract in Fort Bend County is under scrutiny, after an audit found it submitted questionable expenses and did not comply with terms of the $345,000 deal.   Warnock answers Libertarian wildcard in Ga.; Walker skips Libertarian Chase Oliver is the third name on the ballot in the marquee matchup between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.   One last thing…   How has Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller been able to weather so many ethics investigations and controversies throughout his career? "Sid Miller's antics don't rise to the level of a scandal for many because it's simply seen as politics as usual," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston who has researched the effects of scandals on elections. Read more here.   Edward McKinley State Government Reporter edward.mckinley@chron.com More newsletters   Catch up on Houston's biggest stories From COVID-19 to new restaurants to the Texans and Astros, our Afternoon Report newsletter fills you in on the day's most noteworthy stories. SIGN UP     October Sale: 6 Months for 99¢! Unlimited Digital Access Act Now No Commitment | Cancel Anytime Unsubscribe  |  Manage Preferences  |  Privacy Notice Houston Chronicle 4747 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027 © 2022 Hearst Communications