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Top Morning Stories 2/20/12: Santorum Takes Lead, Latino Population Grows, 'Linsanity' Touches Texas

With 45%, Rick Santorum leads the GOP presidential primary in Texas.
Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore, flickr.com/gageskidmore
With 45%, Rick Santorum leads the GOP presidential primary in Texas.

Support for Santorum Spreading in Texas

Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum has a substantial lead in Texas, according to a recent poll by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune.

The results reveal that if elections were held today, Santorum would garner the majority of votes, leading the Republican primary candidates at 45 percent. The closest to Santorum was former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who received 18 percent of votes in the poll; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and U.S Rep. Ron Paul of Texas received 16 and 14 percent, respectively.

But whether or not a Texas primary will happen by its scheduled May 6 date or not remains to be seen. Recent redistricting complications have caused the state's primary date to be pushed back.  The Tribune reports that the earliest date we can possibly see a Lone Star showdown is May 29.

Hispanic Youth Population Grows
The young Hispanic population of Austin is on the rise, according to an article by the Austin American-Statesman. The numbers show that one in three Latinos in Austin were under 18 in 2010.

The increase in Latino population reflects national trends and predictions.

The data bolster previously noted demographic trends for the nation, state and Austin area, such as the fast growth of the relatively youthful Hispanic population – they were 43 percent of Central Texans under 18, slightly more than non-Hispanic whites of that age – and the relative graying of the non-Hispanic white population.  

Austin has experienced relative ethnic growth and diversification over the past several years, a key part of which includes varying ages. As the Statesman reports, Latinos compose 35 percent of Austin's population but more than half of the student population in  the Austin school district.

'Linsanity' Affects Texas

Yesterday, the Dallas Mavericks traveled to Madison Square Garden to face "Linsanity." The Mavs' six-game winning streak ended Sunday night as buzzing New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin hit 28 points and a career-high 14 assists.

The Cinderella story that is Jeremy Lin has caught serious media buzz lately. Picked up in late December of 2011, Lin didn't see serious game time until earlier this month. But since Lin has started, the Knicks have hit a seven-game winning streak and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

His widespread popularity even took to Saturday Night Live this weekend, where race-centered media coverage of Taiwanese-American Lin was sharply lampooned.

http://www.paulomartins.co.cc/
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