Severe storms knock out power at North Texas voting sites
At least 76 polling places in four counties closed after the weather left hundreds of thousands of North Texans without power. Full Story
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Alejandra Martinez is a Fort Worth-based environmental reporter. She’s covered the impacts of petrochemical facilities on Black and brown communities, including investigating a chemical fire at an industrial complex and how the state's air monitoring system has failed Latino communities. Her work on climate change includes exploring the health effects of extreme heat and how extended droughts affect water resources. Before joining the Tribune in 2022, Alejandra was an accountability reporter at KERA, where she began as a Report for America Corps Member and then covered Dallas City Hall. She also has worked as an associate producer at WLRN in South Florida. A Houston native, Alejandra studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and speaks fluent Spanish.
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![Dallas voters cast their ballots during the 2020 primaries on March 3, 2020.]()
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Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areas
The state’s flood plan shows which Texans are most at risk of flooding and suggests billions of dollars more are needed for flood mitigation projects. Full Story
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![A truck in flood waters in Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.]()
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Federal forecasters predict the highest number of storms ever for 2024 season
Wind changes caused by the La Niña climate pattern and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures are expected to be major drivers to this year’s hurricane season. Full Story
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![A load of evacuees in the back of Chris Ginter's monster truck in Houston on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2017. Ginter helped evacuate people from their flooded neighborhood near the Buffalo Bayou.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lizard added to endangered species list over the oil and gas industry’s objections
The dunes sagebrush lizard lives in the same West Texas land that supports the state’s biggest oil and gas fields, and industry leaders say the new designation will hurt drilling and production. Full Story
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![Dunes Sagebrush Lizard.]()
Credit: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS -
North Texas landowners trying to stop a reservoir that Wichita Falls calls crucial
State regulators face a critical decision this week on whether to approve a permit for a new reservoir that the city of Wichita Falls says is vital for ensuring enough water for the region. But some locals are fighting the project. Full Story
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![Deborah Clark, left, points to land that she says will be inundated if the permit to build Lake Ringgold is approved on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Henrietta, Texas. The city of Wichita Falls is seeking a permit to construct Lake Ringgold in Clay County, a reservoir the city says will help with future water needs. Residents and ranchers of Clay County say they will lose acres of their property and claim the project is unnecessary.]()
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How the flooding in Southeast Texas got so dire
Since Sunday, multiple rounds of rainfall have soaked the region, causing rivers and creeks to swell and rise out of their banks. Full Story
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![The Lake Livingston Dam is seen releasing water on May 3, 2024, in Livingston. The Southeast Texas reservoir reached capacity during several days of intense rainstorms this week.]()
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Rain eases in Southeast Texas but flooding will take time to recede
Thousands of residents have either evacuated or are now under shelter orders. Full Story
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![Emergency personnel respond to flooding on FM 1988 on May 2, 2024, in Livingston.]()
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17 pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested at UT-Dallas as police break up encampment
UT-Dallas is the second campus in Texas where Department of Public Safety troopers have made arrests while breaking up protests. Full Story
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![Protesters chant as DPS officers look on at the University of Texas at Dallas on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up an encampment on the campus before dawn. At about 4 p.m., DPS and other police officers showed up and tore down the encampment and arrested several people.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
What you need to know about toxic “forever chemicals” the EPA is restricting
The EPA recently set new limits on the toxic chemicals used to make everything from nonstick pans to firefighting foam. Here’s how to protect yourself and your family. Full Story
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![3M’s Cordova chemical plant in Illinois on the Mississippi River upstream from the Quad Cities on Dec. 7, 2022. The company said it will stop making PFAS chemicals in 2025.]()
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asks state to halt new cement plant permits until 2025
Citing community concerns about a planned cement plant in Grayson County, Patrick’s letter asks TCEQ to reject the permit and halt permit approvals statewide. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during a keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, TX on Mar. 21, 2024. Lt. Gov. Patrick spoke on policies regarding energy, border control, school choice and taxes.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune