Past Contributions

• Head of State Housing Agency Resigns

  By Becca Aaronson Aug. 18, 2011

  The head of the Texas agency that oversees programs to help low-income households has turned in his resignation. Full Story 

• 31 Days, 31 Ways: TWIA's Claims Process Gets a Makeover

  By Becca Aaronson and Ben Hasson Aug. 17, 2011

  DAY 17 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: A flow chart to visualize the new — and complicated — claims process for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story 

• Storm Insurer Remade, But Vocal Critics Remain

  By Becca Aaronson Aug. 14, 2011

  A Texas Tribune analysis found that the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association mishandled claims after Hurricane Ike and paid millions of dollars to defend its fraudulent behavior and claimants’ lawyers profited from huge settlements and legal fees. Full Story 

• Interactive: The Cost of Three Texas Hurricanes

  By Becca Aaronson Aug. 14, 2011

  An interactive map comparing how much TWIA paid claimants for three major hurricanes that hit the Texas coast and the number of lawsuits claimants filed in return. Also find the ten law firms with the biggest settlements from TWIA and compare the number of lawsuits and legal defense spending for each storm. Full Story 

• On the Records: 3 Ways to Visualize Houston Demography

  By Becca Aaronson Aug. 3, 2011

  To help visualize demographic changes from 2000 to 2010, the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York updated its interactive maps of Houston and other major U.S. cities today. Full Story 

• On the Records: Texas a Migration Hot Spot

  By Becca Aaronson Aug. 2, 2011

  Call it a modern day Ellis Island: More people are moving to Texas than to every other state but Florida, according to a report on migration released today by the Empire Center, a New York policy research project. Full Story 

• A Texas Jobs Miracle? It's Complicated

  By Becca Aaronson July 28, 2011

  The “Texas jobs miracle” is a hot topic, but Texas’ unemployment rate is higher than all four states that border it — and it’s up slightly from last year. So why is everyone touting Texas, and Gov. Rick Perry, for its strong economy? Full Story 

• Tracking the Money: Presidential Candidates and Texas

  By Becca Aaronson July 25, 2011

  Texans are already opening their pocketbooks to show support for their favorite presidential candidates. The Tribune’s visualizations of data from federal campaign finance reports reveal who has collected and spent the most in Texas. Full Story 

• On the Records: Shifting Unemployment Rates in Texas

  By Becca Aaronson July 22, 2011

  New Texas Workforce Commission stats show that Texas has gained more than 220,000 jobs since last year. Check out this visualization of unemployment rates broken down by city for June 2010 and June 2011. Full Story 

• Visualizing Days of Lege Debate: Criminal Justice

  By Becca Aaronson July 22, 2011

  In the legislative session, state lawmakers passed bills to help exonerated Texans who have been convicted of crimes but later determined to be innocent. Use this interactive to search for the big debates on criminal justice. Full Story