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Jim Malewitz was a reporter at the Tribune from 2013 to 2017, covering energy and environment and then working on investigations. Previously, he covered those issues for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C. The Michigan native majored in political science at Grinnell College in Iowa and holds a master’s from the University of Iowa. There, he helped launch the nonprofit Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, where he currently serves on the board of directors. Jim also coaches the Texas Tribune Runoffs, which, sources say, is the scrappiest coed newsroom softball team west of the Mississippi.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a Texas redistricting case that has flagged two congressional districts and nine Texas House districts. Here's a closer look at one of the districts in question: U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's curiously shaped 35th Congressional District. Full Story
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Texas’ rolls of cash assistance recipients under its TANF program have steadily shrunk over the last two decades. Some experts say the bureaucracy guarding the state’s safety net makes it difficult to access those benefits, even for Texans who fit the requirements. Full Story
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In 2016, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $9.75 million grant to McKesson Corporation. Now, Texas is among the states investigating the giant drug distributor's role in a growing opioid crisis. Full Story
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State ethics laws grant elected officials wide latitude on how they use their political contributions while in office — meaning there's a lot outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus could do with his $10 million campaign war chest. Full Story
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The six-year battle over the state’s redistricting plan illustrates how a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling four years ago has shifted the burden in challenges of such laws. Full Story
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Months after spending a turbulent 37-day stint as Corpus Christi mayor and then resigning, Dan McQueen is trying to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz – and hoping an "essay and rib" contest will both fund his bid and unload some property. Full Story
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Hurricane Harvey probably won't wallop Texas’ economy in the long run, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. But the state’s response to the storm could ultimately mean a multibillion-dollar hit to the state budget. Full Story
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A district attorney has been probing whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton broke any laws by accepting a $100,000 gift from a CEO whose company was being investigated for alleged fraud, according to news reports. Full Story
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Upshur County is suing a slew of prescription painkiller manufacturers and distributers in federal court, accusing them of fueling a nationwide opioid addiction epidemic. Other Texas governments may follow suit. Full Story
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Election administrators hope to avoid confusion as Texans living in nursing homes test a new system of voting during the state’s constitutional election — a one-time change prompted by a new law set to vanish in December. Full Story
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