Analysis: Would you hire these people?
The easiest way to judge public officials is the same way you judge the people where you work: Are they doing a good job? Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the grand opening of McKesson Corporation's campus in Irving on April 6, 2017. Abbott's office granted McKesson — the nation's largest drug distributor— $9.75 million to help build the campus. Texas has since joined a 41-state investigation into whether McKesson and other drug companies helped fuel an opioid addiction crisis.]()
Credit: Office of the Governor -
Rick Perry ties fossil fuel use to sexual assault prevention
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said in an interview Thursday that increasing fossil fuel use could prevent sexual assault. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry testifies at a Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12, 2017.]()
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Perry pursuing policy on coal, nuclear power at odds with Texas record
As multiple Texas coal plants wind down operations, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry is pushing a widely decried proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants in the name of grid resiliency. Full Story
![U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry testifies at a Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12, 2017.]()
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Texas solar industry watches as trade case moves forward
Many in the Texas solar industry are worried a federal agency might hobble their business in an effort to protect domestic manufacturers of solar panels and cells. Full Story
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![The Webberville Solar Project near Austin.]()
Credit: Mose Buchele -
Homeowners join lawsuit against Crosby chemical plant that burned after Hurricane Harvey
Eleven additional plaintiffs and a new defendant have been added to a lawsuit against the company whose manufacturing plant experienced a series of chemical fires as a result of floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
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![The Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas is covered in debris after a series of chemical fires that occurred as a result of floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey.]()
Credit: Chemical Safety Board -
Craddick seeking another term on Railroad Commission
Craddick's announcement means that every non-judicial statewide official in Texas — all of them Republicans — has plans to seek re-election next year. Full Story
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![Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick speaks at the GOP state convention in Dallas, Texas on May 12, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
First responders sue Harvey-flooded plant after chemical fire
When first responders were sent to the scene of a chemical fire at a manufacturing plant last week, they were never alerted to the toxic fumes in the air, a new lawsuit alleges. And the plant's parent company could face another lawsuit in the next several weeks. Full Story
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![Satellite view of the Arkema SA chemical plant in Crosby, Texas.]()
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Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton: There is no fuel shortage
Long lines formed at Texas gas stations Thursday as some prices started to spike — but officials say Hurricane Harvey hasn't led to a shortage of fuel. Full Story
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ExxonMobil refineries are damaged in Hurricane Harvey, releasing hazardous pollutants
ExxonMobil acknowledged Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey damaged two of its refineries, causing the release of hazardous pollutants. Full Story
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![An oil refinery is shown in the Houston Ship Channel in 2011.]()
Credit: Louis Vest for The Texas Tribune -
Warren Buffett outbid in race to buy big piece of Texas electric grid
Billionaire Warren Buffet has been outbid in his effort to buy Texas’ largest transmission utility. A California-based energy conglomerate has swooped in with an $18.8 billion proposal to buy coveted Oncor. Full Story
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Judge denies ExxonMobil request to reduce $20 million air pollution fine
U.S. District Judge David Hittner slapped the the energy giant with a $19.95 million penalty in April for spewing millions of pounds of hazardous pollutants from a Houston-area industrial complex. Full Story
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![ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Texas.]()
Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio -
House approves tree removal bill, breaking from Abbott and Senate
The Texas House has given early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset municipal fees for tree removal on their land. Full Story
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![Trees lining Westlake Drive in Austin.]()
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Persistence pays off for rural Texans besieged by sky-high power prices
After struggling to pay sky-high power line rates for more than three years, thousands of rural Texans are set to get relief. Full Story
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![Hugh and Nancy Raney in front of a pair of fields, one currently fallow, on their farm near Big Spring in January 2016. The couple had to stop farming part of their land when running the electric pumps to get well water to the fields became too expensive.]()
Credit: Gary Rhodes for The Texas Tribune -
Environmental groups sue EPA over lax Texas air pollution permits
Environmental groups are taking the EPA to court, alleging the federal agency isn't properly policing Texas air pollution permits they argue are too lax and complicated. Full Story
![ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Texas.]()
Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio -
A Pass to Poison: Texas regulators largely fail to crack down on polluters
Texas industrial polluters rarely face sanctions when they spew noxious chemicals into the air during malfunctions and other unplanned incidents, exceeding the emission limits of their state-issued air permits. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Restoring San Marcos' glass-bottom boats
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Texas rivers art exhibit at the Capitol, restoring the glass-bottom boats in San Marcos and an interview with Aaron Wolf of Oregon State University. Full Story
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Report: Shopping for electricity is getting cheaper in Texas
Between 2006 and 2015, the last year for which data is available, residential electric prices for Texans who live in a competitive market decreased by 17.4 percent, while prices increased by 5.5 percent in other areas. Full Story
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Warren Buffett unveils deal to buy big piece of Texas electric grid
Warren Buffet is making a play for Texas’ largest electric transmission utility. Berkshire Hathaway, his multinational conglomerate, has unveiled a deal to buy Oncor. Full Story
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![Warren Buffett in 2010.]()
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Lawmaker urged Abbott to veto bill legalizing hot air balloon hog hunting
A Republican lawmaker fears a new Texas law that allows the hunting of wild pigs and coyotes from hot air balloons could lead to “future catastrophes” without increased oversight of commercial ballooning. Full Story
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The Texas solar industry is growing. Could a trade case end that?
Cheap, imported solar panels have fueled growth in the solar industry in Texas, and reinvigorated the careers of laid-off oilfield workers. Some industry leaders fear a trade case will increase prices and end that growth. Full Story
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Credit: Mike Baker