Texans’ trauma from 2021 power grid failure provoked by another winter storm
This week’s freezing weather isn’t expected to be as severe as last year’s storm. But Texans remain anxious about the electricity grid. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cc5638cb75833e8c41a5db98f881ad52/Winter%20Storm%20II%20Prep%20EL%20TT%2001.jpg)
-
![A woman browses the meat department of a HEB in Round Rock on Feb. 2, 2022. Though predicted to be less severe than the winter storm of 2021, Texans have stocked up on supplies, and emptied shelves of bread, toilet paper, and dairy products.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Live winter storm updates: City of Austin issues boil water notice
Texas faces a new winter storm a year after a deadly freeze left millions without power. Here’s the latest. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e9549491628b12d46c838d66a416c232/ATX%20Ice%20Storm%202022%20EG%20TT%2015.jpg)
![A power substation in Northwest Austin during a winter storm on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
EPA rejects Texas’ more lenient standard for highly toxic air pollutant
In the wake of an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune into the widely used chemical ethylene oxide, the EPA has moved to reject a less protective standard crafted by Texas regulators and backed by the chemical industry. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/57d1e0675aa44280b7457072d7f49a95/20220128-tx-laredo-folo_lead.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica -
State report shows how Texas environmental agency misses industrial pollution spikes during and after storms
A more than 200-page report by Texas’ environmental agency found that the majority of pollution emitted by industrial facilities during storms occurs at a time when the state’s air monitors are offline. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/66d6b430ef2df531434c27b1ac6345a1/Arkema_flooded_REUTERS_TT.jpg)
![The flooded plant of French chemical maker Arkema SA, which produces organic peroxides, is seen after fires were reported at the facility after Hurricane Harvey passed in Crosby on August 31, 2017.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Adrees Latif -
Analysis: Crime pays, politically speaking, for Texas AGs
A Texas attorney general is a civil lawyer, mostly concerned with regulatory, tax and administrative law. But to listen to the candidates, you’d think the state’s top lawyer was some kind of cop. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d29369a53331ee3495004a5625fbe8f8/Abbott%20Paxton%20MGO%20TT%2007.jpg)
![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a border security briefing at Texas DPS regional headquarters in Weslaco on Jan. 27, 2022. Paxton said the reason for the border security briefing is to take legal action against the Biden administration regarding border policy.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Texas may get a coastal storm barrier, but will it be too late?
The federal infrastructure bill’s passage renewed hopes that Texas would finally get a coastal storm barrier. But Galveston and Houston could still get hit by a hurricane before it is built. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/08/26/Rockport_flood_and_damage_TT.jpg)
![Hurricane Harvey struck Rockport, Texas, on Aug. 25, 2017, causing widespread flooding and property damage.]()
Credit: Brandon Formby/The Texas Tribune -
Prescribed burn gone wrong likely sparked wildfire in Bastrop County, officials say
Controlled burns, used to prevent catastrophic wildfires, are typically safe and rarely get out of control. Experts warn that burns gone awry can scare residents and compromise the critical fire management tool. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e0e8bdff7c6744240e352c88f640c56e/Bastrop%20Fire%20JV%20TT%2018.jpg)
![The Rolling Pines Fire blazes through Bastrop State Park on Jan. 18, 2022.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
How a Texas songbird and its endangered status became the center of a fight over the Hill Country
Scientists say a study that estimated far more golden-cheeked warblers in Texas than previously thought has been attacked and taken out of context as the state and federal government battle over the bird’s endangered status. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1cebbfa9f5c1465f25f8a6dd95c3df00/Golden-cheeked%20Warbler%20FWS%20TT.jpg)
![Golden-cheeked warbler.]()
Credit: Steve Maslowski/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service -
This was Texas’ warmest December since 1889
Ongoing La Niña conditions have brought warm, dry weather and deepened drought conditions across the state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/34aec4d47930f8efb1a3f05be0e66e75/Llano%20City%20File%20SF%20TT%2005.jpg)
![Cars pass by the the Llano County Courthouse on Monday, Dec. 14, 2021 in Llano, TX. The Commissioners Court for Llano County voted to close the public library to "inventory and catalog" their books after community pushback related to books that some deemed offensive. The pushback also led to a decision to immediately shut down an online library of thousands of books out of fears that children could access material not appropriate for children.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
The 2021 winter storm caught Texans by surprise. Here’s how to prepare this year.
With the height of the winter season approaching, here are some tips to prepare an emergency kit, protect your home and stay informed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/42c47f6f572309b4463dfe53c4d24bc3/ATX%20Grocery%20Winter%20Storm%20EL%20TT%2007.jpg)
![Customers look through nearly empty shelves of produce inside a Central Market grocery store in North Austin on Feb. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
2021 in photos: Texans navigated COVID-19, weathered power outages and witnessed an increase in border crossings
As 2021 comes to a close, here’s a look back at just some of our favorite images captured by Texas Tribune photographers all over the state — and across the nation — to tell the stories of Texans in a challenging year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9330027fe971f016db0e6b2d354bf987/NRG%20Vaccine%20Site%20MF%20TT%2003.jpg)
![People line up in cars to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at a federally-run mass vaccination site at NRG Stadium in Houston on Feb. 26, 2021.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
A Laredo plant that sterilizes medical equipment spews cancer-causing pollution on schoolchildren
Nobody told Yaneli Ortiz’s family that the factory they lived near emitted ethylene oxide. Not when the EPA found it causes cancer. Not when she was diagnosed with leukemia. And not when Texas moved to allow polluters to emit more of the chemical. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6d7d71628c8c4a114280d3d4a60ce620/20211223%20laredo%20ethylene%20oxide%201.jpg)
![Yaneli Ortiz closes her eyes as her father helps her get ready before her quinceañera in Laredo Texas. In 2019 Yaneli was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer that’s been linked to ethylene oxide exposure. Her legs and hip are in almost constant pain. Her hip bone had begun to die due to steroids that had diminished the blood supply through her leg and joints. Up to half of children treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia develop some degree of this condition, called avascular necrosis.]()
Credit: Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica/Texas Tribune -
Generators can cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. But the industry resists rules to make them safer.
Portable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, and as climate change leads to more power outages, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/948f3be78507fdba8038c7fec48e71b8/20211217%20tx%20co%20generators%20new%20lead.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Laila Milevski/ProPublica -
Winters get warmer with climate change. So what explains Texas’ cold snap in 2021?
A warming earth has brought milder winters, but emerging science suggests that extreme cold spells in Texas could also result from climate change messing with complex weather processes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2ae7a7b44957430e5a6598c1679c954c/San%20Marcos%20Winter%20Storm%20JV%20TT%2012.jpg)
![The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system causes power outages across Texas on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas cities weren’t ready for a massive winter storm in 2021. Has that changed?
Cities have made some preparations in case of another severe winter storm. But keeping the lights and water on is far from guaranteed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/653ded4027480afdf19c23925b6d1692/ATX%20Winter%20Storm%20JV%20Feb%2016%20TT%2022.jpg)
![A snowy Austin Skyline as freezing temperatures continue across the state of Texas on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
The most severe scenario considered by ERCOT for this winter — very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production — does not capture the amount of power lost during February. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c73061658e60a0b9e21d40135ce397aa/ATX%20Winter%20Storm%20SF%20TT%2039.jpg)
![Snow surrounds an Austin Energy station in Austin on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
“People have already died”: In Houston, residents demand relief from chronic pollution during EPA chief's visit
During a Friday visit, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said his agency is “prepared to act” to force accelerated cleanups in historically polluted Houston neighborhoods. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5382bb6a66822d6e5609f26cb3e07a3d/EPA%20Houston%20AM%20TT%2012.jpg)
![Donald Compton, Alton Perkins, Brenda Compton and Chris Compton outside of the Compton family home in Fifth Ward on Nov. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texans in U.S. House vote along party lines to pass $1.75 trillion social spending package
After months of contentious negotiations, the U.S. House passed the Build Back Better plan. It would establish universal pre-K and provide funding to combat climate change, among other things. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7b6334bf9094943107d1534c113efb31/Build%20Back%20Better%20Pelosi%20TT%20-%20REUTERS%20.jpg)
![U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during her weekly press conference, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Today President Biden will host the leaders of Mexico and Canada for a North American Leaders Summit, as Congressional Democrats continue to debate the President's Build Back Better Agenda. (Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA)No Use Germany.]()
Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters -
Top U.S. environmental regulator to visit Houston neighborhoods where Black and Latino residents bear brunt of pollution
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan on Friday will meet with community leaders and advocates in Houston neighborhoods where pollution has impacted people’s health. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5447ad92c0f3380325b74d78963d6e66/Michael%20Regan%20EPA%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
![Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Sarah Silbiger/Pool via REUTERS -
As world leaders seek to rein in methane, Texas' oil and gas industry pressured to cut emissions
A proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule could require oil and gas producers to monitor and reduce emissions of methane in the field. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/615b6d1d10199ae0585409089e71eb92/Eagle%20Ford%20Oil%20Patch%20JV%20TT%2032.jpg)
![A gas flare in the Eagle Ford oil patch south of San Antonio, TX.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune