Following in the footsteps of Harris County and the city of Dallas, the state announced Thursday it is suing Volkswagen in connection with the German automaker’s admitted use of software that allowed its vehicles to circumvent emissions limits.
Jim Malewitz
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.
Posted in
Economy
Report: Traffic Crashes Related to Energy Boom Cost Billions
A Texas A&M University study reveals just how closely petroleum activity appears to be linked to collisions on crowded, crumbling roads in rural South and West Texas.
Posted in
Energy
In Final BP Deal, Texas to Get $800 Million for Gulf
Texas and four other Gulf Coast states have reached a final settlement with BP stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice and states announced Monday.
Posted inState Government
In Texas, Injured Workers Struggle to Be Counted
On any given day across Texas, truck drivers might crash their vehicles, construction workers tumble from scaffolding or refinery workers inhale nauseating fumes. Many of those injuries will go unreported — as if they never happened. But what is written down about workplace injuries is more than just scorekeeping.
Posted in
Energy
EPA Tightens Ozone Limits — But Less Than Some Had Expected
Determined to cut down on smog that chokes the nation’s skies, the Obama administration finalized new limits on ozone. But the limits are weaker than some had hoped, suggesting that fierce critics like Texas had some effect on the outcome.
Posted in
Economy
In Dallas, A Push to Give Some Workers a Break
Safety advocates staged a “thirst strike” on the steps of Dallas City Hall Tuesday, calling on city leaders to guarantee periodic rest breaks for construction workers who toil for hours in the city’s sweltering summers.
Posted in
Energy
Dallas Mogul Launches Bid for Giant Power Company
A group of investors led by a Dallas oilman and real estate mogul has launched a bid to take control of Oncor, the state’s largest electric transmission company, putting forth an unprecedented plan.
Posted in
Energy
Pipeline Company Ghost-Wrote Texas Regulator’s Letter
Weighing in on a case before the FCC, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter signed a letter authored by a pipeline company. Critics say the move illustrates a coziness with the industries he regulates.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Halliburton to Pay $18.3 Million in Back Oilfield Wages
Halliburton, the Houston-based oilfield service giant, has agreed to pay nearly $18.3 million in back overtime wages to more than 1,000 U.S. employees, following a federal investigation.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Drops Suit Over Dead Denton Fracking Ban
The Texas General Land Office has dropped its lawsuit against the city’s obliterated ban on hydraulic fracturing and moratorium on new gas drilling, officially resolving all litigation over the North Texas city’s vote, which made international headlines.
