The $5 billion housing recovery plan will be administered in two parts: $2.3 billion directly allocated for Houston and Harris County and $2.7 billion for all other disaster areas.
Paul Cobler
Paul Cobler is the Tribune's economy and industry reporter, covering the socioeconomic and political forces that impact Texans’ pocketbooks and upward mobility. Before joining the Tribune, he was a politics reporter for the Houston Landing and covered Baton Rouge City Hall for The Advocate in Louisiana. Paul grew up in Victoria, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. His reporting has appeared in news publications across the state, including the Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. He is based in Austin.
To report a tip, contact Paul on Signal at @paulcobler.34
Posted in
Families Divided
Texas shelter operator says it knows the locations of the parents of separated children in its care
A company official told Texas lawmakers Thursday that parents and children have the opportunity to be in contact. But it’s still not clear how that may lead to family reunification.
Posted in
Families Divided
Three Central Americans separated from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border are suing the federal government
The lawsuit argues that the constitutional rights of the families were violated by the Trump administration’s policy and asks that the parents be reunited with their children, one as young as 2 years old.
Posted in
Public Education
After Santa Fe shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott wants to put more counselors in schools. Educators say that’s not enough.
In a state that doesn’t require counselors in schools, Abbott is recommending school districts find money to hire more counselors and allow them to focus on student mental health rather than administrative tasks like scheduling and college admissions.
Posted inState Government
Seawater desalination plant proposed for Corpus Christi area
The proposed plant would be constructed in the city of Gregory and would be one of the first in Texas to use only seawater.
Posted inState Government
As drought returns, experts say Texas cities aren’t conserving enough water
Three years after one of the worst droughts in Wichita Falls history, life is returning to normal. But as Texas creeps back into a drought, water experts say residents in the city and around the state can do more to conserve water and prepare for the next shortage, which is always on the horizon.
Posted in
In Harvey's Wake
Clock runs out for hundreds of Texans in hotel rooms eight months after Hurricane Harvey
Housing advocates criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency for ending hotel vouchers for more than 1,300 Texans because renters were more likely to be affected. Homeowners, meanwhile, can have their hotel stays extended through May.
Posted inState Government
Houston service commemorates life of former First Lady Barbara Bush
United States presidents, first ladies and Texas governors gathered Saturday in Houston to honor the life of former first lady Barbara Bush, who died Tuesday. A motorcade after the service transported Bush to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, where a private family ceremony was held at her burial site.
Posted in
Economy
Texas close to gaining first reservoir in 20 years
The Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir was recently approved for its second $500 million loan as the project nears the beginning of construction in North Texas. The dam and accompanying man-made lake will be Texas’ first new major reservoir in almost two decades.
Posted in
Environment
Study: Deadly Wimberley floods rooted in weather patterns, intensified by development
Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio have found that development along the Blanco River intensified the impact of a 40-foot wall of water that gushed down the waterway on Memorial Day weekend 2015.
