Over the last two decades, state regulators have allowed companies to release more than a billion pounds of excess pollution.
Travis Swicegood
Travis Swicegood was the first News Apps and Data Editor, where he worked from 2010 to 2014. He previously spent nearly a decade and a half in the technology industry with a focus on the web. Originally from El Paso, he has worked for startups targeting everything from electronic medical records to customer relationship management to social networks. He came to the Tribune after a year and a half of running his own consulting company that focused on helping not-for-profits and political activists use technology to expand their reach. Before joining the Tribune, he led the technology department as Director of Technology and spearheaded development efforts on the Tribune's Armstrong Project, a Knight Foundation-funded project to create an open source news platform.
Posted in
Environment
Mandatory home buyouts are dismantling a flood-prone Houston community
Harris County’s mandatory program to buy homes in six neighborhoods that have found themselves under flood waters over and over is quickly tearing apart the community fabric of Allen Field.
Posted in
Transportation
Texas accused of skirting federal environmental law to push for Austin’s Interstate 35 expansion
A group of activists is suing the Texas Department of Transportation, saying the agency split the Interstate 35 project in Austin into segments to obscure its full impacts and “circumvent” federal requirements.
Posted inPolitics
Map: Comparing Nondiscrimination Ordinances in Texas Cities
On Monday, the Plano City Council voted to extend its nondiscrimination policy to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Use our map to see what nondiscrimination policies other major Texas cities have on the books.
Posted inState Government
News App: Government Salaries Explorer
Our new Government Salaries Explorer reimagines our flagship salary database app. Use the explorer to review the compensation of hundreds of thousands of state and municipal employees in Texas. We will update and expand this database periodically.
Posted inPolitics
Interactive: A Look at the Returns on Investments in Primary Campaigns
In competitive races, a candidate will ideally get the best bang for his or her buck. Use our interactive to see how much each candidate for a state office spent (or did not spend) for each vote he or she received in the March 4 primary.
Posted inState Government
Interactive: Campaign Finance Viewer, 2014 Primary Election
Texas candidates have filed their required eight-day campaign finance reports ahead of the March 4 election. Use our interactive analyzer to view contributions and expenditures in the final weeks of the primary campaigns.
Posted inPolitics
News App: Updated Campaign Finance Data
The Tribune’s campaign finance database has been updated to include the latest contribution and expenditure information. Use this tool to look up candidates’ cash totals and to see who is funding them.
Posted inHigher Education, Public Education
News App: Higher Ed Outcomes Explorer
Each year, some 300,000 students begin eighth grade in a Texas public school. Use this app to track the educational milestones of every student who started eighth grade in a Texas public school between 1996 and 2001, broken down by region and county.
Posted inState Government
Interactive: Campaign Finance Viewer for January 2014 Reports
With the primaries just a month away, Texas candidates have filed campaign finance reports for Jan. 1-23. We have put those reports into our interactive analyzer, allowing you to view contributions, expenditures and where all of the money originated.