Among other issues, the court will consider whether a law that updated the education code last year has any bearing on TEA Commissioner Mike Morath’s attempt to replace HISD’s board members over low academic scores.
Houston
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The 2022 Texas Tribune Festival
After cancer-causing chemicals were found in Fifth Ward soil, Houston mayor says cleanup plans are inadequate
The city’s health department found dioxins in soil samples along the fence line of a Union Pacific rail yard. Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival that plans to clean up the contamination should now include relocating residents.
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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.
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Criminal Justice
Texas board rejects posthumous pardon for George Floyd — after recommending one to Greg Abbott
The state’s parole board did not explain why it was denying the request to pardon Floyd, who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, for a minor 2004 drug conviction. Last year, the board recommended Abbott pardon Floyd, then rescinded that suggestion.
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Environment
Website aims to make pollution permit information more accessible in Houston
Texas’ environmental regulators make it tricky for residents to track, or speak out against, industrial projects proposed near their homes. Advocates in Houston built a high-tech workaround.
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Climate Change in Texas
“It’s destroying me”: Storm after storm, climate change increases strain on Texans’ mental health
Tens of thousands of coastal Texas residents have survived repeated extreme weather events including Hurricane Harvey. For many, it has taken an emotional toll, and researchers warn that climate change could be “catastrophic” for our mental health.
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Transportation
After a decade of hype, Dallas-Houston bullet train developer faces a leadership exodus as land acquisition slows
Texas Central has made little visible progress financing the high-speed rail project and acquiring property for the route in recent years. The company maintains that the bullet train is still being developed but declined to provide details about the path forward.
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Uvalde school shooting
College-bound Uvalde students grapple with leaving a hometown in mourning
The students worry how the tragedy will define them in their new environments and struggle with guilt about the people they’re leaving behind.
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Environment
Nearly all unplanned chemical releases in Texas go unpunished
Thousands of “emissions events” from chemical plants each year exceed permitted limits, but only a small fraction result in penalties from the state’s environmental agency.
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Courts
Texas cities say streaming giants Disney, Hulu and Netflix owe them millions of dollars in unpaid fees
As people have cut cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services over the years, Texas cities say they have lost out on revenue from franchise fees they claim are owed by streaming giants like Disney, Hulu and Netflix.
