The Brief: Nov. 21, 2014
Texas will feel more of the effects of Obama's action while a proposed overhaul of the Secure Communities programs draws bipartisan criticism. Full Story
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![President Barack Obama chastises Republicans in Congress for stonewalling his agenda in a speech July 10, 2014 at the Paramount Theater in Austin.]()
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DuPont Tragedy One of Many Toxic Gas Releases
Since 2009, Texas manufacturers have reported at least 19 other unauthorized releases of methyl mercaptan, the lethal chemical that killed four at a Port Arthur DuPont plant, according to a Tribune analysis of state data. Full Story
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For West Texas Job Candidates, the Options Seem Endless
Want an oil and gas job? Head to West Texas. Energy companies are sending recruiters to weekly job fairs, in search of qualified workers to fill a seemingly endless list of positions. This video is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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The Brief: Nov. 20, 2014
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte will run for mayor of her hometown of San Antonio, she confirmed Wednesday night. Full Story
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![Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor of Texas, Sen. Leticia VanDePutte D-San Antonio, smiles as she carries one of her grandsons during a campaign swing in Austin, Texas June 4th, 2014]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Report: EPA Power Plan Would Save Texas Water
As state regulators fret about how President Obama’s effort to combat climate change would affect the Texas power grid, a new study says the rules would save the state billions of gallons of water annually. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Farmers Get Water Smarter
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: farmers are getting more efficient with water use, Odessa looks beyond lakes with water planning and an interview with Ken Kramer, former director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. Full Story
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For Shale Residents, Energy Boom is "a Blessing and a Sadness"
What's it like to live in Texas’ biggest oil-producing county? We attended a football game to find out how life has changed for a once-sleepy and impoverished county that has exploded with growth and wealth. This slideshow is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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Texas' Emptiest County Filling Up with Oil Workers, Hope
The smallest county in Texas may not hold that distinction for much longer. Loving County has about 90 people but swells by hundreds each day due to a flood of oil workers. This video is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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The Brief: Nov. 18, 2014
A new controversy could crop up this week as the State Board of Education is expected to adopt new social studies textbooks. Full Story
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![State Board of Education Vice Chair Thomas Ratliff leafs through binders at the meeting listing proposed changes to Texas textbooks in a SBOE meeting in Austin on Monday, October 20, 2014 .Textbook publishers were invited to meeting where public concerns regarding their textbooks were discussed.]()
Credit: Martin do Nascimento -
Power Grid Operator: EPA Climate Plan Would Raise Costs
As Texas regulators weigh a response to President Obama’s proposal to combat climate change, the operator of the state’s main electric grid says the plan would raise energy costs and threaten reliability – particularly in the next few years. Full Story
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Credit: Dan Atrill -
Animation: How Big is the Eagle Ford Shale Boom?
How many people have moved to the Eagle Ford Shale as a result of its energy boom? That’s a tough question to answer — but we give it a shot in this animation, which is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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The Brief: Nov. 17, 2014
As authorities arrive in LaPorte to find what caused the methyl mercaptan gas leak that killed four DuPont plant workers on Saturday, information is emerging about the safety record of the plant. Full Story
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DuPont Plant Where Workers Died Reported Recent Violations
A plant where four workers died early Saturday after a chemical leak has a record of safety violations that dates back several years, a Texas Tribune review of state records shows. Full Story
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Prison Officials Seek Ways to Recruit, Retain Officers
With the energy boom creating an explosion of high-wage job growth in oil-rich parts of the state, finding and keeping prison employees has become difficult in those regions. This story is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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Courts Will Take Up Case of Fracking v. Drilling
Legal wrangling over Denton's fracking ban will give Texans a free course on the widely mischaracterized oilfield technique that put Texas at the forefront a national energy boom. Full Story
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![A gas well is shown in 2014 sitting less than 400 feet from a home in Denton.]()
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Struggles in the Shale
Across West Texas, wages are soaring for oil and gas industry workers — but so is the cost of living. For those who don’t hold top-dollar energy jobs, just paying the rent has gotten tough. This video is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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The Brief: Nov. 13, 2014
Wendy Davis' rout was foretold by a couple of Democratic strategists who despaired nearly a year ago over the direction in which the Democratic gubernatorial candidate was taking her campaign. Full Story
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![Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Wendy Davis shows her book "Forgetting to be Afraid" at Book People on September 11th, 2014]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Private Sector an Oasis for Thirsty San Antonio
Frustrated for decades in its search for a new source of water, San Antonio thinks it has finally divined the answer. It will pay a premium to let private companies do the work. Full Story
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![A map of the proposed pipeline that will deliver 16 billion gallons of water annually from underneath Burleson County to San Antonio, about 140 miles away.]()
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As Oil Town Roars Back to Life, a View From the Sky
Advances in oilfield technology have reawakened Big Lake, a town that long ago helped cement Texas’ reputation as an oil-rich state. Soar a few hundred feet above the town to see how it has evolved. This slideshow is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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An In-Flight Challenge
Grant Swartz has spent much of the last decade in the air, dusting crops over rural Glasscock County. That’s been long enough to see the oil and gas boom drastically alter the landscape of his community. This video is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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Credit: Tamir Kalifa