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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Credit: Jenn Whitney -
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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Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
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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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]()
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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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Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
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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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 -
The Brief: Nov. 11, 2014
Lawmakers filed 365 bills and joint resolutions on Monday, the first day they could pre-file legislation for the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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![Newly-elected state Rep. David Simpson at the head of the line to prefile bills on Nov. 8, 2010.]()
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On First Day Allowed for Filing, Legislators Submit More Than 350 Bills
Two months ahead of the first day of the 84th legislative session, eager lawmakers on Monday filed bills addressing issues including guns, texting while driving, health, transportation and much more. Full Story
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In Need of Dialysis, but Stuck in Oilfield Traffic
The Southwest Area Regional Transit District helps shuttle people who cannot otherwise get to their medical appointments. But a rush to the Eagle Ford Shale is clogging that lifeline. This story is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
In Oil Country, One Town Peers Beyond the Boom
Some Texas towns are welcoming the bars, strip clubs and “man camps” that come along with an oil boom. Not Karnes City, which wants businesses that will stick around when the oil is gone. This story is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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The Brief: Nov. 7, 2014
It wasn't just Republicans in Texas who were celebrating big statehouse gains on Tuesday. Full Story
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TribLive: Craddick on the Shale Boom
At our 11/6 TribLive conversation, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick talked about the impact of the shale boom on the state. Full Story
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TribLIve: Craddick on the Denton Fracking Ban
At our 11/6 TribLive conversation, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick reacted to Denton's passage of a ban on fracking. Full Story
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Water Project Funds Ready to Flow — Almost
Texas is ready to start handing out $2 billion in seed money for water projects, more than a year after voters approved a constitutional amendment tapping into excess oil and gas tax revenues. Full Story
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![Lake Travis, a major water supply reservoir for Austin, is severely depleted due to drought. The State Water Plan calls for dozens more such reservoir projects to be built in the coming decades to meet Texas' future water needs.]()
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TribLive: A Conversation with Christi Craddick
Full video of my 11/6 TribLive Conversation with Christi Craddick, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Full Story
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Should City Voters Pick the Ag Commissioner?
Texas voters have picked the agriculture commissioner for more than a century. But is that a good idea in a state almost 90 percent urban? Full Story
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In Boomtowns, More Traffic Means More Death
The newly cracked, chipped and crowded roads linking Texas boomtowns have meant more than just traffic jams for local commuters. They've also proved deadly. This slideshow is part of our Shale Life project. Full Story
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Credit: Tamir Kalifa