The Brief: June 19, 2014
Texas' top leadership on Wednesday evening gave orders to boost spending at the Texas-Mexico border by $1.3 million a week through at least the end of the calendar year. Full Story
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![A live surveillance camera view from a BlueServo camera]()
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New in Trib+Water: LCRA Water Rates, Conservation
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: LCRA talks water rates, water conservation discussed in North Texas and California and an interview with Martin Rochelle of Lloyd Gosselink. Full Story
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Proposed New Rules Shed Light on Future Water Projects
UPDATED: The Texas Water Development Board’s release of draft rules Tuesday afternoon offered Texans a clearer sense of how the board will prioritize and fund competing water supply projects. 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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What Would It Take to Satisfy Proposed Carbon Targets? Here's a Look
Gov. Rick Perry and other Texas leaders say a federal proposal to combat climate change is a direct assault on energy providers. This Tribune analysis examines what Texas would have to do to reach the goals set forth in the proposal — if that proposal stays as is. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry has said that a new federal proposal to cut carbon emissions is "the most direct assault yet on the energy providers that employ thousands of Americans."]()
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The Brief: June 11, 2014
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning loss in his GOP primary contest in Virginia on Tuesday has boosted the political fortunes of Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas.]()
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Safety Board: Coast Guard Could Have Done More to Prevent Spill
The Coast Guard is trying to learn what might have prevented a collision that dumped more than 100,000 gallons of oil into Galveston Bay in March. At a recent hearing, the National Transportation Safety Board pointed a finger right back at the Coast Guard. Full Story
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![Galveston Bay near the Texas City Dike and the Valero Refinery in Texas City, Wednesday March 26, 2014.]()
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The Brief: June 9, 2014
Post-convention analyses touch on the Cruz effect, the challenges in managing a political transition from Perry to Abbott as well as fissures that might be appearing within the party. Full Story
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![Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas gives an impassioned speech to Republican delegates in Fort Worth on June 6, 2014.]()
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Scientists: Data Shows Fracking's Link to Methane in Well
While Barnett Shale gas producers deny any connection between methane-contaminated wells and their operations, a pair of scientists dispute that. They say test results just released by state regulators provide concrete evidence of a link. Full Story
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Texas Ranchers Vote on Boosting Beef Marketing
Across Texas, ranchers are voting this week whether to expand a program that promotes the beef industry. The election has sparked debate on the way beef business is done in the state and across the country. Full Story
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BLM Report Shows Safety Concerns Along Disputed Red River Land
A new report by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management highlights North Texans' concerns about a disputed stretch of land along the Red River – including feral hogs, trash, meth labs and a general lack of management. Full Story
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![Texas landowner Tommy Henderson speaks to a gathering of politicians, landowners and others at a bridge over the Red River near Byers, Texas, on April 28, 2014.]()
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Consumer Advocates Scrutinize Prepaid Electricity Plans
Consumer advocates fear prepaid electricity plans could leave low-income Texans vulnerable to hidden fees and sudden electricity shutoffs. But companies that offer the plans say there is great consumer demand for them. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: A Tough Canoe Race, Reservoir Debate
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a tough canoe race, a planned northeast Texas reservoir spurs debate and an interview with Jordan Furnans of INTERA. Full Story
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In South Texas, Hopes Rocket Site Will Launch the Local Economy
Private aerospace company SpaceX has received a preliminary green light from the FAA for a launch site in the southern tip of Texas. Some in Brownsville are over the moon about the economic windfall it could bring. Full Story
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What Proposed Carbon Rules Mean for Texas
President Obama on Monday announced a plan for sweeping climate regulations that would dramatically slash carbon emissions from power plants. Here's a look at how the rules — which are sure to be challenged — would impact Texas. Full Story
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![Steam rises from the stacks at the Martin Lake coal-fired power plant in Tatum, Texas.]()
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The Brief: June 3, 2014
As some open-carry activists look to take their long-gun-brandishing demonstrations outside the state GOP convention in Fort Worth, the movement's efforts are catching criticism from a pair of unlikely sources — the nation's largest gun-rights group and a state legislator who has pushed open-carry legislation. Full Story
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![Chris Way and his son Ryan, 2, participate in a march during South by Southwest in March 2014, an event led by the Austin chapter of the gun rights group Come and Take It.]()
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The Brief: June 2, 2014
The GOP state convention kicks off this week in Fort Worth with some folks urging attendees to take their guns to town. Full Story
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![Gun rights supporters participate in an open carry march through South by Southwest led by the Austin chapter of Come and Take It on Wednesday, March 12.]()
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Royalty Owners Get Some Tips on the Art of the Deal
For landowners and mineral owners in Texas’ hottest drilling plays, the state’s boom means long-lasting windfalls — if those lessors know what to look for in negotiating contracts. With new educational efforts, advocates for royalty owners hope to bolster their position. Full Story
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![Pipes used for fracking are shown in front of a Fasken OIl and Ranch drilling rig outside of Midland on Oct. 8, 2013.]()
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The Brief: May 30, 2014
Attorney General Greg Abbott reversed himself Thursday on whether the Texas prison system can withhold information about companies that make drugs used by the state in executions. Full Story
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![Attorney General Greg Abbott declares victory in the Republican primary on March 4, 2014 in San Antonio.]()
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No Link Between Drilling and Water Contamination, Report Says
A new report from the state's Railroad Commission found that there isn't enough evidence to link rising amounts of methane in some North Texas water wells to nearby drilling activity. But scientists who study the issue aren't so sure. Full Story
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The Brief: May 23, 2014
Confirmation came down from the White House on Thursday night that San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro will be announced on Friday as President Obama's choice to be the next secretary of housing and urban development. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Rob Rudloff / The Texas Tribune
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