The Brief: May 13, 2014
Texas' "sriracha delegation" on Monday made its long-awaited visit to California to woo the makers of the popular hot sauce, but it was no clearer at the conclusion of the visit what might come of it. Full Story
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![Sriracha Sauce.]()
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Despite Help From State, Counties Still Struggling to Fix Roads
In 2013, state lawmakers approved millions of dollars in funding to help repair roads damaged by trucks transporting fracking materials. A year later, many of the affected counties say that money will cover only a fraction of what they need. Full Story
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Mayors: State Must Act Faster on Earthquake Study
More than six months after a series of earthquakes surprised parts of North Texas, the mayors of two shaken-up towns told a state House subcommittee Monday that the state has moved too slowly in investigating what’s behind the phenomenon. Full Story
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![Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.]()
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Despite Smelly Controversy, Sriracha Factory Not Heading to Texas Soon
Huy Fong Foods founder David Tran took a self-styled "sriracha delegation" of Texas officials on a tour of his California hot sauce factory on Monday. Full Story
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The Brief: May 12, 2014
The Tribune's Aman Batheja has taken an in-depth look at Midland oilman Tim Dunn, who is best known in the Capitol for his funding of the conservative activist group Empower Texans. Full Story
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![Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and Empower Texans president Michael Quinn Sullivan.]()
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What's the Magic Number on Texas' Water Needs?
How much water does the state need in the coming decades? It depends on whom you ask. State water planners say that Texas needs 2.7 trillion more gallons of water a year by 2060. But some water law and planning specialists say that figure is far too high. 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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The Brief: May 9, 2014
Ahead of a possible vote on impeachment on Monday, members of the House select committee investigating UT System Regent Wallace Hall appear split on how to proceed. Full Story
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The Brief: May 8, 2014
Not even Disney movies are safe when it comes to the scorched-earth tactics in the race for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Lamar Smith Rejects Climate Report
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Lamar Smith rejects climate report, Colorado urged to learn Texas water lessons and an interview with Tom Gooch of Freese and Nichols, Inc. Full Story
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After Falling Short, Companies Still Trying to Restrict Local Suits
Last year, some of the nation’s biggest oil and waste disposal corporations unsuccessfully lobbied state lawmakers to protect them from civil suits filed by cities and counties. But the companies haven't given up the fight. Full Story
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![Former MDI Superfund site east of downtown Houston.]()
Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio -
Drilling Suit Highlights a Shift in the Fracking Debate
For years, much of the debate over fracking has focused on groundwater pollution. But as a multimillion-dollar legal ruling recently illustrated, those concerns have at times been overshadowed by new worries about air pollution. Full Story
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![A hydraulic fracturing site in Fort Worth on Sept. 27, 2013.]()
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Report: Texas Farm Production is Down, but Prices Are Up
The market value of agricultural products sold in Texas has increased in recent years, but production has declined steeply, according to the latest figures from the federal Census of Agriculture released Friday. Full Story
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For State Politicians, BLM Dispute is Fertile Turf
Several Texas politicians have helped draw national attention to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's plans to manage a stretch of Red River land. Area lawmakers who have been working this year on a resolution welcome the extra attention. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst accepted the microphone from Texas landowner Tommy Henderson on April 28, 2014, during a gathering of politicians, landowners, law enforcement officials and news outlets on Red River land northeast of Byers, Texas. Dewhurst expressed support for ranchers in their fight with the BLM over land they say they own.]()
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Fight Over Reservoir Ramps Up as Decision Draws Near
The Texas Water Development Board will decide next month whether to continue planning for the controversial Marvin Nichols reservoir in northeast Texas. The battle over the reservoir pits thirsty Dallas-Fort Worth against rural landowners to the east. Full Story
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Where Prairie Chicken Roams, Businesses Brace for Effects of Ruling
This week, the lesser prairie chicken will officially be listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act — a designation likely to affect economic development, including oil and gas drilling, in the Panhandle and West Texas. Full Story
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Drought Pushes Beef Prices to Record Levels
As Texas enters its fourth year of record-setting drought, ranchers, along with economic and agriculture experts, are concerned about increasing food prices. Full Story
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$3 Million Award in Oil and Gas Drilling Lawsuit Sparks Legal Worries
A $3 million jury award to a North Texas family who claimed that nearby oil drilling operations caused severe health ailments has spurred fears of more lawsuits. Full Story
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The Brief: April 30, 2014
Could Sriracha be coming to the Alamo City? Full Story
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![Bottle of Sriracha Sauce, made in California]()
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TribLive: Keeping the Lights On in Texas
Full video of our panel discussion on the St. Mary's University campus in San Antonio on the future of Texas' electric grid, including efforts to bolster reliability through demand response and other efficiency tools. Full Story
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Supreme Court's Air Pollution Ruling Goes Against Texas
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday morning that federal limits on the effects of air pollution across state boundaries are legal, striking down a challenge from Texas and a number of other states and industry coalitions. Full Story
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Credit: Andrea Parker / Cory Maluski