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Texas

Texas' high tech sector buzzes along amid industry downturn

by Elizabeth Trovall
May 22, 2024
High tech represents nearly 5% of state GDP and more than 9% of employment. What makes the state's sector so resilient?
Charging stations at Tesla's corporate headquarters in Austin. High tech jobs have flourished around Austin, thanks to investments from companies like Tesla.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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Texans brace for high electric bills as temperatures rise

by Elizabeth Trovall
May 21, 2024
In Houston, the energy capital of the world, low prices are not a given. Experts would like to see more capacity and more conservation.
To manage her electricity bills, Robin Wright said she uses air conditioning sparingly. Many Texans are trying to adapt to summertime heat spikes.
Elizabeth Trovall/Marketplace
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Bad weather, bad news for homeowners seeking insurance in Texas

by Elizabeth Trovall
May 21, 2024
More severe weather events means higher rates and more Texans forced into state insurance plans.
Over the last year, Anna Stafford with the Texas FAIR Plan Association has seen a nearly 32% increase in people turning to last-resort insurance policies. Above, storm damage in Houston on May 17.
Logan Riely/Getty Images
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Adventures in Housing

How a new house turned into a "starter, middle, and ending" home for this Texas woman

by Sarah Leeson
May 10, 2024
"I'm just attached to it because it's taken care of me and I'm taking care of it," said Violet O'Brien on why she's choosing to age in place in her Houston home.
Violet O'Brien has decided to age in place in her Houston home.
Courtesy Violet O'Brien
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Amtrak wants to build a bullet train in Texas. Could it kickstart a rail revolution?

by Pablo Arauz Peña
May 10, 2024
The project would cut the Dallas-to-Houston trip to 90 minutes. It’s one of a few high-speed rail projects that’s been getting attention lately.
Japan Central’s N700 high-speed train, above, would be the same train used for the Texas Central railway between Houston and Dallas.
Courtesy Texas Central
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Millions more Americans travel to bird-watch. Texas businesses are cashing in.

by Elizabeth Trovall
May 8, 2024
Up to 10,000 birders visit High Island each spring, boosting business for the small restaurants and motels near and along the coastal area.
Visitors watch for warblers and other migratory birds at the Boy Scout Woods bird sanctuary in High Island, Texas.
Elizabeth Trovall/Marketplace
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Texas' electric grid is feeling the strain, and it's not even that hot yet

by Elizabeth Trovall
Apr 16, 2024
A big part of the problem: Power plants usually go offline for maintenance in April.
April is annual maintenance time for Texas power plants, making it harder for the grid to handle a heat spike.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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Adventures in Housing

After dreaming of living in a dome home for decades, this Texas woman made it a reality

by Sarah Leeson
Mar 7, 2024
"I'm not getting any younger. If I'm going to have a dome, I need to get on with it," said Paula Stone of Fredericksburg, Texas.
Paula Stone's home is made up of five connected monolithic domes that she designed herself.
Courtesy Stone
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Democracy in the Desert

When the local paper folds, who's left to cover the news?

by David Brancaccio and Alex Schroeder
Feb 27, 2024
Checking in with the remaining reporters in Val Verde County, Texas, three years after its last daily newspaper folded.
Del Rio, Texas, lost its daily newspaper in 2020. Media researchers have labeled Val Verde County, in which Del Rio is located, a "news desert." But that doesn't mean it's a complete vacuum of information.
David Brancaccio/Marketplace
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Democracy in the Desert

How voters in a Texas news desert get their information

by David Brancaccio and Alex Schroeder
Feb 26, 2024
Researchers have labeled 204 counties in America as "news deserts" — places that lack access to credible, reliable news sources. That includes Val Verde County, Texas.
Del Rio is county seat of Val Verde County, Texas — one of more than 200 counties in the U.S. classified as a "news desert."
David Brancaccio/Marketplace
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