Naveena Sadasivam
By Naveena Sadasivam:
Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia Make History as First Texas Latinas Elected to Congress
Escobar said she hopes to be a check on Trump’s worst tendencies and “push back against the politics of hatred” in Congress.
In the nearly 175 years since Texas joined the union, the state has sent more 300 representatives to Congress, but none have been Latina — until now. As of 8:30 p.m., campaigns for El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar and … Read More
House District 105 is Gerrymandered but Diversifying. Will Republicans Eke Out Another Win?
In the last decade, Democrats have come within a few percentage points of winning House District 105 in the Dallas suburbs three times. In 2008, the year of the last blue wave in Texas fueled by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, … Read More
Why Environmental Groups Are Salty on Corpus Christi’s Pricey Desalination Plan
Despite the cost, logistical challenges and environmental side effects, city officials are moving forward on their plan to bolster Corpus Christi's water supply.
Having tried little else to save its water supply, Corpus Christi is considering an option that no other Texas city has embraced: seawater desalination. The strategy has long been considered a far-in-the-future option because of its cost, logistical challenges and … Read More
Exxon Appears to Mislead State to Secure Tax Break
In an application for a tax break from the Texas comptroller’s office, Exxon inaccurately claimed it hadn’t applied for any other permits for the facility.
In an effort to secure about $65 million in tax breaks, Exxon appears to have misled the state about how far along it was in deciding where to build a $1.9 billion plastics plant. In July, Exxon applied for a … Read More
Jury Finds TCEQ Did Not Discriminate Against Former Employee
State employees testified that Shiyan Jiang, the plaintiff, was argumentative, dismissive and insulting to other staff.
On Thursday, an eight-member jury sided with the state and found that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Kim Wilson, one of the agency’s directors, did not discriminate against a former employee on the basis of race, age or … Read More
Government Asks Court for More Time To Fix Houston’s Decades-Long Sewage Problem
A lawsuit by state and federal authorities could ultimately delay a fix to Houston’s widespread sewage leaks, which disproportionately affect minority and poor communities, advocates say.
Houston has a sewage problem. In the last five years, the city has self-reported more than 9,300 instances of untreated sewage overflowing from its sewer systems. The foul, bacteria-laden mixture often ends up in the city’s bayous and other waterways, … Read More
How Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Appointment Would Affect Texans’ Air, Water and Land
The controversial Supreme Court nominee has a track record of siding with industry interests over environmental protections.
Media attention has been riveted on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., this week, from his dodgy answers on Roe v. Wade to Democrats’ attempts to delay his confirmation. But what has received less scrutiny … Read More
Former TCEQ Employee Files Race and Age Discrimination Lawsuit Against Agency
Shiyan Jiang, who worked at TCEQ for 23 years, says he was repeatedly passed over for promotions and assignments given to younger, white employees.
On April 29, 2016, Shiyan Jiang learned he was being fired from his job at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Jiang, then 71, had been a hydrologist at the agency for more than 20 years, and he’d never received … Read More
The Making of the ‘Magic Valley’
Shallow Waters Shallow Waters is a nine-part series on border water and climate change. Part 6 The Making of the ‘Magic Valley’ How Anglos came to control agriculture in the heavily Latino Rio Grande Valley. by Naveena Sadasivam August 21, … Read More