‘Up Against a 500-Pound Gorilla’: Can Dems Make Inroads in Deep-Red West Texas?
With a candidate on the ballot in every state and federal race, the minority party is trying hard to gain some ground in the GOP’s electoral firewall.
Rural Texas
Rural Poverty, Youth Homelessness Abound in Loraine, Pop. 587
Loraine ISD helps homeless students cope, but few other public resources are available for youth in Texas’ remote Big Country.
Big Spring Vs. Big Oil
In the heart of the West Texas oil patch, a new fracking frenzy is putting a strain on groundwater.
Top 1 Percent of Texas Commodity Farmers Get Quarter of $1.6 Billion in Subsidies
Subsidy program reforms were supposed to save taxpayers billions, but corn and sorghum farmers in Texas are getting more money than they have in a decade.
USDA Rolls Back ‘Fair Practice’ Rule That Would’ve Protected Texas Chicken Farmers
Texas is the sixth biggest producer of broiler chickens in the nation, accounting for $2.6 billion in sales.
New Estimate Puts Harvey Agriculture Losses at $200 Million, One-Tenth of Irma
The figure is only one-fifth of Hurricane Ike’s $1 billion agriculture losses and one-tenth of Irma’s.
Immigrant Workers in Texas Could Fill Farm Vacancies, but They’re Trapped in the Valley
Immigration checkpoints are keeping undocumented immigrants in South Texas while farmers in other parts of the state are desperate for labor.
Despite GOP Claims, an Estate Tax Repeal Won’t Help 99 Percent of Farmers
The estate tax is levied on few farmers and ranchers, but Republicans still are pushing for its repeal.
Costs for Rural Towns Surge after Hurricane Harvey Hits Water Systems
In Patton Village, some residents went weeks without access to clean drinking water, and now their sewer system is running on a “Band-aid.”
Reports of Livestock Deaths, Other Ag Losses Trickle in After Harvey
The Texas Animal Health Commission and USDA, however, are mum on an estimated death toll.