Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune has been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist
by By Sonal Shah and Sewell Chan, The Texas Tribune – 2024-05-06 14:46:20
SUMMARY: The Texas Tribune, along with ProPublica and FRONTLINE, became a Pulitzer Prize finalist for explanatory reporting on the botched law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting. Their investigation revealed shortcomings in police training, lack of standardized shooting reports, and insufficient gun control laws in Texas. A U.S. Department of Justice report underscored “cascading failures of leadership” in the Uvalde response. The deep-dive journalism by these organizations included a FRONTLINE film and received multiple accolades, including a National Magazine Award. The news teams continue to scrutinize the comprehensive failures that contributed to the tragedy, while receiving support to cover such emotionally challenging stories.
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Today, The Texas Tribune was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the first time in its history, alongside our partners ProPublica and FRONTLINE, in the category of explanatory reporting.
The three organizations were recognized for our work investigating the failed law enforcement response to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which took the lives of 19 students and 2 educators. Our coverage showed how officers feared the shooter's AR-15, how more mass active shooter training is required of children than law enforcement, how there's a lack of standardization of police reports on such shootings and how Texas has failed to pass meaningful gun control laws despite several mass shootings here. This coverage also included a FRONTLINE film, “Inside the Uvalde Response.”
The Tribune obtained a massive trove of files that included confidential interviews with state and local law enforcement officers who were interviewed in the aftermath of the tragedy about their experiences, assumptions and fears that day. We understood that the Uvalde shooting response was not primarily a failure because of one or two officers, but rather because of a collection of errors in judgment and action.
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The U.S. Department of Justice, in a comprehensive report released in January 2024, found that “cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy and training” led to the bungled response. “Had law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices in an active shooter situation and gone right after the shooter to stop him, lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in releasing the report.
Long after most camera crews left Uvalde, the Tribune stayed on the story, joined by members of our ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit and then by FRONTLINE journalists.
While news organizations, including our own, had previously revealed facets of the failure, many questions remained about the extent of the failures and whether they pointed to larger systemic problems rather than individual mistakes. Our unique collaboration offered an exhaustive account of the entire scope of the response.
Earlier this year, this collaboration was recognized with a National Magazine Award for reporting and the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability.
While we are grateful for this incredibly special recognition, we acknowledge this was one of the most emotionally difficult stories any of us had ever covered. We appreciate the work of the Dart Center on Trauma and Journalism at Columbia Journalism School with helping our staff to cover this tragedy with care for our subjects and sources and care for the journalists involved. We are grateful to the survivors and relatives of victims in Uvalde, who entrusted us with their stories. We hope that our work might better inform and prepare law enforcement agencies that have the difficult task of training officers to react to mass shootings.
Since 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes have recognized excellence in journalism and the arts. The prizes are awarded by Columbia University on the recommendations of the Pulitzer board. (The Tribune's editor in chief, Sewell Chan, joined the board in 2022 but was recused from this category and played no role in the Tribune's selection.)
The Pulitzer for explanatory reporting, awarded since 1998, recognizes work “that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation, using any available journalistic tool.”
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The post The Texas Tribune has been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist appeared first on TexasTribune.org.
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Inside the Interim: A conversation with Dallas lawmakers
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Texas Tribune
Texas conservation groups use new formula to show their value
by By Alejandra Martinez and Carlos Nogueras Ramos, The Texas Tribune – 2024-07-12 05:00:00
SUMMARY: Jenny Sanders, raised on Texas ranches by a wildlife biologist father, works to protect the environment in Lufkin, Texas. She coordinates various environmental projects, focusing on preventing the longleaf pine from vanishing. However, gaining donor support has been challenging due to insufficient data to demonstrate the impact of conservation efforts. In 2024, a report by Texan by Nature introduced formulas to calculate environmental benefits like water collection and carbon capture. This data helped Sanders secure significant funding, with Texas Longleaf Team receiving $825,000 in federal funding and nearly $1 million from private sources, enhancing their conservation capabilities.
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Jenny Sanders always knew she'd follow in her father's footsteps. Raised on Texas ranches by her wildlife biologist father, she has spent her life working to protect the environment with the Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Agricultural Land Trust and a private ranch in South Texas.
Today, the 44-year-old works in Lufkin helping various environmental organizations as an independent project coordinator, and since 2019, she's worked with The Texas Longleaf Team to prevent the longleaf pine from vanishing.
The group relies on grants to support its efforts to protect the soaring trees, which once covered large swaths of East Texas but have shrunk to about 45,000 acres because of heavy logging in the early 1900s.
But attracting donors can be a challenge. Sanders, along with other conservation experts, said the argument to conserve the environment has largely relied on data that donors considered insufficient.
“We're really good at talking about the warm and fuzzy,” Sanders said. But corporations want specifics on benefits their money is producing through conservation work, including details like how much water the trees collect from rainfall or the amount of carbon emissions they trap.
Sanders, who is the nonprofit's only employee, enlists the help of volunteers, contractors and other groups. But with Texas Longleaf Team's modest $250,000 annual budget, she was unable to do the kind of studies that potential donors wanted.
Then, in June 2024, a first-of-its-kind report introduced formulas for calculating that very information in different Texas ecosystems.
The report, published by Texan by Nature, includes a flexible formula that allows conservationists across Texas to adapt the calculations according to their specific projects and regions.
It's a way to show that conservation efforts can offer data and results potential donors want to see, said Joni Carswell, president of Texan by Nature, a nonprofit that supports conservation programs in Texas through services that help conservation programs develop marketing campaigns and reports. They also introduce conservationists to potential donors in the private sector and host networking summits.
“We're gonna pull the heartstrings, because it does make you feel good, we're doing good things,” Carswell said. “But we also want to show the true value of the work that we're doing and show that we'll be smart about investing in our future.”
The report found that nearly 200 nonprofit organizations in Texas spent $639 million on restoration, education, policy and programs related to environmental conservation. The report's authors analyzed tax filings, which detailed how much money nonprofits spent on program services and fundraising.
Texan by Nature also calculated a return on investment, which they valued at $2.8 billion. That figure includes water quality and quantity, carbon capture and increased tourism.
It's a recipe the authors created from scratch, Carswell said, adding that measuring the value of individual projects wasn't easy.
Texan by Nature spent five years locating environmental and recreational conservation projects across the state. From the West Texas deserts to the East Texas forests, the report's authors studied roughly 34 million acres that conservation groups had restored or improved in some way.
“If I'm making a building, I could see what the benefit is and what the cost is,” said Edward Piñero, president of EcoMetrics, a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm that helps conservation groups translate their work into financial spreadsheets. “But if I'm planting trees or restoring wetlands, it's sometimes harder to get a handle on what the benefits are and, more importantly, what they're worth so that you can make financial decisions.”
Texan by Nature divided the state into ten geographical areas, called ecoregions, such as the Trans-Pecos desert, the Edwards Plateau and the Post Oak Savannah.
By focusing on unique ecosystems, the authors were able to better assess each region's condition and identify the areas conservationists can improve upon — called the “uplift,” or improvement over the baseline condition of the land. Then they tracked the improvements to the land, acre by acre, which allowed them to demonstrate the value of conservation efforts.
“If we improve it with reforestation or we improve it with repairs or native vegetation, what is that difference in water flow? Or what is that difference in carbon capture?” Carswell said. “That's what's being captured with these projects.”
In the Coastal Bend region, for example, Texan by Nature enlisted conservationists to restore and protect a 1.5 million-acre watershed surrounding Baffin Bay, 50 miles south of Corpus Christi. Part of the massive project, which began in 2022, includes repairing or replacing 1,300 failing septic tanks in the area. Another involves restoring 660 acres of seagrass.
Servicing and replacing aging septic tanks reduces pollution seeping into the watershed, Carswell said.
Texan by Nature provided data about Baffin Bay so that conservationists can seek funding to restore 13,200 acres, which they estimate will bring the local community $165 million per year in recreational spending, like fishing trips, and lower healthcare expenses thanks in part to a less polluted bay.
For Sanders, restoring longleaf pines in East Texas involves convincing landowners about the benefits of the trees, which include providing a home to endangered species like red-cockaded woodpeckers and contributing to water filtration.
The towering trees, with a lifespan of 300 years and heights of up to 100 feet, once blanketed 90 million acres between Texas and Virginia but now cover less than 3% of their original range.
She said the biggest challenge is delivering the data donors evaluate when deciding whether a project is worth their investment. While Texas Longleaf Team provided information on the tree's survival capabilities — they can withstand windstorms, wildfires and drought — and the number of acres restored, Texan by Nature calculated other factors, like how much water the trees absorb from rainfall, how much they reduce erosion and help local aquifers recharge.
An acre of longleaf pine forest can capture and filter 100,000 gallons of water a year, data gathered by Texan by Nature estimated. That's the kind of data she wasn't able to produce before working with Texan by Nature, she said.
When Sanders used the new data to apply for funding, Texas Longleaf received $825,000 in federal funding — more than three times the organization's annual budget. She also received almost $1 million in private funding, the most the organization had ever received. She said at least two private companies had reached out to sponsor her projects, which was a first for the group.
“How do you make it matter to a funder or potential partner? You break it down to the simplest metrics that they understand,” Carswell said.
Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
The post Texas conservation groups use new formula to show their value appeared first on TexasTribune.org.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Texas Tribune
Allred punts on whether Biden should continue reelection bid
by By Jasper Scherer, The Texas Tribune – 2024-07-11 18:01:43
SUMMARY: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat aiming to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, commented on President Biden's poor debate performance, expressing disappointment but avoiding whether Biden should seek reelection. Allred, under pressure to address Biden's perceived lack of fitness for office, stated he hasn't been part of the conversations about Biden's next steps and remains focused on defeating Cruz. He has kept some distance from Biden, particularly on immigration issues. While some Texas Democrats like Rep. Lloyd Doggett have called for Biden to withdraw his candidacy, others have yet to clearly state their position on Biden's reelection.
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U.S. Rep. Colin Allred broke his silence Thursday on President Joe Biden's unsteady debate performance but declined to say whether he thinks Biden should continue to seek reelection amid calls from some Democrats for the president to nix his campaign.
Allred, a Dallas Democrat who is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his seat, has faced mounting pressure to address Biden's halting performance during last month's presidential debate, which fed doubts about the president's acuity and fitness for office. A growing number of Democrats in Congress have called for Biden to exit the race, citing concerns about his ability to compete with Republican Donald Trump, though many have continued to stand behind Biden.
In a statement, Allred said he was “disappointed with what I saw in the debate” but otherwise punted on weighing in.
“I know that many conversations about next steps are happening and I have not been a part of those conversations,” Allred said. “I remain laser-focused on listening to Texans about what matters most to them and defeating Ted Cruz.”
Allred had otherwise stayed silent in the two weeks since Biden's debate performance. He declined to comment as he was leaving the U.S. House chamber the day after the debate, saying he was still “processing” what happened. Allred told The Dallas Morning News Thursday it's “up to [Biden] to prove” whether he's fit to serve another term.
Cruz's campaign has slammed Allred for not staking out a position on Biden and labeled him “Can't Comment Colin” on social media.
Allred has generally tried to keep Biden at arm's length in his Senate bid, especially on immigration matters as polls show Texas voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's approach to the southern border. Recent statewide polling has shown an erratic range of results in the Allred-Cruz race, though some surveys have shown Allred within striking distance and running a few points ahead of Biden.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, last week called on Biden to step down as his party's nominee. He is the only Democrat from Texas' congressional delegation who has urged the president to withdraw.
Three other Texas Democrats have yet to say explicitly whether they still back Biden as the party's nominee: Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth. The remaining members have issued public comments supporting Biden.
Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
The post Allred punts on whether Biden should continue reelection bid appeared first on TexasTribune.org.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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