https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/chris-essig/The latest news by Chris Essig.enThu, 14 Nov 2024 09:30:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/14/texas-population-changes-rural-urban/Local leaders and rural revitalization experts say Texas’ smallest towns can survive — despite a shift to urban and suburban counties — but it will take investments.By Jayme Lozano Carver, Graphics by Chris EssigThu, 14 Nov 2024 09:30:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/14/texas-population-changes-rural-urban/Cornudas, with a population of less than 20, hosts a chili cook-off hoping to draw more than 1,000 visitors on Sept. 28. Small towns like Cornudas have struggled to grow along with the state's population.Cornudas, Texas with a population of less than 20, hosts a chili cook-off hoping to draw over 1,000 visitors on September 28, 2024.Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of October 1.By Chris EssigMon, 28 Oct 2024 11:30:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/27/sandra-santos-julie-chang-rob-reid/Santos is our evening news editor, Chang our health and human services editor and Reid our education data developer.By Sewell Chan, Chris Essig and Matthew WatkinsTue, 27 Aug 2024 08:30:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/27/sandra-santos-julie-chang-rob-reid/Sandra Santos, Julie Chang and Rob Reid are the latest journalists to join The Texas Tribune’s newsroom.From left: Sandra Santos, Julie Chang and Rob Reid.The Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of July 1.By Chris EssigFri, 26 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of April 1.By Chris EssigTue, 30 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of January 1.By Chris EssigFri, 12 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/28/texas-tribune-data-visuals-top-stories-2023/The Texas Tribune’s data visuals team helped contextualize many of the state’s major stories this year. Here’s a look at some of our most memorable work.By Chris EssigThu, 28 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/28/texas-tribune-data-visuals-top-stories-2023/Credit: Alex Fordhttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of July 1. It includes detailed data for the 113 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Chris EssigTue, 08 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/27/ken-paxton-texas-house-impeachment-vote/Here’s a list of the representatives who voted for and against impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday.By Carla Astudillo and Chris EssigSat, 27 May 2023 18:27:15 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/27/ken-paxton-texas-house-impeachment-vote/The electronic voting board in the House chamber on July 19, 2021The electronic voting board in the House chamber on July 19, 2021Sophie Park/The Texas Tribunehttps://apps.texastribune.org/features/2019/texas-10-years-of-mass-shootings-timeline/Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms.By Mandi Cai and Chris EssigSun, 07 May 2023 12:57:00 -0500https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2019/texas-10-years-of-mass-shootings-timeline/An Allen police officer stands guard outside Hampton Inn, across from the Allen Premium Outlets after a shooting on May 6, 2023.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of April 1. It includes detailed data for the 113 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Chris EssigThu, 04 May 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of Feb. 1. It includes detailed data for the 113 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Carla Astudillo and Chris EssigMon, 13 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://apps.texastribune.org/features/2022/texas-legislature-livestream/The Texas Tribune is streaming the 2023 legislative session live from the Texas House and Senate chambers. The session runs from Jan. 10 to May 29.By Chris EssigTue, 10 Jan 2023 09:07:00 -0600https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2022/texas-legislature-livestream/https://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of October 1. It includes detailed data for the 112 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Chris Essig and Yuriko SchumacherTue, 15 Nov 2022 13:50:00 -0600https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/24/covid-case-tracker-end/After nearly two and a half years, we’re no longer tracking daily coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations in Texas.By Chris EssigWed, 24 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/24/covid-case-tracker-end/A health care worker helps register people for COVID-19 testing at a drive-thru testing megasite at the Don Haskins Recreation Center on Jan. 11, 2022, in El Paso.A healthcare worker helps register people for COVID-19 testing at a drive-through mega-testing site at the Don Haskins Recreation Center Center, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in El Paso. The testing sites in El Paso help serve people from three regions: West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico (for those allowed to cross the US-Mexico border).Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of July 1. It includes detailed data for the 112 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Chris EssigThu, 21 Jul 2022 13:35:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://salaries.texastribune.org/The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of April 1. It includes detailed data for the 112 agencies in state government and positions at each of those agencies.By Chris Essig and Mandi CaiFri, 22 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0500https://salaries.texastribune.org/Government Salaries ExplorerPhoto Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/07/scripps-howard-fellows/Fabiana Chaparro will join the multimedia team, and Caroline Covington will join the data visuals team.By Chris Essig and Todd WisemanThu, 07 Apr 2022 11:47:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/07/scripps-howard-fellows/Scripps Howard Foundation fellows Fabiana Chaparro, left, and Caroline Covington.From left: 2022-2023 Scripps Howard Foundation fellows Fabiana Chaparro and Caroline Covington.Courtesy Fabiana Chaparro and Dan Fassnachthttps://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/24/national-guard-Texas-border-morale-survey/Frustration, anxiety and anger prevailed in the survey responses obtained by the The Texas Tribune and Military Times. The survey includes responses from nearly 250 members of Task Force South, one of six units that fall under the umbrella of Operation Lone Star.By Davis Winkie, Military Times, James Barragán and Chris Essig, The Texas Tribune, and Rachel Cohen, Military TimesThu, 24 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/24/national-guard-Texas-border-morale-survey/A group migrants waits at a gate near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021. The group turned themselves over to the National Guard and Customs and Border Protection officials.A group migrants waits at a gate near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021. The group turned themselves over to the National Guard and Customs and Border Protection officials.Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/02/TEXAS-OMICRON-HOSPITALIZATIONS/Texas falls short, again, of the pandemic record for COVID-19 hospitalizations, while daily deaths are expected to continue rising for several more days.By Karen Brooks Harper, Chris Essig and José Luis MartínezWed, 02 Feb 2022 16:39:25 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/02/TEXAS-OMICRON-HOSPITALIZATIONS/ER nurse Meredith Brooks, center, helps transfer Winona Tevington, 90, out of the emergency room to her surgery at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital.ER nurse Meredith Brooks, center, helps transfer Winona Tevington, 90, out of the emergency room to her surgery at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune