Wade Goodwyn

Health Officials Decry Texas' Snubbing Of Medicaid Billions

Wade Goodwyn — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000

The state of Texas is turning down billions of federal dollars that would have paid for health care coverage for 1.5 million poor Texans.

By refusing to participate in Medicaid expansion, which is part of the Affordable Care Act, the state will leave on the table an estimated $100 billion over the next decade.

Texas' share of the cost would have been just 7 percent of the total, but for Gov.

At NRA Convention, Dueling Narratives Displayed With Guns

Wade Goodwyn — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:51:00 +0000

The National Rifle Association is holding its annual convention in Houston this weekend. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend for speeches and demos and acres of guns, ammo and camo.

The NRA is coming off of a major victory: the defeat of gun control legislation in the Senate.

Mourners Pack Arena To Honor Victims Of Texas Explosion

Wade Goodwyn — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:17:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

Nearly 10,000 mourners gathered yesterday to honor the men who died fighting a fire in a fertilizer plant in Texas. They packed the basketball arena on the campus of Baylor University in Waco.

Thousands Attend Memorial For Plant Explosion Victims

Wade Goodwyn — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:16:00 +0000

President Obama visited Waco, Texas, on Thursday day to take part in a memorial for those killed in the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, last week.

Volunteers Help Residents Clear Explosion Debris In Texas

Wade Goodwyn — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:37:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

President Obama travels to another memorial today, this one in the Texas town of West. It is to remember those killed last week when a fertilizer plant exploded there. Yesterday, some of those living in homes closest to the plant were allowed back for the first time. NPR's Wade Goodwyn was there.

WADE GOODWYN, BYLINE: As a springtime Texas sun streams down gently through the live oaks, neighbors and volunteers flow in and out of their houses, carting broken glass and sheetrock.

Officials Seek Answers In Aftermath Of Deadly Explosion

Wade Goodwyn — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:21:00 +0000

With the house-to-house search over and the living and dead largely accounted for, the town of West, Texas, began the transition from shock and disbelief to communal grieving.

On Friday night, mourners gathered at St. Mary Church of the Assumption to remember the dead. Many of the dead were first responders who were fighting a roaring fire for 30 minutes before the explosion, which was felt 80 miles away in Fort Worth.

Texas Sen.

Texas Contractors Say Playing By The Rules Doesn't Pay

Wade Goodwyn — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:21:00 +0000

This story is part of a two-part series about the construction industry in Texas. Find the first part here.

Homes in Texas are cheap — at least compared with much of the country.

Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly

Wade Goodwyn — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:20:00 +0000

Like almost everything in the Texas, the construction industry in the Lone Star State is big. One in every 13 workers here is employed in the state's $54 billion-per-year construction industry.

Homebuilding and commercial construction may be an economic driver for the state, but it's also an industry riddled with hazards. Years of illegal immigration have pushed wages down, and accidents and wage fraud are common. Of the nearly 1 million workers laboring in construction here, approximately half are undocumented.

Many of those workers have been in the U.S. for years, even decades.

Enron's Skilling Could Win Early Release From Prison

Wade Goodwyn — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Former Enron CEO Jeffery Skilling could be released early from federal prison under a reduced sentencing agreement being considered at the Justice Department. Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in the energy trading giant's collapse

Texas Study Points To A Longer Natural Gas Boom

Wade Goodwyn — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:12:00 +0000

There are few things in life more joyful than discovering a giant oil or natural gas field in Texas. You're suddenly rich beyond your wildest dreams. When the scope and size of the natural gas reservoir in the Barnett Shale in North Texas first became apparent, there were predictions that the find would last 100 years.

Well, that was over the top.

Texas Court Of Inquiry To Decide If Prosecutor Lied

Wade Goodwyn — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:10:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In Texas, a court of inquiry has been convened to consider prosecuting a Texas judge. He's Ken Anderson. He used to be the district attorney in Williamson County, Texas, and he could face criminal charges for concealing exculpatory evidence. That's evidence that could clear a defendant of guilt. The inquiry concerns his conduct during what has become an infamous case - the prosecution and conviction of Michael Morton. Morton was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife.

Beleaguered American Airlines Looks For A Fresh Start With New Look

Wade Goodwyn — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:57:00 +0000

American Airlines unveiled the first change to its logo and the look of its planes since 1968 on Thursday.

Another George Bush Plans To Try His Hand At Politics

Wade Goodwyn — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:05:00 +0000

Another member of the Bush family is throwing his hat into the political ring: George Prescott Bush, 36, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has announced he is running for office in Texas.

The Bush name is still strong in the Lone Star State: George P. has already raised nearly $1.4 million, though he still hasn't said which statewide office he will run for.

At the age of 12, Bush led the Pledge of Allegiance before the 1988 Republican National Convention, when his grandfather George H.W.

Tea Party Texan Cruz Gives GOP Hope In Hunt For Hispanic Votes

Wade Goodwyn — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Sen.-elect Ted Cruz of Texas is a bright young Hispanic star who will be sworn in this week in Washington. The Republican Party nationally hopes Cruz will be part of the solution to its growing problem luring Hispanic voters.

Almost nobody had heard of Cruz when he began his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Amid Calls For Gun Control, Some Push For Weapons At School

Wade Goodwyn — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:56:00 +0000

A growing number of lawmakers are indicating they are open to considering new gun control measures in the wake of Friday's school shooting in Newtown, Conn. But while much of the national debate has focused on limiting access to guns, others are suggesting that schools should arm themselves to defend against attacks.

David Thweatt, school superintendent for the small Texas town of Harrold, northwest of Fort Worth, decided in 2006 that it was time to arm his staff. There's only one school in Harrold, a K-12 with 103 students.

Before 2006, there had already been enough carnage at U.S.