Wade Goodwyn http://wrkf.org en Okla. Tornado Survivors Try To Collect Lives After Storm http://wrkf.org/post/okla-tornado-survivors-try-collect-lives-after-storm Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In Moore, for the many people whose homes were destroyed, the top priorities are finding a place to stay, some clothes to wear, and food to eat. NPR's Wade Goodwyn has been talking with survivors in Moore, and he sent this story.<p>WADE GOODWYN, BYLINE: Jamie Martinez(ph) is a retired police officer who still does security work, and that's where he was when the tornado slammed into his neighborhood yesterday.<p>JAMIE MARTINEZ: Our house is gone. It's leveled. Our - missing six pets; the least of our problems. I mean, we're alive; that's what counts. Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 10740 at http://wrkf.org At NRA Convention, Dueling Narratives Displayed With Guns http://wrkf.org/post/nra-convention-dueling-narratives-displayed-guns 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.<p>The NRA is coming off of a major victory: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/17/177638177/senate-rejects-expanded-background-checks-for-gun-sales">the defeat</a> of gun control legislation in the Senate. Sat, 04 May 2013 09:51:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 9895 at http://wrkf.org At NRA Convention, Dueling Narratives Displayed With Guns Mourners Pack Arena To Honor Victims Of Texas Explosion http://wrkf.org/post/mourners-pack-arena-honor-victims-texas-explosion Transcript <p>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: <p>It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.<p>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: <p>And I'm Renee Montagne.<p>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. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:17:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 9484 at http://wrkf.org Thousands Attend Memorial For Plant Explosion Victims http://wrkf.org/post/thousands-attend-memorial-plant-explosion-victims 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. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:49:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 9472 at http://wrkf.org Officials Seek Answers In Aftermath Of Deadly Explosion http://wrkf.org/post/officials-seek-answers-aftermath-deadly-explosion 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.<p>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.<p>Texas Sen. Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:21:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 9199 at http://wrkf.org Officials Seek Answers In Aftermath Of Deadly Explosion Investigators Search For Clues In Texas Plant Explosion http://wrkf.org/post/investigators-search-clues-texas-plant-explosion Transcript <p>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: <p>And let's turn now, briefly, to West, Texas, the scene of this week's fertilizer plant explosion. Many questions remain unanswered there. In fact, it's still hard to estimate how many people were killed. We do know that regulators had a few concerns with this plant in the past, though it's not clear if anybody questioned the plant's location near homes and a school.<p>And amid all these questions, the people of West are picking up and taking stock. Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:55:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 9156 at http://wrkf.org Texas Contractors Say Playing By The Rules Doesn't Pay http://wrkf.org/post/texas-contractors-say-playing-rules-doesnt-pay <em>This story is part of a two-part series about the construction industry in Texas. Find the first part <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/04/10/176677299/construction-booming-in-texas-but-many-workers-pay-dearly" target="_blank">here</a>.</em><p>Homes in Texas are cheap — at least compared with much of the country. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:21:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 8750 at http://wrkf.org Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly http://wrkf.org/post/construction-booming-texas-many-workers-pay-dearly 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.<p>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.<p>Many of those workers have been in the U.S. for years, even decades. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:20:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 8693 at http://wrkf.org Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly Texas Study Points To A Longer Natural Gas Boom http://wrkf.org/post/texas-study-points-longer-natural-gas-boom 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.<p>Well, that was over the top. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:01:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 6868 at http://wrkf.org Texas Study Points To A Longer Natural Gas Boom Texas Court Of Inquiry To Decide If Prosecutor Lied http://wrkf.org/post/texas-court-inquiry-decide-if-prosecutor-lied Transcript <p>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: <p>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. Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:10:00 +0000 Wade Goodwyn 5730 at http://wrkf.org