The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit uncovers big stories that matter to Texans and the nation, taking aim at corruption, injustice and malfeasance across the state. Read on for the latest stories, and be sure to sign up to get the latest on the people and policies shaping the future of Texas with the Tribune’s weekday newsletter.
By Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica, and Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
Gov. Greg Abbott and others have been sending thousands of migrants to Washington. D.C. District Attorney General Karl Racine is investigating whether migrants have been deceived. Full Story
The generator industry has touted automatic shut-off switches as a lifesaving fix for carbon monoxide poisoning. But the voluntary standard falls short of what federal regulators say is necessary to eliminate deaths. Full Story
By Vianna Davila, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Davis Winkie, Military Times
The Army also said its pretrial confinement rules are “currently under revision” in a statement to Military Times, which is partnering with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune to report on military justice. Full Story
State troopers outnumbered local law enforcement 2-to-1 outside Robb Elementary, but the Department of Public Safety has blocked the release of records and carefully shaped the narrative to cast local authorities as incompetent. Full Story
By Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Maya Miller, ProPublica
Two air monitoring initiatives are moving forward in Laredo after an analysis by the news outlets showed that a plant emitting ethylene oxide elevated the estimated lifetime cancer risk for nearly 130,000 people, including over 37,000 children. Full Story
Comparing the cases of Pvt. Olivia Ochoa and Pfc. Christian Alvarado provides a striking example of Army commanders’ uneven use of pretrial confinement. Full Story
We’re looking into how the military investigates service members accused of crimes, intersects with the civilian justice system and treats cases that do not make it to courts-martial. Guide us to important stories. Full Story
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Soldiers are more likely to be held before trial for drug charges than for sexual assault, an analysis of court data shows. Here’s how reporters from The Texas Tribune and ProPublica figured it out. Full Story
A first-of-its-kind analysis reveals that soldiers in the Army are more likely to be locked up ahead of trial for drug offenses than for sexual assault under a system that gives commanders control. Full Story
Greg Abbott claimed Texas provides expectant mothers “necessary resources so that they can choose life for their child,” but it is now one of a dwindling number of states not to offer Medicaid coverage for a full year after residents give birth. Full Story
Lawmakers tried in 2009 to require that the state report all court-ordered mental health hospitalizations to a federal gun background check system. Juveniles have been left out. Full Story
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Emails obtained by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica confirm that federal authorities are probing discrimination claims involving Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar border initiative. Full Story
Many generators on the market have not received potentially lifesaving safety upgrades. Citing an investigation by The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and NBC News after the February 2021 winter storm, a House committee wants to know why. Full Story
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica have submitted about 70 requests to state and local agencies for emergency response documentation surrounding the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. Most likely won’t be released publicly for months, if ever. Full Story
The lawsuit cites findings from a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation that showed a small border town issued far more tickets for violations of stay-at-home orders in April 2020 than two major cities combined. Full Story
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Federal authorities have reached a deal that gives builders of the privately funded fence control over where to inspect for damage and leeway over which issues they choose to repair. Full Story
This week’s massacre in Uvalde highlights disparities in how federal laws regulate rifles and handguns. The shooter bought two rifles days after his 18th birthday. Full Story
By Perla Trevizo and Lomi Kriel, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, Kengo Tsutsumi, ProPublica, and Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, The Marshall Project
As reporters investigated Gov. Greg Abbott’s border initiative, they repeatedly found situations in which Abbott and Department of Public Safety officials cited accomplishments that lacked crucial context or did not match reality. Here are a few examples. Full Story
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
By Lomi Kriel and Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, The Marshall Project
Since 2005, Texas Govs. Rick Perry and Greg Abbott have launched a multitude of widely publicized and costly border initiatives, which usually kicked off during their reelection campaigns or while they were considering bids for higher office. Full Story