Archive
Texas Churches Violate the Law Ahead of Tuesday’s Election, Experts Say
Churches in Texas invited Beto O’Rourke and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to speak to their congregations before the 2022 midterms, raising questions about the effectiveness of the Johnson Amendment.
Newly Obtained Uvalde 911 Calls Shed More Light on Botched Police Response
Audio and police camera footage obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune show the depths of confusion in the law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting.
Churches Are Breaking the Law by Endorsing in Elections, Experts Say. The IRS Looks the Other Way.
For nearly 70 years, federal law has barred churches from directly involving themselves in political campaigns, but the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen about publicly backing candidates.
Tell Us How Religious Organizations in Your Area Involve Themselves in Elections
Federal law bars churches and other nonprofit groups from endorsing candidates or helping to fundraise, but we know they regularly sidestep — or flat-out ignore — these rules. Help us identify examples.
Greg Abbott’s Executive Power Play
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has consolidated power like none before him, at times circumventing the GOP-controlled Legislature and overriding local officials. A flurry of executive measures has solidified his base and raised his national profile.
Election Administrators Are Under Attack. Here’s What That Means for the Upcoming Midterms.
Harassment and threats have driven election officials to resign at unprecedented rates since the 2020 presidential election. David Becker, the founder of The Center for Election Innovation & Research, talked with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune about what that means for the future of our democracy.
D.C. Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Republican Governors’ Shipping of Immigrants to the Capital
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others have been sending thousands of immigrants to Washington, D.C. Karl Racine, the district’s attorney general, is investigating whether immigrants have been deceived.
A Shut-Off Switch Was Supposed to Prevent 99% of Generator-Related Deaths. It Failed a Family of Three.
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.
Congresswoman Calls for Examination of Military Pretrial Confinement
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.
Texas State Police Deflect Blame, Downplay Their Role in Uvalde Shooting Failures
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.
Texas-Mexico Border Town Approves Air Pollution Monitoring Following ProPublica and Texas Tribune Investigation
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.
He Was Accused of Sexual Assault, She of Using Drugs. The Military Dealt With Them Very Differently.
Comparing the cases of Pvt. Olivia Ochoa and Pfc. Christian Alvarado provides a striking example of Army commanders’ uneven use of pretrial confinement.
A Mom’s Campaign to Ban Library Books Divided a Texas Town — and Her Own Family
Weston Brown thought he had fully come to terms with his mother's anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Then he saw the video of her speaking at a school board meeting. “I couldn’t stay quiet about that.”
In the Army, You’re More Likely to Be Detained for Drugs Than Sexual Assault
A first-of-its-kind analysis reveals that, on average, Army soldiers had to face at least eight counts of sexual offenses before their commanders jailed them ahead of trial as often as soldiers charged with drug or burglary crimes.
Twice Accused of Sexual Assault, He Was Let Go by Army Commanders. He Attacked Again.
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.
How We Tracked Pretrial Confinement Rates in the U.S. Army
Soldiers are more likely to be held before trial for drug charges than for sexual assault, an analysis of court records shows. Here’s how reporters from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune figured it out.
Help ProPublica and The Texas Tribune Report on the Military Justice System
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.
The EPA Has Identified 23 U.S. Facilities Whose Toxic Air Pollution Puts People at Risk
Following reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune and attention from the EPA inspector general, the agency announced plans to "inform and engage" communities about elevated cancer risk from ethylene oxide. It should have done so years ago.
News Organizations Sue Texas Department of Public Safety Over Withheld Uvalde Shooting Records
The lawsuit alleges that the state police have unlawfully withheld records, including body camera footage and emergency communications, during the Robb Elementary shooting.
