Vianna Davila

Elon Musk Pushed Back on Our Reporting on His Houston Tunnels Plan. Experts Say His Comments Are Misleading. Musk said his proposal to build tunnels to address Houston’s chronic flooding woes would work, after an investigation raised questions about the plan’s effectiveness. But experts say his plan has key ...

Elon Musk refused to answer our questions about a massive flood control project his Boring Co. wants to build in Houston. Then he posted about it on X. Read our fact check of his statement from our partners at the
@houstonchronicle.com & @kutnews.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/fact...

These Charter Superintendents Are Some of the Highest Paid in Texas. Their Districts Are Among the Lowest Performing. Three charter school districts in Texas underreported the compensation paid to their top leaders. The same three districts have also had failing or near-failing performance ratings in recent years.

Earlier this year, we revealed three charter leaders in TX who have made hundreds of thousands on top of what's been reported to the state.

New accountability ratings show that each of their districts have failing or near-failing performance. One may be shut down.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...

A Texas Congressman Is Quietly Helping Elon Musk Pitch a $760M Plan to Build Tunnels Under Houston to Ease Flooding For years, experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters and save lives and property. Now Elon Musk’s tunneling company wants a piece of the project.

NEW: Internal records show how Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt has worked to get Elon Musk access to state and local officials ahead of a formal bidding process for a Houston flood project.

Both stand to benefit should Musk be selected.

By @lmcgaughy.bsky.social‬ and @chengyilun.bsky.social‬

A Texas Congressman Is Quietly Helping Elon Musk Pitch a $760M Plan to Build Tunnels Under Houston to Ease Flooding For years, experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters and save lives and property. Now Elon Musk’s tunneling company wants a piece of the project.

NEW: A Texas Congressman Is Quietly Helping Elon Musk Pitch a $760M Plan to Build Tunnels Under Houston to Ease Flooding, by
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social @chengyilun.bsky.social w/ Texas Newsroom @houstonchronicle.com and @texastribune.org

LOTS of Texas news this week, but don't miss this one from our colleagues and partners in Fort Worth:

Texas pastors poised to wield political power after IRS says churches can endorse candidates Fort Worth-area faith leaders are ready for greater political involvement in their congregations after the IRS says churches can endorse political candidates.

The IRS has given religious leaders the green light to endorse political candidates. Our @fortworthreport.bsky.social partners spoke to state Rep Nate Schatzline about his plans to push pastors to get more politically involved. @propublica.org @texastribune.org fortworthreport.org/2025/08/04/t...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Is Outsourcing More of His Office’s Work to Costly Private Lawyers Despite having an office of hundreds of attorneys, Ken Paxton is frequently opting for private lawyers — many to whom he has personal or political ties — to argue on behalf of Texas. One attorney cost...

Proud to have edited this excellent investigation from @zachdespart.bsky.social about TX Attorney General Ken Paxton's increasing use of pricey outside lawyers, rather than the 100s of attorneys he has on staff. Read more from @propublica.org & @texastribune.org www.propublica.org/article/ken-...

Texas Lawmakers Largely Ignored Recommendations Aimed at Helping Rural Areas Like Kerr County Prepare for Flooding Texas lawmakers’ inaction on flood prevention often hits rural and economically disadvantaged communities the hardest, experts said.

A special session starts today in TX to address, in part, flood prevention in the wake of deadly July 4 flooding. But our latest from @propublica.org & the @texastribune.org shows how state lawmakers have repeatedly failed to take meaningful flood control measures www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Inside Elon Musk’s stellar year at the Texas Capitol While Elon Musk took Washington, D.C., by storm, his company representatives and lobbyists were notching up big political wins in the heart of his vast business empire: Texas.

All eyes were on Elon Musk in DC this year. But what he was up to in Texas? The brilliant @lmcgaughy.bsky.social dives DEEP into what he got out of the TX legislative session. Read more on @kutnews.bsky.social , part of our new @propublica.org / @texastribune.org collab www.kut.org/politics/202...

Texas Talks Tough on Immigration. But Lawmakers Won’t Force Most Private Companies to Check Employment Authorization. Texas’ conservative Legislature has again and again refused to mandate that most private businesses use E-Verify. Experts say that Republican resistance is rooted in how the system could impact the st...

TX politicos built a brand against illegal immigration. Yet unlike other GOP states, they refuse mandating E-Verify for companies. Doing so, said an ex-GOP state rep, "would create even worse problems. Do you want to go to a restaurant & use paper plates?"

www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Five Newsroom Partners Join ProPublica and The Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

I'm excited to announce that @propublica.org & the @texastribune.org will partner w/5 local TX newsrooms over the next year: @elpasomatters.bsky.social @fortworthreport.bsky.social @houstonchronicle.com @kutnews.bsky.social & @wfaach8.bsky.social Read more: www.propublica.org/atpropublica...

How Texas Conservatives Use At-Large School Board Elections to Influence What Students Learn In six Texas districts that used at-large voting systems, ideologically driven conservatives successfully helped elect school board members who have moved aggressively to ban or remove educational mat...

Apologies! I posted the wrong link b4! This is a must-read from @jschwartzreporter.bsky.social & Dan Keemahill about how TX's main method of electing school boards leads to white officials leading districts primarily made up of students of color. www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Thank you so much Irena!

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune Name Vianna Davila as New Texas Deputy Editor ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

Some professional news: starting this week, I became deputy editor of our ProPublica/Texas Tribune joint investigative unit. I'm very excited to help some amazing journalists uncover abuses of power in Texas. Keep sending news tips this way www.propublica.org/atpropublica...

A Trump DOJ Could Bring an End to the Yearslong Investigation of His Ally Ken Paxton Donald Trump and the Texas attorney general have forged a friendship over the years, one that has been cemented in their shared political and legal struggles and their willingness to come to each othe...

Some thought Texas AG Ken Paxton might be a candidate for Trump’s new attorney general. He didn’t get the job. But there’s a significant way Paxton could benefit from the new administration & his longtime ally. My latest for @propublica.org & @texastribune.org www.propublica.org/article/trum...

A Trump DOJ Could Bring an End to the Yearslong Investigation of His Ally Ken Paxton Donald Trump and the Texas attorney general have forged a friendship over the years, one that has been cemented in their shared political and legal struggles and their willingness to come to each…

NEW: The DOJ has been investigating Texas AG Ken Paxton since 2020 on allegations that he misused his position to help a political donor. Under Trump, a Paxton ally, the yearslong investigation could come to an end.

By @viannadavila.bsky.social w/ @texastribune.org

A Trump DOJ Could Bring an End to the Yearslong Investigation of His Ally Ken Paxton Donald Trump and the Texas attorney general have forged a friendship over the years, one that has been cemented in their shared political and legal struggles and their willingness to come to each othe...

NEW: Texas AG Ken Paxton has been under investigation for years for alleged corruption. Trump's Justice Department could end that. Smart story from @viannadavila.bsky.social of @propublica.org and @texastribune.org.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

I'm looking for investigative stories w/ a TX angle that have national impact or import. Topics I've written about here include TX Attorney General Ken Paxton, the military justice system and elections. In prev jobs, I've covered homelessness, criminal justice & transportation. Sky's the limit

Well let's see how this goes. I'm a @propublica.org / Texas Tribune investigative reporter based in Austin, born and raised in San Antonio. I want to hear your stories!