Vianna Davila

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!