Ren Larson
Ren Larson is a data journalist for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative.
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Ren Larson is a data journalist with the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Ren uses statistical methods, geospatial analysis and database development to investigate stories and hold officials accountable. She previously worked for the Arizona Republic where she reported on elections, immigration, environmental contamination and wildfires. Larson's 2019 project "Ahead of the Fire," which analyzed nearly 5,000 Western communities for wildfire hazard and human vulnerabilities, won the MIT Knight Science Journalism's Victor K. McElheny award, a 2019 EPPY award for innovation and was a finalist for the Philip Meyer Award.
She holds a masters of public policy and an M.A. in international and area studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to becoming a journalist, she was an urban planner, a case manager and a data analyst.
The Army Increasingly Allows Soldiers Charged With Violent Crimes to Leave the Military Rather Than Face Trial
A federal watchdog called for ending the practice nearly 50 years ago, but the military pushed back. Now, soldiers leave the Army with a negative discharge, avoiding possible federal conviction and with little record of the allegations against them.
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.
In the Army, You’re More Likely to Be Detained for Drugs Than Sexual Assault
On average, Army soldiers had to face at least eight counts of sexual offenses before their commanders jailed them ahead of trial.
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.
Civil Rights Lawsuit Accuses Police of Unlawfully Arresting a High Schooler in the Early Days of the Pandemic
The lawsuit cites findings from a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation that featured Socrates Shawn, who was commuting between his divorced parents’ homes when he was pulled over and arrested in April 2020 by an officer in Progreso, Texas.
El monóxido de carbono que producen los generadores envenena a miles de personas al año. Estados Unidos ha fallado en exigir cambios de seguridad.
Los generadores portátiles están entre los productos de consumo más mortales. Dos décadas después de que el gobierno identificará el peligro, el sistema deja a la gente vulnerable al permitir que la industria se regule a sí misma.
Carbon Monoxide From Generators Poisons Thousands of People a Year. The U.S. Has Failed to Force Safety Changes.
Portable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself.
Texas Enabled the Worst Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Catastrophe in Recent U.S. History
They used their car to stay warm when a winter storm brought down the Texas power grid. In a state that doesn’t require carbon monoxide alarms in homes, they had no warning they were poisoning themselves.