Ren Larson

Ren Larson was a data journalist at The Texas Tribune from March 2020 through December 2022. Before joining the Tribune, she reported on elections, immigration, environmental contamination and wildfires at The Arizona Republic. Her 2019 project "Ahead of the Fire," which analyzed nearly 5,000 Western communities for wildfire hazard and human vulnerabilities, won a 2019 EPPY award for innovation, the MIT Knight Science Journalism's Victor K. McElheny award 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. Before entering journalism in 2015, she worked as a city planner, a case manager and a data analyst.

Past Contributions

The Army increasingly allows soldiers charged with violent crimes to leave the military rather than face trial

By Vianna Davila, Lexi Churchill and Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Davis Winkie, Military Times April 10, 2023

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. Full Story

Credit: Joan Wong for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune
He was accused of sexual assault, she of using drugs. The military dealt with them very differently.

By Ren Larson, Vianna Davila and Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Aug. 15, 2022

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

Credit: Joan Wong for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
In the Army, you’re more likely to be detained for drugs than sexual assault

By Vianna Davila, Lexi Churchill and Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Kengo Tsutsumi, ProPublica Aug. 11, 2022

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 detained them ahead of trial as often as soldiers charged with drug or burglary crimes. Full Story

Credit: Joan Wong for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
Twice accused of sexual assault, he was let go by Army commanders. He attacked again.

By Vianna Davila, Lexi Churchill and Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Aug. 9, 2022

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

Credit: Joan Wong for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
How we tracked pretrial confinement rates in the U.S. Army

By Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Aug. 9, 2022

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

Credit: Joan Wong for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
Help The Texas Tribune and ProPublica report on the military justice system

By Vianna Davila, Ren Larson, Lexi Churchill and Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Adriana Gallardo, ProPublica Aug. 9, 2022

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

Credit: Joan Wong for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica
A Texas teen driving to his mother’s house was unlawfully arrested over pandemic restrictions, lawsuit says

By Vianna Davila and Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica June 13, 2022

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

Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
New law named for Vanessa Guillén will revamp military investigations into sexual assault, harassment

By Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Dec. 29, 2021

On Monday, President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act, enacting provisions of the “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act.” The new law takes effect Jan. 1. Full Story

Credit: Briana Vargas for The Texas Tribune
Omicron is sidelining even health care workers as it rips through Texas

By Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Updated: Dec. 29, 2021

The highly contagious omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Texas. Hospitalizations are beginning to increase in a health care system already troubled by staffing shortages. Full Story

Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune
Generators can cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. But the industry resists rules to make them safer.

By Lexi Churchill, Perla Trevizo and Ren Larson, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Mike Hixenbaugh and Suzy Khimm, NBC News Dec. 17, 2021

Portable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, and as climate change leads to more power outages, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself. Full Story

Credit: Laila Milevski/ProPublica