KXAN Investigates

A bill prompted by a KXAN investigation that would have modernized Texas’s antiquated system for investigating deaths in the state did not become law during the 89th legislative session. This week on Inside the Investigation … KXAN’s Director of Investigations and Innovation, Josh Hinkle, explains how lawmakers who pushed for changes -- plan to keep the topic alive.

On what was supposed to be the long holiday weekend, quickly rising flood waters devastated many parts of Central Texas, killing more than a hundred men, women, and children and leaving even more missing. This week on Inside the Investigation, the KXAN team breaks down the desperate search for missing campers and loved ones and explains the concerns surrounding preparedness and response from offic...

Following years of widespread fraud and abuse that touched every state, Texas is eliminating most temporary paper license plates and replacing them with new color-coded metal ones. This week on Inside the Investigation, Investigative Reporter Matt Grant explains the new challenges that may arise with a new system.

For years, as Williamson County has grown, Justices of the Peace have been asking for help with the increasing number of death cases. This week on Inside the Investigation, Arezow Doost explains why a new solution to help the judges is already facing challenges.              

Hours before demonstrators were set to protest President Donald Trump and his administration at the Texas Capitol, law enforcement evacuated the building and its surrounding grounds over what they called a “credible threat” to state lawmakers. This week on Inside the Investigation, Digital Data Reporter Christopher Adams and Investigative Reporter Kelly Wiley explain what happened at the protests...

On the last day of the legislative session, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill aimed at enhancing safety and transparency for Texans getting  Botox.  This week on Inside the Investigation,  Investigative Reporter Arezow Doost explains why,  at the last hour,  the state’s top leader rejected the measure.

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, federal immigration authorities, with the help of state law enforcement, say they have detained thousands of undocumented immigrants in Texas. On a special episode of Inside the Investigation, we tell the story of how a traffic stop in front of a public school led federal authorities to transport a family of five, including their U.S.-born ch...

Despite an “aggressive lobbying effort” by the Texas Hospital Association to kill a bill aimed at preventing vehicle crashes at emergency entrances, a state senator is pledging to refile the same safety measure next session.

A bill that would require the state to track what happens to students served and summoned to court for missing too much school is not likely to pass this legislative session. This week on Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer explains how challenging it is to understand the reach and efficacy of Texas’ truancy court when the state is not tracking the students who expe...

 On this week’s episode of Inside the Investigation, Investigative Reporters Kelly Wiley and Arezow Doost explain how federal, and state changes are causing fear in the places where people are meant to feel most safe.

A KXAN investigation found the federal government’s use of immigration enforcement law focuses far more on migrants than the bosses who hire and pay them. This week on Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer and Investigative Reporter Matt Grant explain how mass deportations impact the workforce and how law enforcement is increasingly partnering with the federal governm...

In the months after President Trump resumed office, immigration advocates say they have worried about fear and anxiety in the immigrant community – including those working to stay in the country legally. KXAN Investigative Intern Talisa Treviño takes a closer look at how this issue is playing out for some living in Texas.

As politicians in D.C. and Texas squabble over solar and wind power, an underground resource is getting renewed attention. KXAN Investigator Matt Grant explores one green energy source finding strong red state support — something that could help strengthen Texas’ power grid.

While SXSW claims to pump hundreds of millions into Austin’s economy each year, A KXAN investigation found a striking gap between the event’s financial impact and the paychecks of those who help make it happen. This week on Inside the Investigation, Digital Reporter Abigail Jones explains the movement to increase pay for SX musicians.

A KXAN investigation reveals that two months after a deadly crash into an Austin hospital, the same hospital system had a near miss. This week on Inside the Investigation, Investigator Matt Grant explains the lengths the hospital went to attempting to stop a local law aimed at making medical facilities safer.

For years, Texas lawmakers have debated whether parents should be able to use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition. This week on Inside the Investigation, Investigative Reporter Kelly Wiley explains how, under the state’s latest plans, private schools will still be out of reach for some of the state’s poorest students. 

Texas lawmakers are calling for an immediate audit of a state Medicaid contractor that provides coverage for sick and disabled children after emails publicly revealed the company might have been spying on state lawmakers and private citizens. This week on Inside the Investigation, Midday Anchor and Investigative Reporter Avery Travis explains the broader implications of the state’s investigation.

Congress is considering cutting certain funds, which could mean at least $230 billion from agriculture programs over the next decade. According to Texas Health and Human Services data, nearly 3.6 million people rely on SNAP benefits across the state. KXAN investigator Arezow Doost looks at the potential impact to food banks and one breast cancer survivor.

The number of school employees landing on the Texas Education Agency's Do-Not-Hire Registry is rising. After a KXAN investigation exposed how people can exploit the state’s backgrounding system, lawmakers are working on solutions. This week on Inside the Investigation, investigative reporter Kelly Wiley explains how one state senator is touting KXAN's reporting as an example of a flawed system.

Next month marks one year since a family of four filed a $1 million lawsuit against St. David’s North Austin Medical Center after sustaining injuries when a car drove into the ER lobby. The driver, who was drunk, was killed. The suit accuses the hospital system of gross negligence for not having safety bollards – which experts say could have stopped the crash. KXAN investigator Matt Grant looks at...

A Texas man is suing a former Guadalupe County Sheriff's Deputy, accusing him of using excessive force during a police stop in 2021. On this week's Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer answers questions about the body camera at the center of a federal lawsuit.

After decades of justices of the peace, with minimal training, handling death investigations across the state, Texas lawmakers are advancing a bill that would create a new system. This week on Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer explains the challenges that could come with reform.

After a year-long KXAN investigation into safety gaps at hospitals across Texas, lawmakers are hearing testimony from the team behind the reporting. This week on Inside the Investigation, KXAN Investigator Matt Grant explains the momentum behind a bill that would require safety bollards at nearly every hospital in the state and why one hospital advocacy group doesn’t want to see it pass.

For months, President Trump’s administration has touted plans to boost the country’s energy supply, pushing toward what it calls a “golden era of American energy dominance.” One step needed, they say, is prioritizing the development of new energy technology like cold fusion and next generation nuclear reactors, but KXAN Senior Science Reporter Eric Henrikson found some experts warning recent fundi...

A Texas senator is taking action after a KXAN investigation revealed that no state agency is tracking the thousands of students school districts send to court over absences. This week on Inside the Investigation, we explain how the proposed legislation could shed light on what is happening in Texas’ truancy courts.