Yilun Cheng

NEW: Elon Musk is vying for a $760M contract to build flood tunnels under Houston. And he's tapped a Texas congressman to make the pitch. Read my latest investigation with @lmcgaughy for @HoustonChron, @propublica, @TexasTribune and @KUT houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

Congratulations to @ChengYilun @carolineghisolf and @matt_zdun for winning first place in the Best of the West journalism contest for their project examining the impact of construction in Texas floodplains, who wins and who loses

Congratulations @ChengYilun for winning @aaja’s “Excellence in Investigative Reporting” for 2026!! TONS of Texas reppin for this year’s #AAJAawards and we love to see it!!! 👏👏👏 #AAJAkudos

A cautious mayor. A frustrated ally. Concerned advocates. A trio who forced reform. A threat from state leaders. And ultimately, an unravelling. Inside the collapse of Houston's ICE policy: houstonchronicle.com/politics/houst… w/ @DegroodMatt @HoustonChron

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: As Corpus Christi's water crisis deepens, the state water board, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, denies funding for offshore desalination plant houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…

Our last @houstonchron investigative team collab with ⁦@propublica⁩ and ⁦@TexasTribune⁩… and it’s a doozy: a close look at how FIFA’s contracts with host cities like Houston and Dallas strongly favor FIFA — at the expense of everyone else. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

.@HoustonChron just posted openings for two reporting roles !!! Breaking news reporter: eevd.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candidat… Local politics reporter: eevd.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candidat…

Last year, @ChengYilun and I broke the news that Elon Musk wants to build tunnels under Houston. Then came Bastrop. Now, Dallas. Latest story by @a_y_denrunnels. texastribune.org/2026/03/24/dal…

Spent some time in Gulfton talking to folks about how life has changed in "the Ellis Island of Houston" under Trump 2.0. Fears of ICE have had a chilling effect on the neighborhood's economy, culture and sense of safety. (gift link) houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

Two women who received the injections had to be hospitalized and intubated to help them breathe.

Harris County's new draft flood maps vs. current maps 100-year floodplains: 307 -> 439 acres (43% increase) 500-year floodplains: 204 -> 266 acres (30% increase) Floodways: 126 -> 120 acres (5% decrease) Read our story to find out why ⬇️ #FEMA houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

And our very talented deputy data editor @carolineghisolf has created a searchable map where you can enter your address and find out if your property is now in a higher- or lower-risk flood zone under the new draft maps!

@tex1sam @evan7257 @jen_rice_ Good afternoon! You can find them at this link under “Draft Database for Community Review”: experience.arcgis.com/experience/e49…. We have also created a hopefully more user-friendly version of the draft maps ourselves and added it to the story: houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

@evan7257 @jen_rice_ Def need a link to whatever FEMA website is displaying these Harris county draft floodplain maps @jen_rice_

Good news for @jen_rice_ houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

@HoustonChron Good morning! You can find the maps at this link under “Draft Database for Community Review”: experience.arcgis.com/experience/e49…. We have also created a hopefully more user-friendly version of the draft maps ourselves and added it to the story: houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t….

After years of delays, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has quietly posted a draft of Harris County’s new flood maps online, kickstarting a review process that could lead to the first major update to the county’s floodplain boundaries in nearly two decades. bit.ly/4kwQS3Z

@mgrabois @mattlanza Good morning! You can find them at this link under “Draft Database for Community Review”: experience.arcgis.com/experience/e49…. We have also created a hopefully more user-friendly version of the draft maps ourselves and added it to the story: houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t….

@mattlanza If only @ChengYilun had included 1 link in the story to the actual page that the article was written about, in addition to the 7 other links in the story and 13 links in her bio (but seriously, thanks for your work!).

Wake up babe, new floodplain maps just dropped.

@braumshake It’s under “draft database for community review:” experience.arcgis.com/experience/e49…

@ChengYilun Post the link. Somewhere. Anywhere.

BREAKING: FEMA releases draft flood maps for Harris County after years of delays They could reshape flood risk designations, insurance requirements and development rules for families across the region Read my story to find out what happens next ⬇️ houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stood out among his peers as a fierce advocate of state sovereignty — he wrote a 92-pg essay on the topic after taking office. Now, he' s embraced Donald Trump's expansive view of presidential power, even at the expense of states. propublica.org/article/greg-a…

Read the next installment in @ChengYilun's deeply reported floodplain series: As Houston developers take advantage of floodplain loopholes, homeowners pay the price. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

Houston’s Midtown development agency set out to slow displacement in Third Ward, a historic Black community, by buying land for affordable housing. But 20 years and $150M later, the promise of that vision remains unmet. Half the land is still vacant. houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…

Houston’s Midtown Redevelopment Authority spent over $150 million but struggled to achieve its goal of slowing displacement of Black residents in Third Ward, via @mmorris011 and @ameliawinger houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…