Allison Martell
@allisonmartell.bsky.social
Investigative data reporter for Reuters, based in Toronto. Interested in computer vision, NLP, and other kinds of machine learning for reporting. Also, I teach people to read. 🏳️🌈
Pinned
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
www.reuters.com
Yesterday we published a visual investigation about civilian ships in China that are training to invade Taiwan. This thread is about how we did it. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #OSINT
Reposted by Allison Martell
“The numbers tell a painful story. The impact on journalists of color is staggering and devastating,” the Post Guild said in its statement on Friday. “We cannot ignore what this means for equity, representation, and the future of this organization.”
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
Washington Post layoffs disproportionately affected union members of color, preliminary Guild data shows
"We cannot ignore what this means for equity, representation, and the future of this organization."
www.niemanlab.org
February 14, 2026 at 2:42 PM
“The numbers tell a painful story. The impact on journalists of color is staggering and devastating,” the Post Guild said in its statement on Friday. “We cannot ignore what this means for equity, representation, and the future of this organization.”
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/wash...
Reposted by Allison Martell
The White House is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an architect of the government overhaul that has cut thousands of federal jobs.
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
February 13, 2026 at 1:33 PM
The White House is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an architect of the government overhaul that has cut thousands of federal jobs.
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
Reposted by Allison Martell
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
More than 400 people, including hundreds of citizens, were “sorted” at gun point into racial and ethnic groups by 200 ICE agents who fired flash-bang grenades into cars with people inside, pointed guns at children & demanded their zip tied parents not comfort them. apple.news/Ausdx6kWtT0e...
Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens — NBC News
About 400 people, including children and U.S. citizens, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit.
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 AM
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
Reposted by Allison Martell
Many are just waking up to the Grok-nonconsensual images story as these pictures began flooding X over the holidays, but here’s our piece from Jan 2 featuring a victim, Julie Yukari, who was brave enough to speak on the record and on camera:
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Elon Musk's Grok AI floods X with sexualized photos of women and minors
When contacted by Reuters for comment by email, xAI replied with the message "Legacy Media Lies."
www.reuters.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Many are just waking up to the Grok-nonconsensual images story as these pictures began flooding X over the holidays, but here’s our piece from Jan 2 featuring a victim, Julie Yukari, who was brave enough to speak on the record and on camera:
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Reposted by Allison Martell
🎅1️⃣1️⃣ China’s shadow navy trains to take Taiwan, by @allisonmartell.bsky.social, David Lague, @claretfarley.bsky.social and Minami Funakoshi www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
www.reuters.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
🎅1️⃣1️⃣ China’s shadow navy trains to take Taiwan, by @allisonmartell.bsky.social, David Lague, @claretfarley.bsky.social and Minami Funakoshi www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
“Each writing exercise was designed to reinforce explicit instruction on different paper-writing skills” jumps out at me, because explicit instruction remains unfashionable in so many schools.
This description/reflection from @mattdinan.bsky.social on how he essentially delegitimized using LLMs as a way to outsource student thinking/writing is a model on how to work through your values and build a course around them. mattdinan.substack.com/p/the-ai-ske...
Permission Structures
How AI-skeptic Professors Can Still Help Students Write Papers
mattdinan.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:55 AM
“Each writing exercise was designed to reinforce explicit instruction on different paper-writing skills” jumps out at me, because explicit instruction remains unfashionable in so many schools.
This bracing story connects witness accounts from Sudan and data on violence against healthcare workers worldwide. www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan
Almost 500 patients, their relatives and others were killed at al-Fashir's last functioning hospital during the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' recent takeover of the Sudanese city, the World Healt...
www.reuters.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This bracing story connects witness accounts from Sudan and data on violence against healthcare workers worldwide. www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan reut.rs/49EkUzg
Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan
Almost 500 patients, their relatives and others were killed at al-Fashir's last functioning hospital during the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' recent takeover of the Sudanese city, the World Health Organization reported. The attack is an example of increasingly targeted and brutal attacks on hospitals, clinics and medical workers during conflict worldwide, a Reuters investigation found.
reut.rs
November 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan reut.rs/49EkUzg
Reposted by Allison Martell
A massacre that the WHO says killed almost 500 at a Sudan hospital last month is an example of increasingly targeted and brutal attacks on hospitals, clinics and medical workers during conflict worldwide, Reuters found.
www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
Hospital massacre caps a long series of attacks on healthcare in war-torn Sudan
Almost 500 patients, their relatives and others were killed at al-Fashir's last functioning hospital during the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces' recent takeover of the Sudanese city, the World Healt...
www.reuters.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:37 PM
A massacre that the WHO says killed almost 500 at a Sudan hospital last month is an example of increasingly targeted and brutal attacks on hospitals, clinics and medical workers during conflict worldwide, Reuters found.
www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
www.reuters.com/world/sudan-...
Reposted by Allison Martell
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Reposted by Allison Martell
In 2019 Meta did causal research looking at the effects of randomly asking Facebook users to stop using the platform for a month. After the first week of the study, results showed that leaving the platform was good for people’s mental health.
Meta then shut the project down.
Meta then shut the project down.
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 AM
In 2019 Meta did causal research looking at the effects of randomly asking Facebook users to stop using the platform for a month. After the first week of the study, results showed that leaving the platform was good for people’s mental health.
Meta then shut the project down.
Meta then shut the project down.
Really ambitious, fascinating stuff here www.propublica.org/article/meth...
How ProPublica Investigated a Bird Flu Outbreak in America’s Heartland
Early this year, bird flu ripped through 80 farms in Ohio and Indiana. Using genetic markers, wind simulations, satellite imagery, property records and more, we found that the virus could’ve been airb...
www.propublica.org
November 22, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Really ambitious, fascinating stuff here www.propublica.org/article/meth...
Our story about China's shadow navy is featured on the Reuters World News podcast today. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
🔊 ‘Part of this meeting, which Mamdani himself asked for, is to ensure that New Yorkers aren't punished essentially for who they've voted for as mayor.’ Listen to correspondent Jonathan Allen on Reuters World News as Mamdani heads to Washington reut.rs/3K7GnWM
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Our story about China's shadow navy is featured on the Reuters World News podcast today. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Yesterday we published a visual investigation about civilian ships in China that are training to invade Taiwan. This thread is about how we did it. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #OSINT
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
www.reuters.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Yesterday we published a visual investigation about civilian ships in China that are training to invade Taiwan. This thread is about how we did it. www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #OSINT
Reposted by Allison Martell
It’s known that China is using ferries and other civilian vessels to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. Reuters reporters wondered: Could we track vessels from the sky and learn more about China’s military strategy? The answer is yes. Here's how we did it: www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
tinyurl.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It’s known that China is using ferries and other civilian vessels to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. Reuters reporters wondered: Could we track vessels from the sky and learn more about China’s military strategy? The answer is yes. Here's how we did it: www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
New visual investigation: China's shadow navy trains to take Taiwan www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #OSINT
Shadow navy: How China's civilian fleet could be a potent weapon in a Taiwan invasion
A Reuters visual investigation of China's annual naval exercises off the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan shows how Beijing's
www.reuters.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
New visual investigation: China's shadow navy trains to take Taiwan www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #OSINT
Reposted by Allison Martell
A Reuters visual investigation shows China is developing concrete plans to invade Taiwan, a Taiwanese naval security expert said. The outcome of a Chinese attack could depend heavily on the response of the United States, the island’s most important ally reut.rs/4oJRPHe
November 20, 2025 at 11:44 AM
A Reuters visual investigation shows China is developing concrete plans to invade Taiwan, a Taiwanese naval security expert said. The outcome of a Chinese attack could depend heavily on the response of the United States, the island’s most important ally reut.rs/4oJRPHe
Reposted by Allison Martell
New MMI piece: We look at the 3.5 million people in Canada who live in a home that is too small to meet their needs, and how a mismanaged push by governments and urban planners towards densification is at odds with the human right to housing.
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
November 11, 2025 at 12:34 PM
New MMI piece: We look at the 3.5 million people in Canada who live in a home that is too small to meet their needs, and how a mismanaged push by governments and urban planners towards densification is at odds with the human right to housing.
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Exclusive: Thousands of bodies vanished from a Syrian mass grave in a two-year coverup of Assad-era atrocities, Reuters found. The people were buried at a secret site in the desert reut.rs/42Iiuv7
October 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Exclusive: Thousands of bodies vanished from a Syrian mass grave in a two-year coverup of Assad-era atrocities, Reuters found. The people were buried at a secret site in the desert reut.rs/42Iiuv7
Reposted by Allison Martell
EXCLUSIVE: The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration ordered enforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants, a @reuters.com review of court dockets found.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
September 29, 2025 at 10:42 AM
EXCLUSIVE: The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration ordered enforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants, a @reuters.com review of court dockets found.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Charlie Kirk's allies warn Americans: Mourn him properly or else reut.rs/3JYLkkp
Charlie Kirk's allies warn Americans: Mourn him properly or else
After the fatal shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, U.S. Republicans have a warning for Americans: Mourn him respectfully or suffer the consequences.
reut.rs
September 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Charlie Kirk's allies warn Americans: Mourn him properly or else reut.rs/3JYLkkp
Reposted by Allison Martell
Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza killed at least 15 people, including four journalists, one of whom worked for Reuters. Reuters statement: reut.rs/3HPt6kE
August 25, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in Gaza killed at least 15 people, including four journalists, one of whom worked for Reuters. Reuters statement: reut.rs/3HPt6kE
Reposted by Allison Martell
Witnesses said the second strike took place after rescue workers, journalists and other people had rushed to the site of the initial attack. The Reuters live video feed from the hospital, which was operated by Masri, suddenly shut down at the moment of the initial strike reut.rs/41pmNLb
August 25, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Witnesses said the second strike took place after rescue workers, journalists and other people had rushed to the site of the initial attack. The Reuters live video feed from the hospital, which was operated by Masri, suddenly shut down at the moment of the initial strike reut.rs/41pmNLb
This is an important investigative story that was possible in part because an LLM helped solve a very challenging document processing problem - ~20,000 pages of handwritten temperature logs. This is groundbreaking work by Disha Raychaudhuri, @claretfarley.bsky.social and others.
To assess the scale of heat risk in US state prisons, Reuters created an exclusive database on air conditioning availability. Our analysis of public records shows nearly 50% of state prison housing units across 29 states have partial or no air conditioning reut.rs/4lPU8Hc
July 30, 2025 at 2:30 PM
This is an important investigative story that was possible in part because an LLM helped solve a very challenging document processing problem - ~20,000 pages of handwritten temperature logs. This is groundbreaking work by Disha Raychaudhuri, @claretfarley.bsky.social and others.
Reposted by Allison Martell
An amazing behind the scenes look at how we reported this story out. Methodology here: www.reuters.com/world/us/how...
How Reuters collected and analyzed prison temperature data
Reuters analyzed air conditioning and indoor temperature log data, obtained through public records request, to better understand how heat affects U.S. prisons
www.reuters.com
July 30, 2025 at 2:13 PM
An amazing behind the scenes look at how we reported this story out. Methodology here: www.reuters.com/world/us/how...