Brandon Roberts
@bxroberts.org
Investigative journalist. News Apps Developer at @ProPublica.org. Occasional AI/ML researcher. Using data+code to hold power to account.
Web: https://bxroberts.org
Signal: brandonrobertz.01
Web: https://bxroberts.org
Signal: brandonrobertz.01
It's 2026, an election year (💀). That means its time to update ProPublica's 527 Explorer! This latest update brings us current through 2025, adding 460k new records.
I'll be updating more frequently this year. Follow for updates & LMK what you do w/ it
projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/
I'll be updating more frequently this year. Follow for updates & LMK what you do w/ it
projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/
February 5, 2026 at 5:02 PM
It's 2026, an election year (💀). That means its time to update ProPublica's 527 Explorer! This latest update brings us current through 2025, adding 460k new records.
I'll be updating more frequently this year. Follow for updates & LMK what you do w/ it
projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/
I'll be updating more frequently this year. Follow for updates & LMK what you do w/ it
projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/
Interesting piece about abuse of generative AI in contract bid protests:
"Federal procurement is not prepared to deal with contractors like Oready, LLC (Oready), which has misused GenAI to file a barrage of seventeen pro se protests and appeals over eight months"
content.ncmahq.org/contractmana...
"Federal procurement is not prepared to deal with contractors like Oready, LLC (Oready), which has misused GenAI to file a barrage of seventeen pro se protests and appeals over eight months"
content.ncmahq.org/contractmana...
February 4, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Interesting piece about abuse of generative AI in contract bid protests:
"Federal procurement is not prepared to deal with contractors like Oready, LLC (Oready), which has misused GenAI to file a barrage of seventeen pro se protests and appeals over eight months"
content.ncmahq.org/contractmana...
"Federal procurement is not prepared to deal with contractors like Oready, LLC (Oready), which has misused GenAI to file a barrage of seventeen pro se protests and appeals over eight months"
content.ncmahq.org/contractmana...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
More impact from my investigation with @shaw.al: Six senators accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of a “glaring” conflict of interest, citing our reporting that found he held at least $159,000 in investments when he shut down crypto investigations. www.propublica.org/article/todd...
Six Senators Accuse Deputy Attorney General of “Glaring” Crypto Conflict, Cite ProPublica Investigation
The senators presented a letter demanding that top DOJ official Todd Blanche clarify the legality of his actions, pointing to ProPublica reporting that found he owned at least $159,000 in related asse...
www.propublica.org
January 29, 2026 at 10:47 PM
More impact from my investigation with @shaw.al: Six senators accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of a “glaring” conflict of interest, citing our reporting that found he held at least $159,000 in investments when he shut down crypto investigations. www.propublica.org/article/todd...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
I’ve been in Minneapolis the last few days reporting on the ICE raids happening across the city. This morning federal agents shot and killed a man, identified by the AP as Alex Pretti. This marks the third shooting by federal agents since Operation Metro Surge started in Minnesota last month.
January 24, 2026 at 10:38 PM
I’ve been in Minneapolis the last few days reporting on the ICE raids happening across the city. This morning federal agents shot and killed a man, identified by the AP as Alex Pretti. This marks the third shooting by federal agents since Operation Metro Surge started in Minnesota last month.
People have been asking, so we published it: The data linking generic drugs to the facilities that make them! You can download the data on GitHub.
👇👇
github.com/propublica/r...
👇👇
github.com/propublica/r...
GitHub - propublica/rx-inspector-data: Public release of Rx Inspector data linking generic drugs to the factories that made them
Public release of Rx Inspector data linking generic drugs to the factories that made them - propublica/rx-inspector-data
github.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:45 PM
People have been asking, so we published it: The data linking generic drugs to the facilities that make them! You can download the data on GitHub.
👇👇
github.com/propublica/r...
👇👇
github.com/propublica/r...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
Last month, @propublica.org released Rx Inspector, a groundbreaking tool that lets you find the factories where your generic drugs were manufactured.
Now we're making available the data that powers it.
via @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/rx-i...
Now we're making available the data that powers it.
via @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/rx-i...
ProPublica Publishes Unreleased Data on the Origins of Generic Prescription Drugs
The dataset powers our Rx Inspector tool, which lets you find the factories that made your generic drugs and their FDA inspection track records.
www.propublica.org
January 23, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Last month, @propublica.org released Rx Inspector, a groundbreaking tool that lets you find the factories where your generic drugs were manufactured.
Now we're making available the data that powers it.
via @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/rx-i...
Now we're making available the data that powers it.
via @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/rx-i...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
With ProPublica's Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections. Thanks to @bxroberts.org & team at @propublica.org for the work>
projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/
projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/
Where Was My Generic Prescription Drug Made? - Rx Inspector - ProPublica
The FDA won’t tell Americans where their generic drugs are made, so ProPublica did it instead. Use information on your prescription label to locate the factory and see inspection reports.
projects.propublica.org
January 23, 2026 at 5:12 PM
With ProPublica's Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections. Thanks to @bxroberts.org & team at @propublica.org for the work>
projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/
projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/
We're fighting to keep ProPublica human powered (not AI) and for a consistent, reliable disciplinary process that enables strong journalism.
If these things matter to you, help us out by signing: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
If these things matter to you, help us out by signing: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
January 22, 2026 at 6:23 PM
We're fighting to keep ProPublica human powered (not AI) and for a consistent, reliable disciplinary process that enables strong journalism.
If these things matter to you, help us out by signing: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
If these things matter to you, help us out by signing: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
1/ We are entering year 3 of bargaining for a fair contract that protects both the workers who produce our award-winning, high-impact journalism as well as the quality of that work. We are also entering year 3 of @propublica.org management fighting against a fair contract. tinyurl.com/43znke28
January 21, 2026 at 4:22 PM
1/ We are entering year 3 of bargaining for a fair contract that protects both the workers who produce our award-winning, high-impact journalism as well as the quality of that work. We are also entering year 3 of @propublica.org management fighting against a fair contract. tinyurl.com/43znke28
Last week we demonstrated our Rx Inspector tool and walked people through how to use it and explained the types of things you can find with it.
We just published a recording of the webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51s...
We just published a recording of the webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51s...
ProPublica Event: How to Use Our Rx Inspector News App
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Last week we demonstrated our Rx Inspector tool and walked people through how to use it and explained the types of things you can find with it.
We just published a recording of the webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51s...
We just published a recording of the webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51s...
THREAD: The FDA has made it difficult to find where medications are made. Today we're changing that with our latest tool.
With Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections.
Here's how you can use it. 1/
With Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections.
Here's how you can use it. 1/
December 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
THREAD: The FDA has made it difficult to find where medications are made. Today we're changing that with our latest tool.
With Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections.
Here's how you can use it. 1/
With Rx Inspector, it’s possible to see your drug’s manufacturing facility and what the FDA found during its inspections.
Here's how you can use it. 1/
The FDA makes it nearly impossible to figure out where your prescription drugs were made and if there were any issues with the facilities.
You can read our explainer about the problem here: www.propublica.org/article/fda-...
Big things coming soon!
www.youtube.com/shorts/68tWT...
You can read our explainer about the problem here: www.propublica.org/article/fda-...
Big things coming soon!
www.youtube.com/shorts/68tWT...
We Tried to Find Out Where a Drug Was Made. Here’s What Happened.
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
December 13, 2025 at 4:52 AM
The FDA makes it nearly impossible to figure out where your prescription drugs were made and if there were any issues with the facilities.
You can read our explainer about the problem here: www.propublica.org/article/fda-...
Big things coming soon!
www.youtube.com/shorts/68tWT...
You can read our explainer about the problem here: www.propublica.org/article/fda-...
Big things coming soon!
www.youtube.com/shorts/68tWT...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
"Live insects crawled through the facility’s production workshop, while dead ones lay on the floor. Condensation from rust-covered pipes dripped into a water tank waiting to be mixed with raw ingredients."
🤢 😮 --> by @anniewaldman.bsky.social @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
🤢 😮 --> by @anniewaldman.bsky.social @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts
The dramatic shift in oversight comes at a time when the U.S. has never been more reliant on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fru...
www.propublica.org
November 6, 2025 at 3:17 PM
"Live insects crawled through the facility’s production workshop, while dead ones lay on the floor. Condensation from rust-covered pipes dripped into a water tank waiting to be mixed with raw ingredients."
🤢 😮 --> by @anniewaldman.bsky.social @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
🤢 😮 --> by @anniewaldman.bsky.social @bxroberts.org
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
NEW: Billions of pounds of food are imported to the U.S. each year.
The FDA inspects foreign producers to ensure what we're eating is safe from pathogens and dangerous manufacturing practices.
But now, after Trump's drastic staff cuts, these inspections have plummeted to a historic low.
🧵/
The FDA inspects foreign producers to ensure what we're eating is safe from pathogens and dangerous manufacturing practices.
But now, after Trump's drastic staff cuts, these inspections have plummeted to a historic low.
🧵/
Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts
The dramatic shift in oversight comes at a time when the U.S. has never been more reliant on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fru...
www.propublica.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
NEW: Billions of pounds of food are imported to the U.S. each year.
The FDA inspects foreign producers to ensure what we're eating is safe from pathogens and dangerous manufacturing practices.
But now, after Trump's drastic staff cuts, these inspections have plummeted to a historic low.
🧵/
The FDA inspects foreign producers to ensure what we're eating is safe from pathogens and dangerous manufacturing practices.
But now, after Trump's drastic staff cuts, these inspections have plummeted to a historic low.
🧵/
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
October 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship
Videos on social media show officers from ICE and CBP using facial recognition technology on people in the field. One expert described the practice as “pure dystopian creep.”
www.404media.co
October 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
“I’m an American citizen so leave me alone”
“Alright, we just got to verify that”
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
Great article. Archiving the internet is such a difficult thing without much of a financial motive, too. But reliance on a single entity has blown up in our faces so many times in the past.
The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages have dropped off in recent months. Our analysis shows that since May 16, the number of captures available for 100 top news sites declined by 87%.
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and I report for @niemanlab.org.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
@hanaatameez.bsky.social and I report for @niemanlab.org.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Great article. Archiving the internet is such a difficult thing without much of a financial motive, too. But reliance on a single entity has blown up in our faces so many times in the past.
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
From @juddlegum.bsky.social’s newsletter this morning: “A Popular Information investigation reveals tens of millions in new ICE spending on guns, chemical weapons, and explosives.”
popular.info/p/ice-boosts...
popular.info/p/ice-boosts...
October 20, 2025 at 12:32 PM
From @juddlegum.bsky.social’s newsletter this morning: “A Popular Information investigation reveals tens of millions in new ICE spending on guns, chemical weapons, and explosives.”
popular.info/p/ice-boosts...
popular.info/p/ice-boosts...
I feel like "generate new ideas" is pretty debatable here 🤣
October 7, 2025 at 4:01 AM
I feel like "generate new ideas" is pretty debatable here 🤣
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
Top VA officials testified that they don’t know how many doctors and nurses have left.
We do.
The VA is down 600+ doctors and 1,900+ nurses this year.
After years of growth, the number of docs has declined each month since Trump took office.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
We do.
The VA is down 600+ doctors and 1,900+ nurses this year.
After years of growth, the number of docs has declined each month since Trump took office.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
'You Don't Have An Answer?': Richard Blumenthal Stunned By VA Official's Response
YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News
youtu.be
September 26, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Top VA officials testified that they don’t know how many doctors and nurses have left.
We do.
The VA is down 600+ doctors and 1,900+ nurses this year.
After years of growth, the number of docs has declined each month since Trump took office.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
We do.
The VA is down 600+ doctors and 1,900+ nurses this year.
After years of growth, the number of docs has declined each month since Trump took office.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
Office of Science and Technology Policy is requesting federal rules/guidelines/etc "that unnecessarily hinder" the development, deployment, and adoption of AI.
The list of "not appropriate" assumptions is interesting because AI experts will tell you many of these are critical to responsible AI use.
The list of "not appropriate" assumptions is interesting because AI experts will tell you many of these are critical to responsible AI use.
September 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Office of Science and Technology Policy is requesting federal rules/guidelines/etc "that unnecessarily hinder" the development, deployment, and adoption of AI.
The list of "not appropriate" assumptions is interesting because AI experts will tell you many of these are critical to responsible AI use.
The list of "not appropriate" assumptions is interesting because AI experts will tell you many of these are critical to responsible AI use.
Love seeing a local AI story. This one can be replicated anywhere too. 🔥
www.knkx.org/government/2...
www.knkx.org/government/2...
Washington city officials are using ChatGPT for government work
Records show that public servants have used generative AI to write emails to constituents, mayoral letters, policy documents and more.
www.knkx.org
September 22, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Love seeing a local AI story. This one can be replicated anywhere too. 🔥
www.knkx.org/government/2...
www.knkx.org/government/2...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
We ❤️ @ire.org! @propublica.org employees wore buttons & flyered at the IRE gala to rally support for our fight for a fair contract.
The future of investigative journalism depends on protecting the workers who make it possible.
You can help by signing our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
The future of investigative journalism depends on protecting the workers who make it possible.
You can help by signing our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
September 15, 2025 at 11:46 PM
We ❤️ @ire.org! @propublica.org employees wore buttons & flyered at the IRE gala to rally support for our fight for a fair contract.
The future of investigative journalism depends on protecting the workers who make it possible.
You can help by signing our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
The future of investigative journalism depends on protecting the workers who make it possible.
You can help by signing our petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Reposted by Brandon Roberts
🚨JOURNALISM JOB ALERT🚨
@propublica.org is looking for our next Ancil Payne Reporting Fellow.
Some key details:
•For journos with 3-7 yrs professional experience
•Two-year fellowship; starts Jan. 2026
•Based in our DC office
•$75K/year + Benefits
•Apply before 10/13 9am ET
More here:
@propublica.org is looking for our next Ancil Payne Reporting Fellow.
Some key details:
•For journos with 3-7 yrs professional experience
•Two-year fellowship; starts Jan. 2026
•Based in our DC office
•$75K/year + Benefits
•Apply before 10/13 9am ET
More here:
Ancil Payne Reporting Fellowship
New York City, United States
job-boards.greenhouse.io
September 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
🚨JOURNALISM JOB ALERT🚨
@propublica.org is looking for our next Ancil Payne Reporting Fellow.
Some key details:
•For journos with 3-7 yrs professional experience
•Two-year fellowship; starts Jan. 2026
•Based in our DC office
•$75K/year + Benefits
•Apply before 10/13 9am ET
More here:
@propublica.org is looking for our next Ancil Payne Reporting Fellow.
Some key details:
•For journos with 3-7 yrs professional experience
•Two-year fellowship; starts Jan. 2026
•Based in our DC office
•$75K/year + Benefits
•Apply before 10/13 9am ET
More here:
FDA's Digital Health Advisory Committee are accepting comments in advance of their meeting around "Generative Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Digital Mental Health Medical Devices" aka AI therapists (cringe every time I write that)
September 11, 2025 at 11:31 PM
FDA's Digital Health Advisory Committee are accepting comments in advance of their meeting around "Generative Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Digital Mental Health Medical Devices" aka AI therapists (cringe every time I write that)