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
Have a tip? Here’s how to reach me on Signal. signal.me#eu/z61nP7wez...
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...
Reposted by Allison Martell
The graphics on this are just top tier. Really appreciate the care and detail that the team put into this one: reut.rs/3J1dlam
reut.rs
July 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The graphics on this are just top tier. Really appreciate the care and detail that the team put into this one: reut.rs/3J1dlam
Reposted by Allison Martell
Prison advocates say the hot conditions amount to unfair treatment and excessive punishment. Current and formerly incarcerated individuals told Reuters in a series of interviews that they dreaded summers. One person said the heat was so oppressive it felt like they were “breathing under water.”
July 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Prison advocates say the hot conditions amount to unfair treatment and excessive punishment. Current and formerly incarcerated individuals told Reuters in a series of interviews that they dreaded summers. One person said the heat was so oppressive it felt like they were “breathing under water.”
Reposted by Allison Martell
Nearly half of state prisons across 29 states have partial or no air conditioning in housing units, according to an exclusive database created by Reuters using documents obtained through public records requests to all 50 states.
July 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Nearly half of state prisons across 29 states have partial or no air conditioning in housing units, according to an exclusive database created by Reuters using documents obtained through public records requests to all 50 states.
Reposted by Allison Martell
Prisons prioritize security over comfort. But concrete walls, steel doors, sealed windows, limited ventilation, lack of tree cover and outdated infrastructure converge to create dangerously hot conditions. Nearly 1.2 million people are housed in federal and state prisons across the nation.
July 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Prisons prioritize security over comfort. But concrete walls, steel doors, sealed windows, limited ventilation, lack of tree cover and outdated infrastructure converge to create dangerously hot conditions. Nearly 1.2 million people are housed in federal and state prisons across the nation.
Reposted by Allison Martell
MUST READ: A new Reuters report uncovers a critical & often overlooked intersection of climate change & correctional policy: The dangerous heat crisis within U.S. prisons. An exclusive analysis of indoor temperature logs revealed some facilities exceed 100°F: www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Scorching cells
How heat threatens lives in America’s prisons
www.reuters.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:59 PM
MUST READ: A new Reuters report uncovers a critical & often overlooked intersection of climate change & correctional policy: The dangerous heat crisis within U.S. prisons. An exclusive analysis of indoor temperature logs revealed some facilities exceed 100°F: www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...
Reposted by Allison Martell
New 📈✍️- we're hearing a lot about AI decimating graduate jobs. But the data paints a more complicated picture on what's behind the fall in entry-level roles
With Delphine Strauss, @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & Sarah Lim
on.ft.com/4f1wWmK
With Delphine Strauss, @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & Sarah Lim
on.ft.com/4f1wWmK
Is AI killing graduate jobs?
[FREE TO READ] Tech is blamed for destroying entry-level roles but economic uncertainty and offshoring are playing a part
on.ft.com
July 24, 2025 at 11:14 AM
New 📈✍️- we're hearing a lot about AI decimating graduate jobs. But the data paints a more complicated picture on what's behind the fall in entry-level roles
With Delphine Strauss, @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & Sarah Lim
on.ft.com/4f1wWmK
With Delphine Strauss, @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & Sarah Lim
on.ft.com/4f1wWmK
Reposted by Allison Martell
"Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them."
reutersagency.com/media-centre...
reutersagency.com/media-centre...
Joint statement on Gaza from Reuters, AFP, The AP and BBC News
Joint statement on Gaza from Reuters, AFP, AP and BBC News
reutersagency.com
July 24, 2025 at 9:32 AM
"Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them."
reutersagency.com/media-centre...
reutersagency.com/media-centre...
“Iman al-Shaer, another relative who lives nearby, said the family hadn't eaten anything before the bombs came down. ‘The children slept without food,’ he said.”
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Israeli strike kills hungry Gaza family in their sleep
The Al-Shaer family went to bed hungry at their home in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike killed them in their sleep.
www.reuters.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:30 AM
“Iman al-Shaer, another relative who lives nearby, said the family hadn't eaten anything before the bombs came down. ‘The children slept without food,’ he said.”
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Allison Martell
An American toddler in foster care, a mom in ICE detention reut.rs/4lGklbf
An American toddler in foster care, a mom in ICE detention
A brief jail sentence turned into over four months in an immigration detention cell for the mother and an extended stay in foster care for son
reut.rs
July 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM
An American toddler in foster care, a mom in ICE detention reut.rs/4lGklbf
Reposted by Allison Martell
FROM @reuters: Two-thirds of the lawyers in the DOJ unit that defends the government against the wave of lawsuits challenging President Trump's executive actions have quit since he was elected in November.
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
July 14, 2025 at 12:37 PM
FROM @reuters: Two-thirds of the lawyers in the DOJ unit that defends the government against the wave of lawsuits challenging President Trump's executive actions have quit since he was elected in November.
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Reposted by Allison Martell
US President Donald Trump was impressed by Liberian President Joseph Boakai's language skills during an African summit at the White House. Boakai was speaking in English — his country's official language reut.rs/3Id5O8i
Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his country's official language
President Donald Trump was basking in the praise of a group of African leaders on Wednesday, many of them speaking a different language, when the Liberian president took to his microphone and spoke in English - his country's official language.
reut.rs
July 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
US President Donald Trump was impressed by Liberian President Joseph Boakai's language skills during an African summit at the White House. Boakai was speaking in English — his country's official language reut.rs/3Id5O8i
Reposted by Allison Martell
The Ontario Science Centre 1 year later:
The cost of a new site has escalated, its opening date has been pushed back, there is no sign of a temporary location, and the old building’s roof appears intact. #OnPoli
By the superb Canadian Press team
globalnews.ca/news/1125207...
The cost of a new site has escalated, its opening date has been pushed back, there is no sign of a temporary location, and the old building’s roof appears intact. #OnPoli
By the superb Canadian Press team
globalnews.ca/news/1125207...
‘The biggest betrayal’: A year on, staff grieve Ontario Science Centre’s snap closure | Globalnews.ca
One year after closing the Ontario Science Centre, plans for a new site face delay, the roof remains intact, and staff call the shutdown a “manufactured crisis.”
globalnews.ca
June 20, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The Ontario Science Centre 1 year later:
The cost of a new site has escalated, its opening date has been pushed back, there is no sign of a temporary location, and the old building’s roof appears intact. #OnPoli
By the superb Canadian Press team
globalnews.ca/news/1125207...
The cost of a new site has escalated, its opening date has been pushed back, there is no sign of a temporary location, and the old building’s roof appears intact. #OnPoli
By the superb Canadian Press team
globalnews.ca/news/1125207...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Cole Schmidtknecht, 22, had insurance but couldn’t afford to refill his asthma inhaler after the cost jumped from $70 to more than $500.
Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack and died. nbcnews.to/4mM9cGV
Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack and died. nbcnews.to/4mM9cGV
June 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Cole Schmidtknecht, 22, had insurance but couldn’t afford to refill his asthma inhaler after the cost jumped from $70 to more than $500.
Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack and died. nbcnews.to/4mM9cGV
Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack and died. nbcnews.to/4mM9cGV
Reposted by Allison Martell
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Staff at FEMA were left baffled on Monday after the head of the U.S. disaster agency said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season, sources said.
with @tedhesson.bsky.social and Nathan Layne:
www.reuters.com/world/us/fem...
with @tedhesson.bsky.social and Nathan Layne:
www.reuters.com/world/us/fem...
Exclusive: FEMA staff confused after head said he was unaware of US hurricane season, sources say
Staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were left baffled on Monday after the head of the U.S. disaster agency said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season, according to four sources familiar with the situation.
www.reuters.com
June 2, 2025 at 9:07 PM
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Staff at FEMA were left baffled on Monday after the head of the U.S. disaster agency said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season, sources said.
with @tedhesson.bsky.social and Nathan Layne:
www.reuters.com/world/us/fem...
with @tedhesson.bsky.social and Nathan Layne:
www.reuters.com/world/us/fem...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Five years after George Floyd's murder sparked a global protest movement for racial justice & police reform, the nation has seen a drastic reversal of support among some for racial equity. But experts say we’ve been here before & advocates remain committed. My latest: www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
Five years after George Floyd's murder, racial justice push continues
Shareeduh McGee is fighting to keep the memory of her cousin George Floyd alive.
www.reuters.com
May 25, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Five years after George Floyd's murder sparked a global protest movement for racial justice & police reform, the nation has seen a drastic reversal of support among some for racial equity. But experts say we’ve been here before & advocates remain committed. My latest: www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
Reposted by Allison Martell
Trump's image of dead 'white farmers' came from Reuters footage in Congo, not South Africa - www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
www.reuters.com
May 23, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Trump's image of dead 'white farmers' came from Reuters footage in Congo, not South Africa - www.reuters.com/world/africa...
I understand why people are theorizing that the Grok/South Africa thing was caused by a system prompt, but what it really reminds me of is Golden Gate Claude, which involved artificially amplifying some model features. I am so curious about how this happened. www.anthropic.com/news/golden-...
Golden Gate Claude
When we turn up the strength of the “Golden Gate Bridge” feature, Claude’s responses begin to focus on the Golden Gate Bridge. For a short time, we’re making this model available for everyone to inter...
www.anthropic.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I understand why people are theorizing that the Grok/South Africa thing was caused by a system prompt, but what it really reminds me of is Golden Gate Claude, which involved artificially amplifying some model features. I am so curious about how this happened. www.anthropic.com/news/golden-...
Reposted by Allison Martell
From @reuters.com: The FBI ordered agents on Monday to step up the amount of time they devote to immigration enforcement and to scale back investigating white-collar crime. Some offices will spend a third of their time doing immigration work, a huge shift.
www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...
www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...
May 13, 2025 at 12:53 AM
From @reuters.com: The FBI ordered agents on Monday to step up the amount of time they devote to immigration enforcement and to scale back investigating white-collar crime. Some offices will spend a third of their time doing immigration work, a huge shift.
www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...
www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...