Brandon Roberts
Brandon Roberts is a news applications developer at ProPublica.
Brandon Roberts is a news applications developer at ProPublica.
Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs
A ProPublica investigation found that for more than a decade, the FDA gave substandard factories banned from the United States a special pass to keep sending drugs to an unsuspecting public.
by Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang,
We Spent a Year Investigating How the FDA Let Risky Drugs Into the U.S. Market
Our investigation exposed a little-known practice inside the FDA that allowed more than 150 drugs or their ingredients into the U.S. over the past dozen years even though they were made at factories banned from shipping their products here.
by Brandon Roberts, Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose and Irena Hwang,
Senators Demand Transparency on Canceled Veterans Affairs Contracts
Following a ProPublica investigation into how DOGE had developed an error-prone AI tool to determine which VA contracts should be killed, a trio of lawmakers said the Trump administration continues to “stonewall” their requests for details.
by Brandon Roberts and Vernal Coleman,
Inside the AI Prompts DOGE Used to “Munch” Contracts Related to Veterans’ Health
Experts who reviewed the code for ProPublica found numerous and troubling flaws in the system, providing a disturbing glimpse into how the Trump administration is allowing artificial intelligence to guide critical cuts in services.
by Brandon Roberts and Vernal Coleman,
DOGE Developed Error-Prone AI Tool to “Munch” Veterans Affairs Contracts
We obtained records showing how a Department of Government Efficiency staffer with no medical experience used artificial intelligence to identify which VA contracts to kill. “AI is absolutely the wrong tool for this,” one expert said.
by Brandon Roberts, Vernal Coleman and Eric Umansky,
More Than a Dozen U.S. Officials Sold Stocks Before Trump’s Tariffs Sent the Market Plunging
Records show well-timed trades by executive branch employees and congressional aides. Even if they had no insider information, ethics experts say such trading undermines faith in government and the markets.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Sold Stocks Two Days Before Trump Announced a Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs
Duffy is the second member of Trump’s Cabinet who sold securities shortly before the president’s tariff announcements sent markets plunging. A spokesperson for Duffy said an account manager made the trades and that Duffy had no input on the timing.
by Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts,
U.S. AG Pam Bondi Sold More than $1 Million in Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Sweeping Tariffs
Disclosure forms show that Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares on April 2. That day, after the market closed, Trump’s “Liberation Day” press conference sent the market tumbling.
by Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts,
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”
The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude method for identifying research he calls “woke.”
by Agnel Philip and Lisa Song,
Private School Demographics
Look up the demographics of private schools across the country and see how they compare to the public schools nearby.
by Sergio Hernández, Nat Lash and Brandon Roberts,
Neo-Nazi Telegram Users Panic Amid Crackdown and Arrest of Alleged Leaders of Online Extremist Group
An analysis by ProPublica and FRONTLINE shows a surge in activity on Telegram channels aligned with the Terrorgram Collective, as allies tried to rally support for their comrades in custody and sought to oust users they believed to be federal agents.
by A.C. Thompson, James Bandler and Brandon Roberts,