ProPublica reporter Get in touch: jesse.coburn@propublica.org + https://signal.me/#eu/xwbuF7II5GLbAxTDMR4tpqByg3GA7Q5Bp1jGBKV-xaSoy4OtSmZP_4dIYV9pjwC8 https://www.propublica.org/people/jesse-coburnhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3mtgxr4awe22dProPublica is undertaking a project examining U.S. military spending, budgeting and contracting. Help us report this story: https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/share-military-defense-spending-tips19 Aug 2026 14:43 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgxr4awe22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3mtgxpho2s22d“There’s no way that you can follow the money, because it keeps getting twisted like a Rubik’s Cube. ... None of it is set up to be transparent." https://www.propublica.org/article/military-defense-spending-budget-series19 Aug 2026 14:42 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgxpho2s22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3mt4wxmkwek2dYou and I — all of us taxpayers — funded this $533 million artillery plant outside of Dallas. It hasn’t produced a single usable shell. Yet the defense contractor, General Dynamics, has never been held publicly accountable. Nor has it had to pay a penny back… 1/15 Aug 2026 15:02 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt4wxmkwek2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3msv7dyomrs2aNEW: Flaming robots. Haywire Turkish machines. An actual dumpster fire. General Dynamics received $533 million from the Army to produce artillery but hasn’t made a single usable shell. ProPublica got the inside story of what went wrong. It’s a wild ride: https://www.propublica.org/article/general-dynamics-artillery-factory-failed12 Aug 2026 13:11 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3msv7dyomrs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3mmfcvpdtkc26In 2023, I reported on a network of people exploiting weak rules in New Jersey and Georgia to illegally sell temporary license plates through sham car dealerships. Yesterday, DOJ announced federal charges against eleven people involved in some of those dealerships: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/eleven-defendants-charged-multimillion-dollar-scheme-evade-tolls-and-parking-and#_ftn121 May 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmfcvpdtkc26https://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3mddbbsacpk2uNEW: The Trump administration is planning to use AI to write federal regulations despite the risk of hallucinations. “We don't even need a very good rule,” the Transportation Department’s top lawyer said of the plan, per meeting notes reviewed by ProPublica. “We want good enough.”🧵26 Jan 2026 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mddbbsacpk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3m62rtafgf22eNEW: Sean Duffy frequently calls safety his “top priority” as transportation secretary. But I spent months wading through regulatory notices and found something far different: that USDOT has been delaying, weakening and killing dozens of safety rules, many opposed by the transportation industry.🧵20 Nov 2025 12:36 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3m62rtafgf22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lzyflgsabk2bNew: four million people could be forced to leave public housing and other federally assisted housing under new plans from the Trump administration, according to experts who reviewed drafts of two unpublished rules obtained by @propublica.org.29 Sep 2025 16:11 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzyflgsabk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lub237ap3s2dNew: the Trump administration is preparing to shut down seven major housing discrimination and segregation cases — including high-profile investigations in Chicago, Houston and Flint — despite findings in some that civil rights violations occurred. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-hud-drop-housing-discrimination-cases-housing-pollution18 Jul 2025 18:08 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lub237ap3s2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lp7qewqchk2jInvestigations frozen. Charges withheld. Defendants emboldened not to cooperate. The Trump administration is mounting a major retreat in the government's fight against housing discrimination and segregation, according to ten federal officials. Story here: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-hud-weakening-enforcement-fair-housing-laws15 May 2025 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp7qewqchk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3ll7fl5y7wc2hFederal investigators spent years on two major housing discrimination cases in Texas, finding what they believed were stark civil rights violations. Then the Trump Admin assumed office and quietly took steps that officials think will likely kill both cases. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-hud-texas-housing-discrimination-cases-dallas-houston25 Mar 2025 13:41 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll7fl5y7wc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3ljsll54mqc2sNew: HUD officials recently discussed using the blockchain and maybe cryptocurrency at a division that oversees billions in grants for affordable housing, homeless shelters, disaster recovery etc. A staffer said it'd be like paying grantees in "monopoly money." https://www.propublica.org/article/hud-considers-crypto-blockchain-stablecoin-housing-urban-development07 Mar 2025 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljsll54mqc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lj3wx2wujk24New: DOGE has gained access to a Department of Housing and Urban Development system containing confidential personal information about hundreds of thousands of alleged victims of housing discrimination. https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-elon-musk-hud-housing-discrimination-privacy-domestic-violence26 Feb 2025 17:51 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lj3wx2wujk24https://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3li2wjifa722dThe Housing Loophole That Lets Wealthy Investors Raise Rents on Poor Tenants https://www.propublica.org/article/affordable-housing-investors-loophole-rent-tenants13 Feb 2025 14:46 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3li2wjifa722dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lh2fhqopx22qBehind New York City's e-bike and moped boom is a little-known ex-delivery worker who has quietly built a micromobility empire. I spent a year looking into him and the freewheeling industry through which he rose. My last story for @nyc.streetsblog.org https://www.streetsblogprojects.org/fly-electric-bike-moped-new-york-city-streets-safety-lithium-ion-batteries31 Jan 2025 16:15 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh2fhqopx22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3lgsrdfitlk2aI’m going to be covering housing and transportation for @propublica.org, with a focus on federal policy changes under the new administration. Tips + story ideas welcome, especially from anyone who works for HUD or DOT — jesse.coburn@propublica.org https://www.propublica.org/article/second-trump-presidency-issues-contact28 Jan 2025 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgsrdfitlk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/jessecoburn.bsky.social/post/3ldy6ezu4qk2lScott Turner voted to ensure landlords could refuse to rent to people on government assistance. He agreed with an interviewer that welfare is worse than slavery. He may soon lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. w/ @andykroll.bsky.social https://www.propublica.org/article/scott-turner-hud-nominee-trump-public-housing-texas23 Dec 2024 14:48 +0000at://did:plc:2vb5f7gsh3pq5pcuk4aunsuc/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldy6ezu4qk2l