Jesse Coburn
Verified
As seen in:
ProPublica,
MSN Money Canada,
MSN UK,
The New York Times,
Nature,
Scribd,
Gizmodo,
Fast Company,
Quartz,
VICE,
Flipboard
and
Reporter @propublica | Get in touch: jesse.coburn@propublica.org + signal.me/#eu/xwbuF7II5GLbAxTDMR4tpqByg3GA7Q5Bp1jGBKV-xaSoy4OtSmZP_4dIYV9pjwC8
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jesse Coburn
The Costly Blunders in the Army’s $533 Million Fiasco
The U.S. Army paid General Dynamics $533 million for an artillery factory that failed to produce a single usable shell. Instead of efficient, state-of-the-art production lines, half a billion dollars in taxpayer funding paid for machines that kept failing in bizarre ways, former workers told ProPublica’s Jesse Coburn. Giant robot arms would catch fire. The Texas factory’s signature device often cracked the steel meant for the shells.
The $1 trillion black box
The sums are vast, but the explanations for the spending range from vague to inscrutable. Consider these items in the law that funded the Department of Defense this year: For “Other Procurement, Air Force”: $32.6 billion. For “Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide”: $35.2 billion. And for “supplies and associated support services” related to U.S. Code Title 10 Section 3601 subsection(c)(3)(B) clauses (i) through (iv): a mere $650 million.
Do You Know About U.S. Military Spending? Help ProPublica Understand Where the Money Goes.
ProPublica is examining U.S. military budgeting, spending and contracting, and we’re asking for your help.
The $1 Trillion Black Box
The sums are vast, but the explanations for the spending range from vague to inscrutable. Consider these items in the law that funded the Department of Defense this year: For “Other Procurement, Air Force”: $32.6 billion. For “Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide”: $35.2 billion. And for “supplies and associated support services” related to U.S. Code Title 10 Section 3601 subsection(c)(3)(B) clauses (i) through (iv): a mere $650 million.
The $1 Trillion Black Box
The sums are vast, but the explanations for the spending range from vague to inscrutable. Consider these items in the law that funded the Department of Defense this year: For “Other Procurement, Air Force”: $32.6 billion. For “Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide”: $35.2 billion. And for “supplies and associated support services” related to U.S. Code Title 10 Section 3601 subsection(c)(3)(B) clauses (i) through (iv): a mere $650 million.
The Army gave General Dynamics $533M to build an artillery plant that produced nothing
A robot was on fire. Again. It was the summer of 2024, and the cutting-edge robots inside General Dynamics’ sweltering artillery factory near Dallas were catching fire with startling regularity, according to four former workers there. This wasn’t ideal, as the plant was supposed to be churning out urgently needed artillery shells for Ukraine.
Fiasco in the factory: Taxpayers funded a $533 million artillery plant that made nothing
By Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, https://www.propublica.org This story was originally published by ProPublica. A robot was on fire. Again. It was the summer of 2024, and the cutting-edge robots inside General Dynamics’ sweltering artillery factory near Dallas were catching fire with startling regularity, according to four former workers there. This wasn’t ideal, as the plant was supposed to be churning out urgently needed artillery shells for Ukraine.
The Army gave General Dynamics $533M to build an artillery plant that produced nothing
A robot was on fire. Again. It was the summer of 2024, and the cutting-edge robots inside General Dynamics’ sweltering artillery factory near Dallas were catching fire with startling regularity, according to four former workers there. This wasn’t ideal, as the plant was supposed to be churning out urgently needed artillery shells for Ukraine.
The Army gave General Dynamics $533M to build an artillery plant that produced nothing
A robot was on fire. Again. It was the summer of 2024, and the cutting-edge robots inside General Dynamics’ sweltering artillery factory near Dallas were catching fire with startling regularity, according to four former workers there. This wasn’t ideal, as the plant was supposed to be churning out urgently needed artillery shells for Ukraine.
Business, ammunition, military equipment, defense contracts, General Dynamics
OUT OF AMMUNITIONFiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing Published 12 August 2026 In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells. Despite being paid $533 million, General Dynamics did not produce a single usable shell at its new factory — and has not been held publicly accountable.
Fiasco: Taxpayers funded a $533 million plant that made nothing
A robot was on fire. Again. It was the summer of 2024, and the cutting-edge robots inside General Dynamics' sweltering artillery factory near Dallas were catching fire with startling regularity, according to four former workers there. This wasn't ideal, as the plant was supposed to be churning out urgently needed artillery shells for Ukraine.
Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing
Reporting Highlights Ready, Fire, Aim: In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells. Money for Nothing: Despite being paid $533 million, General Dynamics did not produce a single usable shell at its new factory — and has not been held publicly accountable.
Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing
Conservative View 22 hours ago Progressive praise for Trump as Warren backs push to curb defense contractor CEO payouts Fox News - Morgan Phillips • 22h FIRST ON FOX: Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., issued extremely rare credit to President Donald Trump for pressuring defense companies to put more money back into building weapons and expanding production rather than returning it to investors and lining stakeholders' pockets.
Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Ready, Fire, Aim: In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells. Money for Nothing: Despite being paid $533 million, General Dynamics did not produce a single usable shell at its new factory — and has not been held publicly accountable.
Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence — Streetsblog USA
Editor's note: a version of this article originally appeared on ProPublica. It is republished with permission. Click here for all our coverage of President Trump's second term The Trump administration is planning touse artificial intelligenceto write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers.
Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Trump administration plans to write regulations using AI
This article originally appeared on ProPublica. The Trump administration is planning touse artificial intelligenceto write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers.
Transportation Department Plans to Use AI to Write Regulations
President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers. The plan was presented to DOT staff in December at a demonstration of AI’s “potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings,” agency attorney Daniel Cohen wrote to colleagues.
Transportation Department Plans to Use AI to Write Regulations
President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers. The plan was presented to DOT staff in December at a demonstration of AI’s “potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings,” agency attorney Daniel Cohen wrote to colleagues.
Government by AI? Trump admin plans to write regulations using artificial intelligence
ProPublica This administration is not the first to use AI; federal agencies have been gradually stitching the technology into their work for years. This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
¿Gobierno con IA? La administración Trump planea redactar regulaciones con inteligencia artificial
El Departamento de Transporte, que supervisa la seguridad de aviones, automóviles y oleoductos, planea usar Google Gemini para redactar nuevas regulaciones. “No necesitamos la norma perfecta”, dijo el principal abogado del DOT. “Queremos una norma lo suficientemente buena”.
Government by AI? Trump administration official plans to "flood the zone" with AI-generated policy - Hill Country News
Government by AI? Trump administration official plans to "flood the zone" with AI-generated policy The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer.
Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
The Trump administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers. The plan was presented to DOT staff in December 2025 at a demonstration of AI’s “potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings,” agency attorney Daniel Cohen wrote to colleagues.
Trump administration plans to write regulations using AI
(Department of Transportation) By Jesse Coburn • Jan 27, 2026 The Trump administration is planning touse artificial intelligenceto write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers.
Government by AI? Trump Admin Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
Trump Admin Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
This story was originally published by ProPublica. The Trump administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers. The plan was presented to DOT staff last month at a demonstration of AI’s “potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings,” agency attorney Daniel Cohen wrote to colleagues.
Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
5 hours ago Even the pope is worried about how we're talking to chatbots. In a written address for Saturday's World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV warned against personalized chatbots that can replicate friendly or intimate behavior. "Overly affectionate chatbots, besides being ever-present and …
Amid Trump’s proposed pipeline safety rollbacks, senator questions regulators’ industry ties
Two appointees of the administration of President Donald Trump at the nation’s pipeline regulator are facing ethics questions from a top lawmaker on the Senate committee that oversees their agency, following ProPublica’s reporting about their ties to the pipeline industry. Sen.
Amid Trump’s Proposed Pipeline Safety Rollbacks, Senator Questions Regulators’ Industry Ties
Two appointees of the administration of President Donald Trump at the nation’s pipeline regulator are facing ethics questions from a top lawmaker on the Senate committee that oversees their agency, following ProPublica’s reporting about their ties to the pipeline industry. Sen.
Investigation: How Trump’s U.S. DOT Is Loosening Safety Rules Meant to Protect the Public — Streetsblog USA Original
This story was originally published by ProPublica, where former Streetsblog reporter Jesse Coburn now works. On its face, the rule proposed in July by the country’s pipeline-safety regulator seemed innocuous. The regulator, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation called the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was proposing what looked like minor, bureaucratic changes to its process for issuing regulatory waivers.
How Trump’s transportation department is loosening safety rules meant to protect the public
ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. On its face, the rule proposed in July by the country’s pipeline-safety regulator seemed innocuous.
Trump Transportation Department’s Deregulation Blitz Puts Public Safety at Risk
Honest, paywall-free news is rare. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. On its face, the rule proposed in July by the country’s pipeline-safety regulator seemed innocuous.
How Trump’s Transportation Department Is Loosening Safety Rules Meant to Protect the Public
Reporting Highlights Safety Rollback: Trump’s Department of Transportation has been on a deregulation blitz, with 30 regulatory moves that could reduce safety and cost lives, according to experts. Industry Influence: 32 DOT political appointees have close industry ties or financial links. It’s not a fox guarding a henhouse, one observer said.
How Jorge Ruiz’s Fatal Car Crash Case Tested Alabama’s Justice System
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Drivers are rarely charged with murder in fatal car crashes unless they have aggravating factors — such as past DUIs or excessive speed. Unlike most people facing these charges in Alabama’s 19th Circuit Court, this defendant was not offered a plea deal for a lesser charge.
Oregon Accelerates Green Energy Projects Before Trump Phase-Out of Tax Credits
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered state agencies to take “any and all steps necessary” to fast-track solar and wind permits that must break ground by next year or likely miss out on a federal tax credit Congress is ending.
Millions Could Lose Housing Aid Under Trump Plan
Some 4 million people could lose federal housing assistance under new plans from the Trump administration, according to experts who reviewed drafts of two unpublished rules obtained by ProPublica.
Seattle Spent Millions on Hotel Rooms to Shelter Unhoused People. Then It Stopped Filling Them.
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with KUOW public radio. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Seattle leased the Civic Hotel as shelter space, and a nonprofit used the Civic and other buildings to place homeless people coming off the city’s troubled Third Avenue. After filling the city-funded rooms, the nonprofit was told to let them empty out — even as the city signed a $2.7 million lease extension.
Pone Trump en riesgo vivienda de millones
Unos 4 millones de personas podrían perder la ayuda federal para la vivienda bajo los nuevos planes de la administración Trump, según expertos que revisaron los borradores de dos normas inéditas, obtenidos por ProPublica.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Took Money Directly From Chinese Investors, Company Insider Testifies
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken money directly from Chinese investors, according to previously sealed testimony, raising new questions about foreign ownership interests in one of the United States’ most important military contractors.
Millions could lose housing aid under Trump plan
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Some 4 million people could lose federal housing assistance under new plans from the Trump administration, according to experts who reviewed drafts of two unpublished rules obtained by ProPublica.
Millions Could Lose Housing Aid Under Trump Plan
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Some 4 million people could lose federal housing assistance under new plans from the Trump administration, according to experts who reviewed drafts of two unpublished rules obtained by ProPublica.
Trump Administration Will Shut Down 7 Major Housing Discrimination Cases
Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news — make a quick donation to Truthout today! The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is preparing to shut down seven major investigations and cases concerning alleged housing discrimination and segregation, including some where the agency already found civil rights violations, according to HUD records obtained by ProPublica.
Trump Administration Prepares to Drop Seven Major Housing Discrimination Cases Original
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is preparing to shut down seven major investigations and cases concerning alleged housing discrimination and segregation, including some where the agency already found civil rights violations, according to HUD records obtained by ProPublica.
Trump Administration Prepares to Drop Seven Major Housing Discrimination Cases
|
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is preparing to shut down seven major investigations and cases concerning alleged housing discrimination and segregation, including some where the agency already found civil rights violations, according to HUD records obtained by ProPublica.
By Jesse Coburn Verified, Melissa Sanchez Verified, Mica Rosenberg Verified, Adrian Gonzalez, Adrian González Verified
|
ProPublica
Verified
How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws
Kennell Staten saw Walker Courts as his best path out of homelessness, he said. The complex had some of the only subsidized apartments he knew of in his adopted hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, so he applied to live there again and again. But while other people seemed to sail through the leasing process, his applications went nowhere. Staten thought he knew why: He is gay. The property manager had made her feelings about that clear to him, he said.
El Gobierno de Trump prepara una lista de políticos mexicanos sujetos a restricciones de visa por presuntos vínculos con el narco
La Administración de Donald Trump ha comenzado a imponer restricciones de viaje y otras sanciones a destacados políticos mexicanos que, según su criterio, están vinculados a la corrupción derivada del narcotráfico. La medida, confirmada por funcionarios del gobierno estadounidense, puede representar una escalada significativa de la presión de Estados Unidos sobre México. Hasta ahora, dos figuras políticas mexicanas han reconocido públicamente que se les ha prohibido viajar a Estados Unidos.
ProPublica: How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Reporting Highlights Cases Closed: At least 115 fair housing cases have been halted or closed, according to HUD officials, some of whom fear race-based cases could be the next category abandoned. Resources Slashed: HUD’s Fair Housing Office is set to lose a third of its staff, and it’s now nearly impossible to spend money on investigations.
Trump Asked EPA Employees to Snitch on Colleagues Working on DEI Initiatives. They Declined. Original
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Days after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, the acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency sent an email to the entire workforce with details about the agency’s plans to close diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and included a plea for help.
Trump Administration Moves to Block the U.S. Travel of Mexican Politicians Who It Says Are Linked to the Drug Trade
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. In what could be a significant escalation of U.S. pressure on Mexico, the Trump administration has begun to impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on prominent Mexican politicians whom it believes are linked to drug corruption, U.S. officials said. So far, two Mexican political figures have acknowledged being banned from traveling to the United States.
How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws Original
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. At least 115 fair housing cases have been halted or closed, according to HUD officials, some of whom fear race-based cases could be the next category abandoned. HUD’s Fair Housing Office is set to lose a third of its staff, and it’s now nearly impossible to spend money on investigations. “We are being gutted,” an official said.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Jesse
Contact Jesse, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack