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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan
@byardduncan.bsky.social
6.6K followers 85 following 15 posts
Award-winning investigative reporter covering business and consumer protection issues. Bylines: ProPublica, Reveal, Esquire, GQ, others.
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · 8d
Whoa.

Looks like Exeter Finance, the subprime auto lender I investigated with @ryangabrielson.bsky.social for @propublica.org, is under investigation by 42 state AGs. www.propublica.org/article/tom-...
Portland Trail Blazers Buyer Tom Dundon Built His Fortune on Subprime Loans
In 2020, the state sued Santander Consumer USA for allegedly preying on Oregonians through high-interest car loans they couldn’t afford in a case involving more than 265,000 borrowers nationwide.
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Aug 26
shoutout to all the investigative editors debating whether, given recent developments, to hold that big blockbuster exposé on forever chemicals
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charlesornstein.bsky.social
Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · Mar 26
"What we’re seeing is a wholesale abandonment of consumer protection, leaving people to fend for themselves when credit card companies, banks, payday lenders and payment apps violate the law."

CFPB Probes of Big Tech and Finance Frozen Under Trump
Fend for Yourself: Under Trump, Consumer Protection Bureau’s Probes of Big Tech and Finance Firms Freeze Up
Companies may avoid consequences for alleged wrongdoing as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau drops lawsuits against Capital One and Rocket Homes and pauses investigations into Meta and others —...
www.propublica.org
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Reposted by Byard Duncan
byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Mar 26
What happens when America's consumer watchdog walks away from cases it was pursuing?

My @propublica.org colleagues want to hear from people on the ground. www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
Have You Recently Sought Help From the CFPB? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is walking away from cases that might have helped return money to consumers across the U.S. We want to hear from people who feel left behind.
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Mar 26
What happens when America's consumer watchdog walks away from cases it was pursuing?

My @propublica.org colleagues want to hear from people on the ground. www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
Have You Recently Sought Help From the CFPB? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is walking away from cases that might have helped return money to consumers across the U.S. We want to hear from people who feel left behind.
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Mar 26
Great scoop from @propublica.org's Jake Pearson:

The Trump admin’s new hands-off approach to enforcement at the CFPB extends far beyond all the dismissed cases the public knows about. www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Fend for Yourself: Under Trump, Consumer Protection Bureau’s Probes of Big Tech and Finance Firms Freeze Up
Companies may avoid consequences for alleged wrongdoing as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau drops lawsuits against Capital One and Rocket Homes and pauses investigations into Meta and others —...
www.propublica.org
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Reposted by Byard Duncan
propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Mar 6
📣 D.C., our truck is back.

Today at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired workers were given just 15 minutes to pack up their desks. As always, we're here to listen and meet people where they are.

👉 Reach out at propublica.org/tips or on Signal at 917-512-0201.
A black mobile billboard truck parked near the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in D.C. On the side of the truck, a LED screen reads: Are (were) you a government worker? ProPublica journalists want to hear from you. Signal: 917-512-0201. propublica.org/tips.
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alikodjak.bsky.social
Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Mar 6
Hello #federalemployees. @propublica.org wants to hear your stories.
propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Mar 6
📣 D.C., our truck is back.

Today at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired workers were given just 15 minutes to pack up their desks. As always, we're here to listen and meet people where they are.

👉 Reach out at propublica.org/tips or on Signal at 917-512-0201.
A black mobile billboard truck parked near the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in D.C. On the side of the truck, a LED screen reads: Are (were) you a government worker? ProPublica journalists want to hear from you. Signal: 917-512-0201. propublica.org/tips.
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Mar 6
📣 THE TRUCK IS BACK! 📣

And this time, we're hoping to hear from people who've worked for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Mar 6
📣 D.C., our truck is back.

Today at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired workers were given just 15 minutes to pack up their desks. As always, we're here to listen and meet people where they are.

👉 Reach out at propublica.org/tips or on Signal at 917-512-0201.
A black mobile billboard truck parked near the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in D.C. On the side of the truck, a LED screen reads: Are (were) you a government worker? ProPublica journalists want to hear from you. Signal: 917-512-0201. propublica.org/tips.
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Reposted by Byard Duncan
mkramer.bsky.social
Melody Joy Kramer, MLIS @mkramer.bsky.social · Feb 26
A list of ProPublica reporters, what they're covering, and how to get in touch via Signal.

There are reporters covering USAID, DOGE, State, NIH, CDC, FDA, DOJ, EPA, DOD, DHS, FAA, Medicaid, abortion, HUD, DOT, veterans and ED. www.propublica.org/article/seco...
What ProPublica’s Reporters Will Be Covering During Donald Trump’s Second Presidency — and How to Contact Them
From Trump’s relationships with billionaires to immigration, here are some of the issues and topics our reporters will be keeping an eye on as his second presidency begins.
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Feb 27
My brilliant @propublica.org colleagues would love to hear from federal workers. And we'll do what it takes to meet them where they are.
aletakesphotos.bsky.social
Alejandro Alvarez @aletakesphotos.bsky.social · Feb 27
Strategically parked around the corner …
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propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Feb 27
Some of the data used by Cambridge Analytica highlighted consumers’ most personal information, like:
• If they owned cats
• Whether they were dieting
• If they were recently divorced
• Their political opinions
How Cambridge Analytica Used Intimate Data to Exploit Gun Owners’ Private Lives
Documents obtained by ProPublica detail the sophistication and intrusiveness of Cambridge’s work for the gun industry in 2016. The firm’s campaign aimed to help elect Donald Trump and keep…
propub.li
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Reposted by Byard Duncan
alikodjak.bsky.social
Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Feb 27
Remember Cambridge Analytica??
@propublica.org
projects.propublica.org/gun-owners-c...
How Cambridge Analytica Used Intimate Data to Exploit Gun Owners’ Private Lives
Documents obtained by ProPublica detail the sophistication and intrusiveness of Cambridge’s work for the gun industry in 2016. The firm’s campaign aimed to help elect Donald Trump and keep industry-fr...
projects.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Feb 20
Absolutely love this. www.npr.org/2025/02/18/n...
How Paramore's Hayley Williams helped her grandfather release his debut album
Paramore singer Hayley Williams' earliest memories of music are of hearing her grandfather's songs. She helped him, now 78, achieve a dream: releasing his debut album.
www.npr.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Feb 19
Honored to be included alongside Corey G. Johnson in @hcrichardson.bsky.social's newsletter yesterday.

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-1...

Thanks for the recognition of our work!
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propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Feb 14
Who what when where why not be our Valentine?

Send these to someone you’re headline over heels for. 💌
Valentine’s Day graphic with a pink hearts background. Text in white and red: You’ve made an impact on me, with the word “impact” in all-caps. Valentine’s Day graphic with a pink hearts background. Text in white and red: I’m Pro-You. (The “Pro” is in the style of the ProPublica logo.) Valentine’s Day graphic with a pink hearts background. Text in white and red: I’ve got a thing FOIA. Valentine’s Day graphic with a pink hearts background. Text: No one can redact our love. (Black boxes are in between the words, as if certain lines have been redacted.)
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propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · Feb 10
Among the data used by Cambridge Analytica to profile gun owners in the database: income, debt, religious affiliation, whether they liked the paintings of Thomas Kinkade and whether the underwear women had purchased was plus size or petite.

By Corey G. Johnson & @byardduncan.bsky.social
Gun Lobbyists and Cambridge Analytica Weaponized Gun Owners’ Private Details for Political Gain
Documents and interviews reveal how the now-disgraced political firm targeted potential voters by combining its cache of confidential consumer data with information secretly collected from millions…
propub.li
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asiafields.bsky.social
Asia Fields @asiafields.bsky.social · Feb 4
People who experienced homeless encampment sweeps in Washington state and Tennessee wrote about the impact it had on their lives.

Our team @propublica.org added these to our page featuring stories from people across the country: projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...
A notecard with the prompt, "What is something that was important to you that was taken in a sweep? How did it impact you?" The handwritten statement below says, "My momma’s ashes were displayed on my table in my tent. I came back one day — and EVERYTHING was gone, including her ashes. They were clearly labled ‘In loving memory — my mom, my best friend…’ and her name. Her ashes were all that I had left of her. No one stored my stuff. I called tons of places and NO ONE knew anything. It is very difficult for me still, everyday. No warning, no remorse, nothing." A notecard with the prompt, "What is something that was important to you that was taken in a sweep? How did it impact you?" The handwritten statement below says, “It’s hard to narrow my list down. One particularly devastating (for me) sweep took EVERYTHING I owned at the time I was gone from my spot for a couple nights. Save for my wallet, ID, and the clothes on my back, I had not brought anything with me. Unaware of the sweep, I returned to find my tent, my cot, all my clothing, several files with important document, literally everything; all of it, gone.” A notecard with the prompt, "What is something that was important to you that was taken in a sweep? How did it impact you?" The handwritten statement below says, “Lost my clothes tents more than once all my personal items i.e. pictures family photos and kids birth certificates and it really sucked how they did it and bulldozed everything I owned litterally bulldozed it.” A notecard with the prompt, "What is something that was important to you that was taken in a sweep? How did it impact you?" The handwritten statement below says, “Winter bedding & personal memorabilia pictures, things that can’t be replaced. One winter in the middle of the night they came and took bedding only now they mess with us every day now I try to keep it to a backpack and cart try to.”
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Feb 5
New w/ Corey G. Johnson for @propublica.org:

We reached out to 6k ppl whose private info was harvested by the gun industry for political gain.

They represented a wide range of viewpoints. But one thing united dozens who spoke to us: They weren't happy about it. www.propublica.org/article/guns...
Gun Lobbyists and Cambridge Analytica Weaponized Gun Owners’ Private Details for Political Gain
Documents and interviews reveal how the now-disgraced political firm targeted potential voters by combining its cache of confidential consumer data with information secretly collected from millions of...
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Jan 17
Things are going great here in Oakland, thank you very much. oaklandside.org/2025/01/17/o...
Sheng Thao and partner Andre Jones sought more than $300,000 in bribes, feds allege
The recalled Oakland mayor was accused by federal prosecutors of a "corrupt agreement" to hand city contracts and steer city appointments to benefit the Duong family.
oaklandside.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Jan 10
Friendly reminder that @propublica.org is hiring an Executive Producer, Audio. If you've got questions or are thinking of applying, hit me up!

Email address in bio. boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j...
Executive Producer, Audio
New York, New York, United States
boards.greenhouse.io
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Jan 9
got a parking ticket while donating blood yesterday.
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anjeanette-damon.bsky.social
Anjeanette Damon @anjeanette-damon.bsky.social · Jan 8
Elon Musk’s Boring Co. spent years pitching cities on a an underground transportation system. Proposals in Illinois and Calif. fizzled after officials and the public scrutinized the details and sought environmental reviews.

Then he went to Las Vegas.
www.propublica.org/article/elon...
Elon Musk’s Boring Company Is Tunneling Beneath Las Vegas With Little Oversight
Given Musk’s role advising President-elect Donald Trump on ways to slash regulations and government oversight, Boring and the Vegas Loop project might be a harbinger for the country.
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Dec 13
A tale of two United Healths:

The co's CEO in NYT today: "No one would design a system like the one we have."

Also today: @propublica.org's @anniewaldman.bsky.social explains how United strategically limited access to critical treatment for kids with autism. www.propublica.org/article/unit...
UnitedHealth Is Strategically Limiting Access to Critical Treatment for Kids With Autism
Leaked internal documents show that the insurance giant is culling providers of applied behavior analysis from its network and scrutinizing the medical necessity of therapy. Advocates say the company’...
www.propublica.org
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byardduncan.bsky.social
Byard Duncan @byardduncan.bsky.social · Dec 5
New vid from from @propublica.org's Corey Johnson:

At least 10 gun industry businesses secretly handed over customers’ names, addresses and other data to lobbyists, who used the details to rally firearm owners to elect pro-gun politicians. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcjW...
Gun Companies Gave Customers’ Sensitive Personal Information to Political Operatives
YouTube video by ProPublica
www.youtube.com
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