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As an investigative reporter, Nate has exposed police misconduct in Mississippi Sheriff’s departments and uncovered industry influence in denying outdoor workers access to lifesaving heat protections. He is working on developing a tool using large language models to help reporters analyze public comments on federal regulations.

“How a ‘Goon Squad’ of Deputies Got Away With Years of Brutality,” New York Times (2023)

They barged into homes in the middle of the night, then held people down while they beat and choked them, witnesses said. For years, signs of the violence went ignored.

“New Evidence Raises Questions in Mississippi Police Killing,” New York Times (2023)

Experts who reviewed the autopsy report on Damien Cameron say investigators missed clear signs that deputies suffocated him while he was being subdued.

“Workers are dying from extreme heat. Why aren’t there laws to protect them?” Grist & The Guardian (2023)

“We’re asking for something so simple. Something that could save so many lives.”

“Six Officers Known as the ‘Goon Squad’ Plead Guilty to Toruting Two Black Men,” Mississippi Today (2023)

The charges against five Rankin County Sheriff’s Department deputies and a Richland police officer followed a months-long Justice Department investigation, which found credible evidence of the attack on Michael Jenkins, 32, and Eddie Terrell Parker, 35.

“Commons,” The Brown Institute for Media Innovation (2023-2024)

The Commons project aims to create a tool that tracks the responsiveness of federal agencies to public comments on regulations and provides journalists with a comprehensive database of the comments. Using data scraped from regulations.gov, the tool will track accountability metrics, will analyze regulations with over 1,000 comments in the last three years, and will leverage large language models to identify significant trends. Journalists can gain insights into the comment process, such as repeating arguments, identical comments, and groups responsible for the majority of comments. The tool will also feature an interactive interface that is easily accessible and searchable using custom queries, increasing equity and transparency in the regulatory process.

“A Lifetime in the Meadowlands,” (2023)

For centuries, people have tried to control the water in New Jersey’s Meadowlands. But the water has always prevailed.

“Who’s Afraid of Antonio Pagan?,” Shoe Leather (2023)

In the 1980s and 90s, controversial City Councilperson Antonio Pagan was loved and hated by the Lower East Side. And while his political career was short-lived, his complicated legacy lives on.

35 years later, we want to know: was Antonio Pagan to blame for one of the worst police riots in New York City’s history?

Listen to this season of Shoe Leather here

“Could This Be a Model for Justice in New York City’s Housing Courts?” Columbia News Service (2023)

Joyce Overton went to court one morning in November to ask for help. With her hair tied back in a bun and the word “love” scrawled across her shirt, Overton stepped up to the judge’s bench to explain that, for weeks, she had to feed her seven kids without a stove.