Rob Davis

Reporter

Photo of Rob Davis

Rob Davis is a reporter covering the Pacific Northwest for ProPublica.

Before joining ProPublica, Davis worked as an investigative reporter covering the environment for The Oregonian. His 2021 investigation into how industrial logging hollowed out Oregon communities, “The Cutting,” a partnership between The Oregonian, ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting, received the 2021 John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Reporting.

His 2019 investigation “Polluted by Money” revealed how unlimited political giving had undermined environmental protections in Oregon. The work helped bring about a long-stalled constitutional amendment that cleared the way for campaign donation limits. The project received numerous awards, including the John B. Oakes Award, the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability and the Scripps Howard Award for Environmental Reporting.

A native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Davis got his start in journalism at the Hanover (Virginia) Herald-Progress.

He is based in Portland, Oregon.

We Reported on Nike’s Extensive Use of Private Jets. The Company Just Made It Harder to Track Them.

Since our story, the company has added its planes to a popular Federal Aviation Administration program that makes it harder to see where they’re going.

Nike Shareholders Want to Force Actions on Environmental and Worker Protections. They Face Long Odds.

At their annual meeting, Nike investors will decide on proposals about the company’s approach to climate change, gender equity and labor rights. If history is any guide, none of them will pass.

After Nike Leaders Promised Climate Action, Their Corporate Jets Kept Flying — and Polluting

Nike has staked a claim as a corporate leader on sustainability. Yet company disclosures show that its jets emitted almost 20% more carbon dioxide last year than in 2015. It’s one small factor in Nike’s failure to slash emissions as promised.

Nike Pledged to Shrink Its Carbon Footprint. It Just Slashed the Staff Charged With Making That Happen.

Since December, Nike has lost about 30% of employees who worked primarily on sustainability initiatives, due to layoffs, voluntary departures or transfers to other duties. Already, the company was missing its targets for reducing emissions.

An Oregon Bill to Cut Millions in Timber Taxes Is Dead, Despite Backing by the Industry, the Governor and a Top Lawmaker

The legislation aimed to reformulate how Oregon funds the rising costs of fighting wildfires. It sparked debate within the Democratic-controlled Legislature about who should pay: taxpayers or big timber owners, who won steep tax cuts in the 1990s.

The Oregon Timber Industry Won Huge Tax Cuts in the 1990s. Now It May Get Another Break Thanks to a Top Lawmaker.

As the cost of fighting wildfires increases, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner has proposed a bill — developed in consultation with the logging industry — that would shift millions in expenses away from the biggest landowners and onto taxpayers.

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