Investigative reporter with @ocregister and @SoCalNewsGroup. Formerly covering wildlife crime @NatGeo. Medill Justice, @MedillSchool alum. Dessert connoisseur.

Joined September 2012
10 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
I've started a new position as an investigative reporter at the @ocregister! The OC Register is part of the @SoCalNewsGroup, so I'll be covering surrounding areas as well. Please reach out to send me tips, story ideas, friendly hellos, hate mail, recipes, etc!
3
106
Rachel Fobar retweeted
.@rfobar has a great story for us today on what the hell is going on with animal experimentation under the Trump administration, balancing a lot of threads very well - give it a read! vox.com/future-perfect/41285…
2
16
6,259
14 May 2025
My latest on research animal welfare for @voxdotcom
14 May 2025
Is Trump doing the right thing on animal research for the wrong reasons? vox.com/future-perfect/41285…
2
5
195
Rachel Fobar retweeted
3 Nov 2024
CBP personnel are now detaining frankincense and frankincense-based products sourced from Somalia by Asli Maydi. These products are commonly used in essential oils. The withhold release order is in place due to forced labor indicators. Read more: go.dhs.gov/UdP
6
10
31
4,987
4 Nov 2024
A huge update from last week: @CBP has banned imports of frankincense supplied by Somaliland company Asli Maydi, which supplied essential oils brand doTERRA for years, over forced labor.
U.S. bans imports from Asli Maydi, the Somaliland company that supplied frankincense oil to essential oils brand doTERRA, over forced labor. A @FullerProject investigation last year exposed exploitation and abuse of women workers. bit.ly/4htavrC
1
4
697
Rachel Fobar retweeted
Reporters, a bit of advice on something I learned the hard way: Don’t let anyone tell you something isn’t a story when you know it is. I’ve fallen into this trap. Years later, I still regret not telling stories I should have. 1/
15
147
826
110,837
Rachel Fobar retweeted
If you grab a copy of @nytimes today, you just might see a familiar byline on the cover of the science section 🙃
19
13
430
23,857
Rachel Fobar retweeted
Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to request public records
7
167
778
67,909
Rachel Fobar retweeted
Here we go! Introducing Wildlife Investigative Reporters & Editors (WIRE), a new journalism nonprofit from me, @rebersole, and @OlliePayneHere to make sure important stories about exploitation of nature and animals continue to be told. wireonline.org/
15
104
302
20,984
23 Jul 2024
My latest for @FullerProject and the @GuardianUS.
Women in Somaliland who worked to supply frankincense to the U.S. essential oils company @doTERRA have said an investigation the company conducted into abuses by their local employer has placed them in danger, & that missing wages have still not been paid: bit.ly/3LypXnF
1
3
7
713
4 Jun 2024
In 2022, I wrote about Envigo, a research beagle center that had racked up dozens of animal welfare violations. This week, the DOJ announced that Envigo’s parent company will pay $35 million—the largest fine in the history of the Animal Welfare Act. justice.gov/opa/pr/animal-br…
3
7
34
2,419
4 Jun 2024
Soon after I published, the Department of Justice secured the surrender of more than 4,000 beagles, who were later adopted into loving homes around the country. youtube.com/watch?v=DuaVKiD1…
3
151
Rachel Fobar retweeted
No story's ever done. The South African police officer leading plant poaching investigations has been arrested for alleged crimes including corruption, something I caught wind of several yrs ago when reporting the story and police denied. THREAD nationalgeographic.com/anima…
1
5
18
1,693
Rachel Fobar retweeted
Congrats to @FullerProject's contrib. reporters @JessieWill5, @rfobar & @ZahraYusufi for being named 2024 finalists for excellence in intl. reporting by the @UMWallaceHouse Livingston Awards for their Fuller stories on Somaliland, Afghanistan & Ukraine. bit.ly/4bdTJZu

5
10
782