Archive for May 2010
It’s not too late to come to the IRE conference in Las Vegas
While early-bird registration has ended, you have not missed your opportunity to attend this great training event. On-site registrations will be accepted beginning Wednesday evening, June 9 from 4-6 p.m. and will continue Thursday – Saturday during the conference, being held at the Paris Hotel, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd So. View the schedule and expected speakers today! This…
Read MoreBP chose riskier option to seal Deepwater Horizon well
Ian Urbina, of The New York Times, reports that a BP document provide to the paper by a Congressional investigator reveals that BP officials chose “to use a type of casing for the well that the company knew was the riskier of two options.” The selected casing only had a single seal, and if cement…
Read More24-plus hour days billed by home health workers
Glenn Howatt and Pam Louwagie of the Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) revealed that the state paid a home health care worker who billed for three 32 hour work days. The Star Tribune investigation found that in at least 21 cases last summer, “the state Department of Human Services paid agencies where care attendants supposedly worked…
Read MoreRV park investment leaves seniors penniless
A News-Press (Fort Meyers, Fla.) investigation found hundreds of senior citizens who invested more than $7 million with a Florida RV park and campground owner. The securities were unregistered and when investors complained to authorities, they were bounced from one agency to the next without any agency taking responsibility to investigate. The owner has declared…
Read MoreInvestigation finds mercury in face cream
A Chicago Tribune investigation discovered high levels of mercury in skin lightening creams sold throughout Chicago. The newspaper sent 50 skin-lightening creams to a certified lab for testing, most of them bought in Chicago stores and a few ordered online. Six were found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law. Of those, five…
Read MoreGun-rental loophole for felons, others
Felons may be prohibited from buying, owning or carrying guns, but a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation by reporter John Diedrich revealed a loophole in the law allows them to rent guns at gun stores and use them for target practice on indoor ranges. Indeed, gun stores are prohibited from running background checks on those wanting…
Read MoreMexican government seems to favor Sinaloa cartel
An NPR News investigation has found strong evidence of collusion between elements of the Mexican army and the Sinaloa cartel in the violent border city of Juarez. In an effort to find out whether federal forces are favoring the Sinaloa cartel, NPR analyzed thousands of news releases on the federal attorney general’s website announcing arrests…
Read More“Tax sale” foreclosures a threat to homeowners
A report by the Huffington Post Investigative fund examines “tax sale” foreclosures. Amid the economic downturn, they are happening in Baltimore and other cities, where big banks, brokerage houses, and other investors are gaining the right from governments to collect on paltry debts of citizens. Fees and other costs swell, and homeowners who can’t make…
Read MoreNitrate contamination a problem across California
“The water supply of more than two million Californians has been exposed to harmful levels of nitrates over the past 15 years,” according to a report by California Watch. Nitrates are the most common groundwater contaminant, and are a problem in both rural and city water systems. In 1980, nine wells in California exceeded accepted…
Read MoreEarly-bird registration extended
Early-bird registration has been extended until Tuesday, May 25 at 5p.m. (CT). Don’t delay, register today! To register visit the conference registration page. To find out the scoop on panels, speakers and special events, visit our conference page. Dozens of panels offering tips and techniques from reporters, producers, editors and news directors will be presented…
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