Lead paint was banned in the United States in the 1970s and leaded gasoline was slowly phased out over the next 20 years. However, a KUOW investigation has found across the nation, hundreds of thousands of engines still run on leaded gas. John Ryan, with KUOW, found that monitoring airborne lead in the Puget Sound region stopped completley back in 1999.

In a three-part, eight-story series, The Post, found that underage drinkers on Ohio University's campus were safer drinking at the bars than they were at a house party. It also broke down a three-year Ohio Liquor Control Commission oversight; allowing a bar to remain open for three-years under an intended suspension. The series also looks at drinking in dorms, which are the location of the most underage drinking citations.

"In a multi-part series, The Seattle Times has found that almost 300 sex offenders in the state of Washington are detained indefinitely in a civil-commitment program. The center protects society from these predators, but is has been plagued by runaway legal costs, a lack of financial oversight and layers of secrecy"

A Columbus Dispatch investigation of domestic violence in 2009 found flaws in Ohio laws and policies that created a culture of tolerance. Two years later, more agencies are reporting more abuse and deaths, yet reform legislation remains stalled.

"Bloomberg BusniessWeek reports that almost 15,000 federal retirees, including former leaders of Congress, a university president and a banker, are receiving six-figure pensions from a system that faces a $674.2 billion shortfall.

Charles R. Babcock and Frank Bass obtained data that shows about one of every 125 retired federal civilian workers collects more than $100,000 in benefits annually."

"A USA Today investigation reveals that seven decades after scientists came to the US during World War II to create plutonium for the first atomic bomb, a new generation is struggling with an even more daunting task: cleaning up the radioactive mess.

Several senior engineers cited design problems that could bring the treatment plant's operations to a halt before much of the waste is treated."

"An investigation by The Bay Citizen has found that California is a haven for diploma mills and unaccredited schools. The paper found that the state has given approvals to hundreds of dubious programs and has not inspected some of these schools for decades."

"A CNN investigation has found that for years, doctors around the country taking an exam to become board certified in radiology have cheated on their test."

"Dozens of radiology residents interviewed by CNN said that they promised before taking the written test to memorize certain questions and write them down immediately after the test along with fellow residents so that the next round of test takers can memorize those questions."

How much should a bus shelter cost? In Grants Pass, Ore., the answer may surprise you. Harry Esteve of The Oregonian reports that city officials recently signed off "on a project to build five bus shelters at an estimated cost of $106,000 apiece," or the cost of building a three-bedroom house.

The project has spurred embarrassment among council members and outrage among some city residents who are "tired of seeing federal tax money spent frivolously."

The Bay Citizen reports that the Internet banking giant, ING Direct USA, may be trying to bypass regulation by opening "cafes" instead of branches. By not offering deposits at the cafe, ING does not have to follow regulation that requires banks to lend money to low- and moderate-income borrowers in metropolitan areas.

ING claims the cafes are a marketing tool, and denies trying ot skirt the law.