Archive for August, 2005

Blacks pay higher interest on home loans

Wednesday, 08/31/05 Posted in Business, CAR, Census & Demographics, Housing, Social issues

Binyamin Appelbaum and Ted Mellnik of The Charlotte Observer used mortgage loan data from 25 top lenders to show that “blacks who bought homes in communities across America last year ... Read more..

Police disregard rape complaints

Wednesday, 08/31/05 Posted in First Amendment & FOIA, Justice (courts/crime/law)

Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis police have failed to file official reports on many sex crimes over the past 20 years, instead writing informal ... Read more..

Church leader takes in millions

Wednesday, 08/31/05 Posted in Nonprofit, Religion

John Blake of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution used public tax and property records to show how Bishop Eddie Long, leader of the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, received more than ... Read more..

Legislators leasing vehicles

Wednesday, 08/31/05 Posted in CAR, Government (federal/state/local), Politics

Chris Casteel of The Oklahoman used rarely-scrutinized records detailing congressional office expenses, finding that “Rep. John Sullivan is leasing a sport utility vehicle in his congressional district for $1,242 a ... Read more..

Judging school performance

Tuesday, 08/30/05 Posted in CAR, Education

Sanjay Bhatt of The Seattle Times used achievement and growth data from Seattle Public Schools to examine "high-performing" schools. Bhatt explains: "I used Excel's pivot table feature to do a ... Read more..

Developers take advantage of agricultural breaks

Tuesday, 08/30/05 Posted in Business, CAR, Environment, Housing

Samuel P. Nitze and Beth Reinhard of The Miami Herald used local property data to show that “under a 1959 state law intended to preserve agriculture, developers reap huge property ... Read more..

Disparities in distribution of fed transportation money

Monday, 08/29/05 Posted in CAR, Government (federal/state/local), Transportation

Erica Werner of The Associated Press analyzed county-by-county spending in California contained in the recently-passed federal transportation bill, finding “vast disparities in how the money was doled out, and perhaps ... Read more..

Crime data shows drug arrests in blighted area

Monday, 08/29/05 Posted in CAR, Housing, Justice (courts/crime/law)

Bryan Chambers of The (Huntington, W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch used local crime data for a story about the city’s effort to clean up a blighted area. “Between September 2003 and May 2004 ... Read more..

Race a factor in Dallas jury selection

Friday, 08/26/05 Posted in Justice (courts/crime/law)

An investigation by Dallas Morning News reporters Steve McGonigle, Holly Becka, Jennifer LaFleur and Tim Wyatt found that prosecutors and defense attorneys in Dallas County exclude jurors on the basis ... Read more..

Little oversight of profitable charter school

Friday, 08/26/05 Posted in Business, CAR, Education

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Connie Langland and Dale Mezzacappa report on a charter school's manager "who has turned Chester Community Charter School into a profitable, expanding business in the heart of ... Read more..