An investigation by CNN’s Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost led to a major policy change in how much the U.S. Postal Service will pay for an employee’s home. The investigation also prompted an inspector general’s review that criticized how much the agency spends to relocate employees. CNN revealed how the agency was buying homes costing [...]
Archive for May, 2009
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Series exposes conditions of aging mentally retarded workers
May 27th, 2009 
admin Clark Kauffman of the Des Moines Register follows up on the newspaper’s initial, exclusive stories about mentally retarded processing plant workers who spent 40 years living in an aging Iowa bunkhouse run by a Texas labor broker. The latest installment, “The Last Bunkhouse,” focuses on a licensed care facility on a rural Texas farm where [...]
Higher poverty schools get newer teachers
May 27th, 2009 admin The Statesman Journal recently ran a two-day package that showed how the newest and least experienced teachers in the Salem-Keizer School District work in the highest poverty schools, which was based on a data analysis by the newspaper. Salem-Keizer is the second largest school district in Oregon, with about 40,000 students. Using raw data from [...]
Inspiration Network draws scrutiny
May 26th, 2009 admin The Charlotte Observer published a two-part investigation into the Inspiration Network, which has become one of the world’s fastest growing religious broadcasters largely by repeating this on-air pitch: God brings financial favor to those who donate to the network. Those contributions have turned the network’s CEO into one of the nation’s best-paid non-profit leaders, with [...]
Military personnel used fake diplomas for promotion
May 22nd, 2009 Beth Breach of Trust, an investigation by Wendy Halloran of WHNT-Huntsville, Ala., revealed how counterfeit credentials have infiltrated all levels of the US Army.
Illinois’ new head of corrections leaves Ohio post while under investigation
May 20th, 2009 Beth The investigative team at WBNS-Columbus reported that Michael Randle has been selected as the new head of corrections in Illinois, leaving his position as Ohio’s assistant director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
Planet Aid charity may be mishandling funds
May 20th, 2009 Beth Tisha Thompson of WTTG-Washington, DC spent six-months linking the fast-growing charity “Planet Aid” to an alleged cult-leader wanted by European authorities for embezzlement and tax fraud. The charity’s brought in $30 million in 2007 through the sale of donated items, but there is little evidence the money went to help the poor.
Mortgage company may get federal funds despite problems
May 20th, 2009 Beth The investigative team of KTVT-Dallas/Ft. Worth recently revealed that Saxon Mortgage could receive more than $400 million in federal funds under the Home Affordable Modification Program despite an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau for hundreds of customer complaints. The story followed one homeowner who was promised a no-fee loan modification only to be [...]
Commercial real estate losses threaten local banks
May 19th, 2009 Beth “Commercial real-estate loans could generate losses of $100 billion by the end of next year at more than 900 small and midsize U.S. banks if the economy’s woes deepen, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.” Maurice Tamman and David Enrich report that losses on commercial real-estate loans are much greater than loses related to home loans.
Stimulus funds go to contractors with history of problems
May 18th, 2009 Beth Contractors receiving stimulus funds for nuclear cleanup sites across the country include “many that have been cited for serious safety violations and costly mistakes,” according to a report by Kimberly Kindy of The Washington Post. “In the case of the Energy Department program, private contractors do all cleanup work, and they have been involved [...]
