A series by Yamil Berard of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports on problems with medical examiners in Texas. “Texas medical examiners have misidentified bodies, botched examinations and had to do a double take on cases of individuals later exonerated by law enforcement.”
Archive for September, 2009
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Felons, mentally ill live with seniors in Illinois nursing homes
September 30th, 2009 
Beth A Chicago Tribune 3-part investigation by David Jackson and Gary Marx found elderly and disabled nursing home residents assaulted, raped and even murdered because Illinois has failed to manage the growing numbers of mentally ill felons admitted to nursing facilities.
Contaminated drinking water found in schools across the U.S.
September 29th, 2009 Beth A 10-month investigation by Garance Burke of the Associated Press has found unsafe levels of contaminants such as lead and pesticides in school drinking water in all 50 states. “But the problem has gone largely unmonitored by the federal government, even as the number of water safety violations has multiplied.”
$11 million in FAA funds budgeted for unnecessary airstrip
September 29th, 2009 Beth A report by Dave Tobin of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) shows how the Federal Aviation Administration plans to spend $11 million on a rural airstrip.
Fighting New Jersey’s Tax Crush series
September 29th, 2009 Beth A Gannett New Jersey 8-day investigation looks at New Jersey’s property taxes which are the highest in the nation. Using tax information and census data, the series looks at the trends, disparities and impact of such high taxes.
Housing association under scrutiny after newpaper exposes problems
September 28th, 2009 Beth Lewis Kamb of The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash) writes that Washington state commerce officials have launched an investigation of the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association.
Some of the worst roads bypassed by stimulus funds
September 28th, 2009 Beth Brad Heath of USA Today reports that “nearly $10 billion in stimulus aid to repair the nation’s tattered highways has largely bypassed dozens of metropolitan areas where roads are in the worst shape.”
Trust Betrayed series
September 25th, 2009 Beth A sixth-month, statewide investigation into Florida’s child care centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities by Sally Kestin, Peter Franceschina and John Maines of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel found that Florida laws have often placed children and the elderly in the hands of habitual criminals.
Majority of health care lobbyists are federal government veterans
September 25th, 2009 Beth “Of 2,737 lobbyists hired to promote the interests of drug companies, insurers, hospitals, health professionals, industry groups and business organizations, 1,418 — or 52 percent — have worked for Congress, the White House or federal agencies. That includes 55 former members of Congress.” reports Jonathan D. Salant and Lizzie O’Leary of Bloomberg.com.
Four Wisconsin in-home child care providers match sex offender addresses
September 25th, 2009 Beth “An audit of the Wisconsin Shares program released Wednesday found four cases where the addresses of in-home child-care providers matched those of registered sex offenders,” according to a report by Raquel Rutledge and Stacy Forster of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
