An investigation by WGCL-Atlanta found that several mammogram facilities in Georgia have continued operating despite being cited for serious violations by the Food and Drug Administration.  The violations ranged from “failing to prove doctors are board certified, state licensed, or even qualified to read mammograms, to equipment failing crucial quality control tests.”  The investigation found that the issues cited could compromise a patient’s quality of care.  The station posted a listing of all the violations cited at Georgia facilities from 2003-2008.

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Brian Collister of WOAI-San Antonio reports that “the Department of Homeland Security is missing more than $32 million dollars worth of equipment. The list of missing equipment includes thousands of computers and laptops, some containing sensitive information; devices to detect explosives, like the ones used to scan your bags at the airport; and thousands of pieces of surveillance equipment.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that the agency is working to more effectively track equipment.

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Despite questions about their voting eligibility, nearly 24,000 convicted felons in Washington state will receive ballots for November’s election, according to a report by Chris Halsne of KIRO-Seattle. In 2006, the Secretary of State’s Office unveiled a program meant to identify and purge ineligible voters from the register, but the results are inaccurate. Those familiar with the election program said it was intentionally programmed to ignore felons who were convicted prior to 2006 because “it was going to be too difficult to research which ones can legally vote.” Based on a study by the Washington Department of Correction, it is likely that 65 percent of those felons receiving ballots have not completed the necessary steps to restore their voting rights. Of the the felons on the register, 6,812 are considered “very likely voters” because they have cast ballots in other election this year.

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The Secret Money Project, a joint endeavor by the Center for Investigative Reporting and NPR, tracks the influence of hidden money from independent groups funding advertising campaigns during the 2008 elections. Changes in campaign finance laws and political strategies have ratcheted up the influence of such groups in the current election cycle, as these groups are not limited in how much money they can raise and often aren’t scrutinized like the candidates or party committees. An interactive map identifies the groups behind the smear campaigns by state.

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Mark Greenblatt of KHOU-TV found that Army recruiters in Houston were threatening potential recruits to keep them from dropping out. Young recruits who pre-enlist under the Delayed Entry Program can “try out the military without a binding commitment,” but recruiters threatened jail time if they fail to serve. Three years ago, the same recruiting station had been charged with exercising similarly questionable recruiting tactics which led to a re-examination of all methods and regulations.

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Reporter Mark Jenkins and photographer Brent Stirton, of National Geographic, investigated the murder of seven Virunga gorillas in June and July of 2007. Virunga National Park is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The gorillas share the park with tens of thousands of heavily armed soldiers engaged in a three-way guerrilla war between two rival militias and the Congolese army.” It is believed the gorillas were killed to send a message to park staff trying to stop the illegal charcoal trade in the region. Some park personnel, including the chief warden, are suspected of being involved in both the illegal charcoal trade and murder of the gorillas.

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CBS News‘ Armen Keteyian reports that Congress is investigating the manufacturers of the trailers used as emergency housing in the Gulf following Hurricane Katrina. Employers of Gulf Stream Coach, which received $522 million for 50,000 trailers following the storm, said they knew that the trailers were toxic. The increased production volume forced the company to use cheaper materials, resulting in formaldehyde contamination in over 35,000 of the trailers.

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Dan Harris, reporter for ABC News Nightline, went undercover to investigate the problem of child slavery in Haiti. Within 10 hours of leaving New York City, Harris was able to negotiate the purchase of a young girl for $150 from a man who claimed to be a former member of parliament. “Slave traffickers use Haiti’s poverty and lack of opportunity to their advantage,” and many parents are willing to give their children away for the promise of an education.

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“Propaganda has become a primary front in the war against terrorism, with the United States and al-Qaeda each investing heavily to win over hearts and minds,” reports Chris Whitlock of The Washington Post. Al-Hurra, a U.S. government financed Arabic-language television network created to “spread democracy in the Middle East”, has proven a flop both in terms of viewership and journalistic integrity. The second article in the series will investigate al-Qaeda’s online propaganda campaign, also riddled with problems.

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A joint ProPublica-CBS 60 Minutes investigation finds that the U.S.taxpayer-funded news network Al-Hurra is “woefully mismanaged and poorly supervised despite complaints from Congress.” The network was launched in 2004 to, as President Bush put it, “cut through the barriers of hateful propaganda” in the Arab world. As it turns out, it has a very small audience and at times has included anti-Israeli propaganda. The story will air Sunday, June 22 on 60 Minutes with an accompanying series on the ProPublica website.

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