Extra! Extra! » Broadcast

Law & Disorder looks at police corruption in post-Katrina New Orleans

Beth — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:13:53 +0000

Law & Disorder, a special report by FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Times-Picayune, investigates a number of questionable police shootings in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, raising new questions about the actions of police officers — and their command structure — in the aftermath of the catastrophe. This airs on PBS August 25, and can be streamed online following the broadcast.

Waste on the Water

Beth — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:39:34 +0000

A series of reports by KING-TV’s Susannah Frame, Kellie Cheadle and Steve Douglas, uncovers serious problems with the Washington State Ferry System. Over the last four months, they documented tens of millions of dollars of systemic wasteful spending in the government agency while ferry riders face steep price increases and reduced service, and the state struggles with a huge budget shortfall.

Campus police downplay crime rates

Beth — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:45:06 +0000

An investigation by Wendy Halloran of WHNT-Huntsville, Ala. reveals the campus police department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is downplaying crime rates to make the campus appear safer. In the wake of the deadly shootings on February 12, 2010, Halloran began examining the police department’s handling of the crisis. The investigation utilized whistle blowers and leaked documents that included internal police reports and memos to higher-ups in the administration. The investigation has been brought to the attention of the FBI’s Public Corruption Unit as well as the U.S. Department of Education charged with enforcing the federal Clery Act.

Vehicle drivers at fault in light rail accidents

Beth — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:04:44 +0000

Lori Jane Gliha , Maria Tomasch and Dan Siegel, of KNXV-Phoenix, used months of data, collision logs, police reports and spending records to track and expose accidents involving Valley Metro’s new state of the art light rail system. ”According to light rail collision logs and various police reports, none of the accidents was the fault of light rail operators, but damages totaled $486,783.26. Metro Light Rail was able to recover $341,836.65, but is still waiting for at-fault drivers to pay for $104,080.27 in damages.”

Employees cite culture of retaliation in the ATF

Beth — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:11:18 +0000

A two-part series by CNN’s Scott Zamost and Abbie Boudreau reveals what agents and employees who work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives call a culture of retaliation. In the last six years, ATF has had more discrimination complaints filed per employee than either the FBI or DEA, which are both much larger agencies.

Juvenile sex offenders mainstreamed in Washington public schools

Beth — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:28:52 +0000

An investigation by KIRO-Seattle shows that “hundreds of teenagers, convicted of felony sex crimes, are attending middle and high schools throughout Washington.“ The station identified at least 412 registered sex offenders under the age of 18. “Of those kids convicted of sex crimes, 234 are 16 years old or younger. Nearly all of them must attend public school as part of their probation, parole, or other court ordered decree.” The story package includes a map showing the number of juvenile sex offenders enrolled in public schools by district.

Chemical s used by BP may pose health threats

Beth — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:57:19 +0000

A WDSU-New Orleans report shows the chemical dispersant that BP is using on the oil spill in the Gulf may pose health threats to those working on the clean up, and fisherman are reporting illnesses. “Marine toxicologist Riki Ott said the chemicals used by BP can wreak havoc on a person’s body and even lead to death. ‘The volatile, organic carbons, they act like a narcotic on the brain,’ Ott said. ‘At high concentrations, what we learned in Exxon Valdez from carcasses of harbor seals and sea otters, it actually fried the brain, (and there were) brain lesions.’”

Nearly half of Phoenix’s murders go unsolved

Beth — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:08:01 +0000

KNXV-Phoenix teamed up with colleagues at Scripps Howard News Service to review the FBI’s uniform crime report data for unsolved murder rates nationwide. Phoenix did not fare well in the analysis. A lack of time, resources and money resulted in a homicide clearance rate of just 54.6% over a 28 year period. As a result, killers walked free and justice has been denied for more than 2000 families. The story includes a searchable database that allows online readers to look up clearance rates nationwide.

Car registrations net millions for Washington state parks

Beth — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:22:43 +0000

A KIRO-Seattle investigation found that six months ago the Washington State Park Department started billing all vehicle owners in the state an automatic $5 donation for state parks. The donation is included in the total cost of registration although you can opt out of the payment. Since rolling the donation into the registration total, funds raised have gone from approximately $57,000 to about $1 million each month. Analysis of contributions by county showed “poor counties, less educated counties, and places with high non-English speaking populations are ‘donating’ at a disproportionately high rate.”

U.S changes rules for holding Afgan detainees

Beth — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:00:50 +0000

A month after an investigation by CNN’s Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost, the U.S. military has changed a controversial policy in Afghanistan that soldiers claimed put them at risk . The policy, known as the 96-hour rule, required that detainees be released or turned to Afghan authorities within four days. The new rule, announced by Gen. David Petraeus, extends the amount of time to 14 days or longer in some cases. Sen. Lindsey Graham credited CNN’s story with revealing the problems with the 96-hour rule.