Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "FDA regulations" ...

  • A rampant prescription, a hidden peril

    The series investigated nursing homes’ use of antipsychotic medications on the elderly, a practice the US Food and Drug and Administration has long warned against because of potentially fatal side effects in people with dementia. The Boston Globe analyzed data from 15,600 nursing homes nationwide and found that about 185,000 residents received antipsychotics in 2010 alone, despite not having a medical condition that warranted such use. The series also revealed that Massachusetts nursing homes commonly use antipsychotics to control agitation and combative behavior in elderly residents who should not be receiving the powerful sedatives, yet state regulators seldom use their authority to reprimand or penalize facilities for this practice.

    Tags: Antipsychotics; FDA; nursing homes; Alzheimer's disease

    By Kay Lazar; Matt Carroll

    Boston Globe

    2012

  • Side Effects

    Side Effects tells the story of a court case and the personal story that surrounded the making and unmasking of a bestselling drug, Paxil. "It chronicles the lives of two women - a prosecutor and a whistleblower - who exposes the pattern of deception in the research and marketing of Paxil, an antidepressant prescribed to millions of children and adults."

    Tags: Paxil; FDA; side-effects; GlaxoSmithKline; drug regulators; drug regulation; depression in children; clinical trials; misappropriation;

    By Alison Bass

    5280 (Denver)

    2008

  • Lead in Dental Work

    "WBNS-TV spent the past year probing into the presence of toxic lead in dental work such as crown, bridges and dentures. The team discovered a lack of state and federal regulation in the dental laboratory industry, an industry largely overlooked and unknown to the consumer until WBNS-TV broke the story in February 2008. An increasing number of laboratories outsource dental work to other companies. The FDA doesn't track the materials in foreign or domestic dental work. The lack of oversight results in patient risk.

    Tags: lead poisoning; dental work; dentistry; regulations; infection; foreign production

    By Lindsey Seavert; Bill Reagan; Joel Chow; Karen Salajko; John Cardenas

    WBNS-TV (Columbus, Ohio)

    2008

  • Food Safety

    This investigation delved into the safety of imported and domestically-produced food and deciciencies in federal oversight of food industry. Reporters found that the FDA inspects only 1% of the imported food it regulates. And during the previous five years, food imports hve risen 50%, btu the number of FDA food inspectors has dropped 20%. The investigation focused in particular of food impoted from China.

    Tags: food; imports; FDA; regulation; federal government; consumer health

    By Julie Schmit; Elizabeth Weise; Calum MacLeod; Barbara Hansen; Sue Kelly; Doug Carroll

    USA Today (McLean, Va.)

    2007

  • Organic Inc: Natural Foods and How They Grew

    This book traces organic food back to its anti-industrial origins more than a century ago. It describes the evolution of the organic food movement from then to the $11 billion industry it is today. The book shows how the evolving industry came close to betraying the ideals at the heart of its free-market success; this section includes battles over USDA regulations and the way food is produced.

    Tags: agriculture; farming; groceries; grocery stores; USDA; FDA; fruits; vegetables

    By Samuel Fromartz

    Book

    2006

  • The Mercury Menace

    The reporters investigated supermarkets throughout the Chicago area that routinely sell seafood highly contaminated with mercury, a toxic metal that can cause learning disabilities in children and neurological problems in adults. The Tribune commissioned mercury testing of random samples of fish from markets across Chicago.

    Tags: mercury; fish; seafood; toxic; food regulations; learning disabilities; FDA

    By Sam Roe;Michael Hawthorne

    Chicago Tribune

    2005

  • Heart Devices

    This story explains how corporate and regulatory policies prevented doctors and patients from learning critical information about defects in heart devices such as defibrillators and pacemakers.

    Tags: hearts; Food and Drug Administration; FDA; defibrillators; pacemakers; heart disease; regulation; health; healthcare

    By Barry Meier

    New York Times

    2005

  • The Mercury Menace

    The authors investigated supermarkets throughout the Chicago area that are routinely selling seafood that is highly contaminated with mercury, a toxic metal that can cause learning disabilities in children and neurological problems in adults. The Tribune commissioned mercury testing of random samples of fish from markets across Chicago.

    Tags: mercury; fish; seafood; toxic; food regulations; learning disabilities; FDA

    By Sam Roe;Michael Hawthorne;Chris Booker;Melissa Goh;Danielle Gorden;Dwayne Pallanti;Geng Wang;Stephen Layton;Stephan Ravenscraft;Rick Tuma;Adam Zoll

    Chicago Tribune

    2005

  • Erasing the rules; (Mostly) White House

    This Newsday investigation finds nearly half of the Bush administration appointees come from corporations, law or lobbyists. This put them in a position where they could use the system to pass laws that helped their industries and in turn help their businesses. One of the instances that this story talks about is the regulations regarding pollution have been eased by the Bush administration. The administration turned over the federal environmental agencies to lobbyists that launched an effort to rewrite pollutions rules, ease curbs on the development of natural areas, and allow more drilling.

    Tags: George Bush; Bush administration; Bush's lobbyists; corporations linked to George W. Bush; pollution laws; FDA regulations; control of reactive chemicals; walnuts; Boeing Co.; White House; FOIA

    By Tom Brune;Thomas Frank;Dan Fagin;Knut Royce

    Newsday (New York)

    2004

  • Dose of Denial

    After decades of researching cold and diet remedies and discovering that these medicines could cause a stroke, major pharmaceutical companies continued to sell these drugs in the markets. This LA Times story describes the life of Tricia Newenham who took this medication and is now mentally disabled after suffering from a stroke.

    Tags: Pharmaceutical companies; drugs that cause stroke; Tricia Newenham; diet remedies; cold medicines; FDA; FDA regulations; PPA; phenylpropanolamine

    By Kevin sack;Alicia Mundy;Deborah Nelson;Janet Lundblad

    Los Angeles Times

    2004