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 "concrete" ...
-
Moldy Metropolis: Homeowners Struggle with Leaky Concrete
Poorly built condominiums and the homeowners are now seeing the consequences of the poor construction. The condominiums have severe mold problems, which is a result from using a material called split-free concrete block. The story reveals the lack of building inspection since the blocks should be built without leaks and inspected for leaks. Furthermore, if the homeowners complain to the city, they are held accountable for the code violation.
Tags: masonry; developer; real estate; market; condos; water; housing boom; ordinance; city council
-
The Preacher's Mob
Michael Lock went from a child preacher to a crime boss, who ended up leading a criminal organization. The organization murdered a number of dealers and buried their bodies under concrete. But when police had the chance to capture Lock, they failed to and let him go. This series revealed he was paying a number of police officers to help with his crimes.
Tags: Michael Lock; crimes; Body Snatchers; law enforcement; killer; drugs; fraud; criminal; homicide
-
Bugs on the Border
The Department of Homeland Security's screening for foreign nationals entering the U.S. was crippled for about five hours due to a computer security failure. However, they claimed that the problem was a result of glitches, not a virus although a Morocco-born computer worm had actually been the cause of the computer failure. It entered the system when government administrators had delayed installing a security patch. “The stories provided a concrete example of the management issues and technical problems surrounding US-VISIT – a lynchpin of the United States’ border protection efforts.â€
Tags: computer security; computer worm; computer virus; Microsoft Office; security patch; US-VISIT; Homeland Security; national security; screening foreign nationals
-
Concrete walls
This story examined the rape of a gay man in Akron, Ohio by an HIV-positive man. There was DNA evidence against the attacker, and his statements were suspect. The investigation was stalled and riddled with mistakes. Prosecutors admitted that rumors of the victim's flamboyance kept them from pressing charges.
Tags: rape; DNA evidence; HIV; gay rape; prosecution; homophobia
-
Cable Barriers
An investigation of median barriers in Northern California freeways found cable barriers to be ineffective in protecting drivers. Lawsuits have been filed against the state stating that the barriers are 'obsolete, outdated, inadequate and archaic'. But dozens of miles of highways are still protected by these barriers even though plans to replace the cable barriers were approved three years ago.
Tags: median barriers; accidents; freeways; highways; cable barriers; concrete barriers; California; vehicle; deaths; Department of Transportation
-
Expressway Investigation
In April 2004, a pier from a 350 million dollar Florida highway project collapsed. A previous investigation had already shown that some of the construction had been done incorrectly. After the collapse, the investigation resumed and reporters uncovered "more construction mistakes, inadequate ground testing methods and inadequate oversight of the project."
Tags: traffic; bridges; construction; concrete; contracts; bridges; engineering; FOIA
-
Columbia's Last Flight
The Atlantic Monthly tells the inside story of the Columbia space shuttle disaster and the investigation that followed it. With access to key figures and evidence at NASA and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, the story provides an insight from different perspectives: the personal, the institutional, the concrete, the abstract, the emotional and the political. Finally, the report reveals deep flaws in NASA's oversight of Columbia's last flight.
Tags: Hal Gehman; Kennedy Space Center; Rick Husband; Fred Gregory
-
Selling Out: A Textbook Example
Relegating academic ethics to the backburner, professors are receiving kickbacks from publishers in return for requiring students to purchase the latter's textbooks. Running on a tip from an executive at a textbook company, the article investigates the world of under-the-table payoffs in textbook sales in higher education. The story also cites concrete examples of cases, for example, when a certain publishing company paid professors a hefty $4,000 in turn for requiring his/her students to buy those books.
Tags: James Williams; Middle Tennessee State University; Amy Staples; North West Publishing; Francine M. Butler; Gerhard Gyrtz; Anna Bates; Aquina College; W.W.Norton; Daniel Bartell; Henry Rosovsky; Winthrop Jordan; Steve Tressler; Pearson Longmann
-
Middle Grades: Feeling the Squeeze
Education Week offers a stunning analysis of the middle school years (grades 6-8). Using concrete data and survey material, the magazine offers an informative, well-rounded look at how American middle schools are shoddily bridging the gap between elementary school and high school, and typically lead to students losing interest in school. An indispensable reference for anyone doing a story on the state of public education.
Tags: school; junior high; middle school; sixth grade; seventh grade; eighth grade; adolescence; adolescents
-
Taking liberties
Newsday details the changes made by the Bush administration in order to switch from prosecuting past terrorist attacks to preventing new ones. According to the contest entry summary, the most significant changes are transforming the immigration system into a law enforcement tool without the guarantee of a lawyer; broadening agencies' powers to investigate businessmen for allegedly funding terrorist activities; detaining people as terrorism suspects without filing charges against them. The series provides concrete examples.
Tags: Muslims; Middle East; Sept. 11; jihad; Osama bin Laden; immigration; immigrants; FBI; INS; Justice Department; civil liberties; human rights