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 "restoration" ...
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Washed Away
This investigation revealed the "huge environmental risk to North Carolina's lakes and rivers when you combine a poorly run state restoration program with state and federal rules that do not stress water quality improvements." It was found, among other things, that the state spent $140 million on faulty water projects.
Tags: water pollution; water restoration; development; waste
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Tons of Questions
After wildfires destroyed 365 homes in San Diego, the city rushed to enter contracts with two companies to haul away mounds of potentially toxic debris. The Union-Tribune investigated and found that the contractors, A.J. Diani Construction C. of Santa Maria and Watsonville-based Granite Construction Co., claimed to haul far more rubble than privately hired companies did from comparable lots, failed to provide accurate documentation of how many tons they removed and billed the city millions more than stated in their contracts.
Tags: contractors; natural disasters; restoration; fraud; overcharging; demolition permit applications
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Way Ahead of the Curve
This is a series of three stories by senior writer David Evans that ran in the February, July and November issues of Bloomberg Markets magazine. In "The Risk Nightmare," (July 2008), Evans pierced the opacity and complexity of credit default swaps, unregulated securities that were supposed to act as a form of insurance and protect investors against risk. He found that CDS had built up so many interconnections that one player could jeopardize the entire financial system. In "Banks on the Edge" (November 2008), Evans reported that scores of regional banks across the U.S. would fail within a year because they hadn't yet realized their losses on defaulting mortgages. In "Peddling Tainted Debt to Florida," (February 2008), he reported that Lehman Brothers was both advising and selling toxic debt to Florida's "money market pool." This disclosure prompted a run on the pool, and it was then shut down as the state investigated its holding and worked to restore its creditworthiness.
Tags: Lehman Brothers; Bear Stearns; Florida; Charlie Crist; bank collapse; Wells Fargo; Washington Mutual; bailout
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Last Chance
"The series explains that there's a 10-year opportunity to restore Louisiana's eroding coastal wetlands and shoreline, including barrier islands. If major restoration projects costing billions of dollars are not begun by then, it may be too late to save much of the ecosystem. The series explains the myriad of proposals for restoring the coast, and the bureaucratic, social, economic and scientific obstacles in their way."
Tags: coastal wetlands; erosion; shoreline; ecosystem; fisheries; environmental protection
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Hillary's Prayer
Hillary Clinton is involved in a religious prayer circle called "the Fellowship" which includes high-powered politicians that hope to restore Jesus back into Capitol Hill. This article looks into how both politics and faith shape Hillary into the person she is today.
Tags: Christianity; God; Bill Clinton; Senator;
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Mississippi Developers' Pasat Includes Fraud
After Hurricane Katrina hit Hancock County, Mississippi, a massive reconstruction project was planned to restore resorts, condominiums and a casino. The developers Paradise Properties of Florida vowed to spend $5 billion to help in the effort, an amount which is worth more than the real estate in Hancock County before the hurricane. But members of the firm have been accused of multi-million dollar internet scams.
Tags: Richard Kern; Donald Kern
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A Bridge Too Old
This story exposed the deteriorating condition of New York's Tappan Zee Bridge. The Journal News exposed structural decay, falling safety ratings and the failure of restoration efforts. The state Thruway Authority resisted disclosure of the inspection reports that disclosed these conditions.
Tags: bridges; Tappan Zee Bridge; FOI; New York State Thruway Authority; roads; inspections; highway
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Restitution: Broken Promises
This story looks at Germany's promises to restore art that was lost, confiscated, or sold under Nazi Germany during World War II. The investigation uncovers the flaws of Germany's federal restitution policy due to its highly decentralized structure and unstable public authority.
Tags: World War II; Germany; Nazi; federal restitution policy; museums
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KC Federal Housing Series
A follow-up to an Oct. 2004 series, this investigation uncovers misspent federal housing dollars intended to benefit lower income families. Among their findings was a sale in which a local developer made a $156,000 profit by flipping the property the same day; a home-repair program which took advantage of home owners; and sweet heart loans to local politicians and business owners.
Tags: housing; real estate; property taxes; property assessment; HUD; restoration; CAR
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The Long Road to Clemency
Florida bans more ex-felons from recovering their civil rights, including the right to vote, than any other state. Almost half a million people are caught up in the state's error-ridden system to restore civil rights. Since Jeb Bush took office, the system has slowed to a crawl; it could take decades to clear the backlog of cases. In Bush's six years as governor more than 200,000 applicants, many of them non-violent ex-felons, have been blocked from voting again. The issue took on particular significance in the 2000 presidential election when George W. Bush won the state of Florida by only 537 votes. Included are two follow-ups that cover prominent Florida Republicans taking the lead in asking Governor Bush to automatically grant clemency to ex-felons.