The Associated Press reported that the US-Mexico border is one of the safest parts of America, and getting safer even as politicians say more federal troops are needed to fight rising violence. The top four big cities in America with the lowest rates of violent crime are all in border states: San Diego, Phoenix, El…
Read MoreBarbara J. Greenspun, whose support has allowed IRE to train thousands of journalists throughout the country in investigative techniques, passed away on June 1. Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun, is credited with helping to lay the foundation that led to the paper winning the Pulitzer Prize for public service last year. In 2005,…
Read MoreAn investigation by John Fauber, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, found that when doctors sign off on research about powerful new drugs, they may be doing so based on data provided them by drug companies – not the raw data that underlies the studies themselves. Fauber looked at the case of Multaq, a drug for…
Read MoreThe Dallas Morning News’ Reese Dunklin and Miles Moffeit reported that a Dallas medical school and its teaching hospital are under federal investigation in possible Medicare and Medicaid fraud, billing for patient services that doctors didn’t provide. It is the second time in less than a week that allegations of billing fraud hit the two…
Read MoreIan Urbina, of The New York Times, reports that internal documents from BP showed that “there were serious problems and safety concerns with the Deepwater Horizon rig far earlier than those the company described to Congress last week. The problems involved the well casing and the blowout preventer, which are considered critical pieces in the…
Read MoreWhile early-bird registration has ended, you have not missed your opportunity to attend this great training event.  On-site registrations will be accepted beginning Wednesday evening, June 9 from 4-6 p.m. and will continue Thursday – Saturday during the conference, being held at the Paris Hotel, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd So. View the schedule and expected speakers today! This…
Read MoreIan Urbina, of The New York Times, reports that a BP document provide to the paper by a Congressional investigator reveals that BP officials chose “to use a type of casing for the well that the company knew was the riskier of two options.” The selected casing only had a single seal, and if cement…
Read MoreGlenn Howatt and Pam Louwagie of the Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) revealed that the state paid a home health care worker who billed for three 32 hour work days. The Star Tribune investigation found that in at least 21 cases last summer, “the state Department of Human Services paid agencies where care attendants supposedly worked…
Read MoreA News-Press (Fort Meyers, Fla.) investigation found hundreds of senior citizens who invested more than $7 million with a Florida RV park and campground owner. The securities were unregistered and when investors complained to authorities, they were bounced from one agency to the next without any agency taking responsibility to investigate. The owner has declared…
Read MoreA Chicago Tribune investigation discovered high levels of mercury in skin lightening creams sold throughout Chicago. The newspaper sent 50 skin-lightening creams to a certified lab for testing, most of them bought in Chicago stores and a few ordered online. Six were found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law. Of those, five…
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