Susan Carroll Fellowship
Clark Kauffman of The Des Moines Register reports that some of the worst nursing homes in Iowa are collecting tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses that are supposed to reward quality care. The bonuses are paid through a little-known program that boosts the amount of Medicaid money received by homes that score well…
Read MoreEric Nalder, Daniel Lathrop and Lewis Kamb of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found in a three-part investigation that Seattle police’s use of the “obstructing a public officer” charge leads to arrests of African Americans at a rate eight times higher than whites, and that nearly half of all obstruction cases are dropped before trial due to…
Read MoreBrad Branan of The Fresno Bee found that the number of foreclosures in Fresno County increased 405 percent in 2007, with the brunt of the mortgage crisis impacting already vulnerable neighborhoods. According to the article, “Already there are signs that a torrent of foreclosures could trigger more crime and decay in the city’s struggling core.”…
Read MoreRon Campbell of the Orange County Register investigated the the shady practices of the American Deputy Sheriff’s Association, one of America’s most ineffective “charities.” In 2004, after being banned from seven states, an Ohio judge seized the charity and appointed a new receiver to oversee operations. However, the new management did not eradicate the problems.…
Read MoreMc Nelly Torres of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that consumer complaints registered against state-licensed contractors have significantly increased since the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005. As a result, consumers are having to wait twice as long for resolutions to their complaints. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation cites insufficient resources and staff…
Read MoreIn “The Cruelest Cuts,” a six-part series by The Charlotte Observer, the paper examines the human cost of bringing poultry to the table. The series illustrates how one N.C.-based poultry processor, House of Raeford Farms, masked injuries inside its plants and ignored its largely Latino workers who complained of debilitating pain. To conduct the series,…
Read MoreKen Dilanian of USA Today used invitations, interviews and FEC records to compile a partial list of lobbyist-hosted fundraisers for DC politicians. Other fundraisers take place at private residences in DC owned by lobbyists. The story illustrates how lobbyists and politicians have found ways to skirt the laws banning gifts to lawmakers. “USA TODAY counted…
Read MoreKevin Wack of the Portland Press Herald investigated the impact that drivers with suspended licenses are having on Maine roads. His series explores the dangers they pose and how efforts to address the problem are falling short. “The newspaper analyzed records from about 160,000 motor-vehicle crashes that occurred from 2003 to 2006 using a statewide…
Read MoreEric Longabardi of ERSNews.com is reporting that an Erin Finn, whose “resume runs the gamut from model to escort, house sitter, and Internet tech geek” is likely to be the lead witness for the federal wiretapping and racketeering case against Anthony Pellicano, a Hollywood private investigator. The Enterprise Report interviewed Finn over the last 18…
Read MoreDan Kane and Benjamin Noilet of the News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) report that reforms introduced a decade ago and meant to repair the “scandal-plagued” Board of Transportation in North Carolina have done little to end the corruption. Despite laws introduced to curb their influence, fundraisers are still landing prime spots on the Board. “The…
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