Posts by hdcoadmin
David Donald joining Center for Public Integrity
After more than four stellar years as our training director, David Donald is leaving IRE to oversee database operations for the Center for Public Integrity in Washington D.C. It’s impossible to overstate what David has brought to our organization, and to the industry. David is a tremendous teacher who has spread the gospel of computer-assisted…
Read MoreDrug money seizures influence law enforcement
A four-part series by NPR’s John Burnett explored the impact of drug asset seizures on law enforcement culture in the U.S. “While drug-related asset forfeitures have expanded police budgets, critics say the flow of money distorts law enforcement — that some cops have become more interested in seizing money than drugs, more interested in working…
Read MoreIncident at CDC lab shines light on safety concerns
Following a failure in the ventilation system at the Centers for Disease Control facility, the door of a high-containment lab was sealed with duct tape, according to a report by Alison Young of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The air-flow failure lead to the potential exposure of nine CDC employees to Q fever, a potential bioterrorism agent.…
Read MoreMapping shows lottery winnings not evenly distributed
Patrick Lakamp and Susan Schulman of The Buffalo News mapped lottery sales and total winnings for more than 1,500 lottery retailers in western New York. The data showed that $60 was paid out for every $100 wagered in the lottery, but the distribution of these winnings was not equitable. “Poorer neighborhoods tend to be popular…
Read MoreThe dam data
With the sad news about flooding in the Midwestern United States this week, the Database Library received more than a few requests for the National Inventory of Dams. Not only does this dataset list the name and location of all federally-inspected dams in the United States, it has information useful for journalists, including when, exactly…
Read MoreConventions accept millions in corporate donations
“John McCain, who wrote the law banning corporate donations to the political parties, and Barack Obama, who refuses lobbyist money, will be nominated for president at conventions largely funded by industries whose Washington clout they’ve railed against on the campaign trail.” reports Bloomberg‘s Jonathan D. Salant. The corporate donations undermine both candidate’s interest in curbing…
Read MorePolice video leads to questions in investigation of journalist’s murder
A secret police video obtained by The Chauncey Bailey Project raises questions about the involvement of Yusuf Bey IV in the murder of journalist Chauncey Bailey. In the video, Bey IV “describes Bailey’s shooting in detail…then, laughing, he denies he was there, and boasts that his friendship with the case’s lead detective protected him from…
Read MoreWar veterans used in controversial drug testing
A Washington Times/ABC News investigation has found that distressed soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan are being targeted by the government for drug testing. The drugs being tested include some with severe side-effects such as psychosis and suicidal behavior. In the case of one study, it took the Veterans Administration over three months…
Read MorePaper’s investigation leads to DNA tests for inmates
The Columbus Dispatch, in its ongoing coverage of inmate DNA testing, reported that half of the 30 cases highlighted by the newspaper in January as prime candidates for testing have been approved, and evidence is headed to the lab. These fifteen tests are more than have been done in the entire 5-year history of Ohio’s…
Read MoreMany U.S. detainees wrongly imprisoned
A report by Tom Lasseter of McClatchy Newspapers reveals that the U.S has wrongly imprisoned dozens of men “in Afghanistan, Cuba and elsewhere on the basis of flimsy or fabricated evidence, old personal scores or bounty payments.” The report comes after an 8-month investigation spanning 11 countries on three continents. “Of the 66 detainees whom…
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