Posts by hdcoadmin
New Jersey railway put trains in flood zone despite warnings, millions in damages result
New Jersey Transit placed much of its equipment in rail yards that forecasters predicted would flood after Hurricane Sandy, a move that damaged one third of its locomotives and a quarter of its passenger cars, according to a report from Reuters. The damage could cost tens of millions of dollars to repair, according to Reuters.
Read MoreHonduran murderer equipped and vetted by US
“The Associated Press uncovered this week that a Honduran military unit charged with murdering a 15 year old boy had been trained, equipped and vetted by the United States.” “The first story told the painful narrative of the victim’s father tracking the killers. The second story dug into the U.S. response to this and other…
Read MoreJoin a live discussion about Econocheck
NICAR adviser David Herzog will be on hand Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m Eastern (11 a.m. Pacific) for a live Q&A about EconoCheck on the Journalism Accelerator. EconoCheck, an IRE-Sunlight Foundation resource launched during the 2012 campaign, helps reporters quickly find and understand data about key indicators. Drop by to discuss how journalists can continue to…
Read MoreBurglaries misclassified as thefts in Milwaukee despite evidence
A new Journal Sentinel investigation found more than 900 cases that should have been classified as burglaries but were marked as thefts by Milwaukee police since 2006, showing Milwaukee’s crime data problems extend to property crimes. Reporters Ben Poston and John Diedrich found had the cases been properly coded, the tally of burglaries would have been 2.4% higher than reported…
Read MoreBehind the Story: An information gap in child abuse cases
There were signs of problems before 15-year-old Jeanette Maples died of starvation and abuse in Oregon in December 2009. Although child services had been involved in the case, residents were shocked to find that Maples death had not been prevented. Oregonian reporter Michelle Cole wanted to know what, if anything, could have been done to…
Read MoreKCRA finds California parolees cutting off GPS monitors
A KCRA Investigation following missing parolees found a serious flaw in the state’s prison realignment plan. Sexual predators are supposed to be monitored by GPS under California’s Megan’s Law. But KCRA has obtained a wanted list of parolees who either cut off or never showed up to wear their GPS monitor. More than a thousand are…
Read MoreIRE trains South African journalists as part of Power Reporting conference
By Megan Luther African journalists face different reporting barriers than their colleagues in the U.S., yet they share the desire to learn investigative techniques. IRE traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa at the end of October to train reporters at the annual Power Reporting: The African Investigative Journalism Conference. More than 200 journalists attended the three-day conference, which included typical sessions…
Read MoreUndercover investigation of private global club
“A 41 Action News investigation went undercover to learn about private club, the Global Information Network. After speaking to diehard members and vocal critics of this worldwide club, the questions turned to the leader of this secret society that claims to put thousands of dollars in your pocket.”
Read MoreReuters finds vicious circle of self-interest sank a California city
When San Bernardino filed for bankruptcy in August, the mayor blamed the city council and the police and fire unions. The unions blamed the mayor. Yet on close examination, the city’s decades-long journey from prosperous, middle-class community to bankrupt, crime-ridden, foreclosure-blighted basket case is straightforward—and alarmingly similar to the path travelled by municipalities around America’s…
Read MoreAdvair boomed amid health risks
“A Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation found the growth in Advair sales followed new asthma treatment recommendations that were written largely by doctors who received money from GlaxoSmithKline and other companies that market the drugs.”
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