Posts by hdcoadmin
Star Watch Investigation: Vectren’s costly coal deal is a profit for company, pain for ratepayers
“At a time when coal prices were at record highs, Vectren locked into expensive, multiyear agreements to buy almost all of its coal supply from its own wholly-owned mining subsidiary, Vectren Fuels. And ratepayers paid the price. Experts say Vectren disregarded the common industry practice of staggering its coal purchases through shorter-term contracts to hedge…
Read MoreAccuracy isn’t priority as VA battles disability claims backlog
“A Center for Investigative Reporting review of the VA’s performance data reveals chronic errors – committed in up to 1 in 3 cases – and an emphasis on speed over accuracy that clogs the VA system with appeals, increasing delays for all veterans.” The story is part of CIR’s ongoing coverage of veterans’ issues, which includes…
Read MoreThe Great Train Robbery
“This story might sound like something from an old Spaghetti Western or a move from a bandit’s playbook in the mid-19th century, but the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit has learned that theft from freight trains traveling the rails is all too real in modern-day America.”
Read MoreWoman plunges 8 floors in malfunctioning elevator
“Imagine getting on an elevator and dropping eight floors, crashing into the basement. It happened to one woman. What started as a routine elevator ride at her government job ended in what she calls a nightmare.Her accident sparked a FOX 5 I-team investigation and the discovery of repeated shut downs and entrapments.”
Read MoreLost war-zone records add to veterans’ pain
“A joint investigation by ProPublica and The Seattle Times has found a widespread lapse in record-keeping from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, leaving some disabled veterans hard-pressed to document their combat injuries, and future military strategists wondering what lessons might have been learned.”
Read MoreF in attendance for city schools
A Chicago Tribune investigation analyzed internal student-level attendance data from the Chicago Public Schools and found that nearly 32,000 K-8 grade students — or roughly 1 in 8 — missed four weeks or more of class during the 2010-11 year, while the cash-strapped district does little to stem a devastating problem. To assess the total…
Read MoreJust 1 in 10 Indianapolis residents recycle. Why is that?
“Just 10 percent of households participate in curbside recycling. That means Indianapolis, which has been striving since 2008 to become ‘the most sustainable city in the Midwest,’ has one of the most underused recycling programs in the nation for a city its size.” The investigation by Kate Jacobson of The Indianapolis Star points out that the…
Read MoreAtlanta police wanted helicopter replaced in 2001
“The Atlanta police helicopter that crashed Saturday night, killing two officers, was a Vietnam War-era chopper that city officials 11 years ago said had outlived its useful life.” This investigation by Mike Morris of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the council approved funds for a new helicopter, but the helicopter in question was still being used.
Read MoreHundreds of millions of dollars spent on election in CA alone
“Now that Tuesday’s election is over, CaliforniaWatch did an analysis to find out how much money was pumped into the political battles over California’s eleven propositions.” “The total they found was $363 million or $20 in political spending for each of California’s 18.2 million registered voters.”
Read MoreKnight-Mozilla OpenNews announces 2013 fellows
Knight-Mozilla OpenNews yesterday announced its 2013 class of fellows, who will work as developers and technologists embedded in newsrooms around the world. Fellows spend a year writing code along with reporters, designers and newsroom developers to create new tools for journalism. Fellows for 2013 and their placements include: Brian Abelson, The New York Times Manuel…
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