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A recent investigation by The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer into Franklin Graham’s soaring compensation prompted the evangelist to give up much of his pay at the two Christian charities he leads. As president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, Graham received total compensation of $1.2 million last year. He was paid more than…
Read MoreCincinnati’s mayor and Hamilton County commissioners are among those who have taken advantage of an obscure provision in stadium lease agreements with the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals allowing them free use of a luxury box. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gregory Korte reported that politicians have used the seats — often for free, and with free food…
Read MoreWhile slightly down, earmark spending is still well above the levels deemed acceptable by Obama, according to an analysis by USA Today. “The Senate included $12.6 billion for earmarks in the 12 annual spending bills for 2010, while the House versions contain $9.1 billion, the analysis shows. That’s down 9% in the Senate and 13%…
Read MorePain is part of football. According to a series by The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.), so are painkiller injections on game days at college programs all over the country. Despite concerns about the possibility of increased risk of prescription painkiller addiction, the otherwise meticulous NCAA has virtually no oversight or policy regarding painkiller injections…
Read MoreBy Tracey Eaton, Flagler College Some reporters wanted to explore eastern Bolivia, where hundreds of Guaraní Indian families live in a state of semi-slavery. Others proposed investigating women’s rights and sexuality. No doubt, Bolivian reporters are eager to dig into all kinds of difficult and intriguing issues. Mexican journalist Pedro Enrique Armendares and I found…
Read MoreThomas Burr and Matt Canham of The Salt Lake Tribune report that while Sen. Bob Bennett vocally opposed the stimulus bill, he simultaneously asked Energy Secretary Steven Chu “to pay special attention to several Utah projects as he doled out billions in stimulus money.” All four of Utah’s Republican Congressmen voted against the stimulus, yet…
Read MoreA story by The New York Times shows the risks involved with consuming ground beef. In 2007, a hamburger eaten by Stephanie Smith was tainted with E. coli and ravaged her nervous system leaving her paralyzed. “Ms. Smith’s reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme, but tracing the story of her burger,…
Read MoreJerry Mitchell of The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) reports that documents obtained by the paper show “the U.S. attorney’s office in Oxford targeted convenience store operators in north Mississippi, many of Middle Eastern descent, despite a lack of any connection to terrorism.” While no links to terrorism were found, the “Convenience Store Initiative” netted other criminal…
Read MoreIt’s once again time to apply for the Philip Meyer Award. Established in 2005, the award was created to honor Philip Meyer’s pioneering efforts to utilize social science research methods to foster better journalism. The contest recognizes stories that incorporate survey research, probabilities and other social science tools in creative ways that lead to journalism…
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