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Thomas 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…
Read MoreA Chicago Tribune 3-part investigation by David Jackson and Gary Marx found elderly and disabled nursing home residents assaulted, raped and even murdered because Illinois has failed to manage the growing numbers of mentally ill felons admitted to nursing facilities. “More than any other state, Illinois relies heavily on nursing homes to house mentally ill…
Read MoreA series by Yamil Berard of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports on problems with medical examiners in Texas. “Texas medical examiners have misidentified bodies, botched examinations and had to do a double take on cases of individuals later exonerated by law enforcement.” Critics point to lax oversight and an absence of performance standards among other…
Read MoreA report by Dave Tobin of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) shows how the Federal Aviation Administration plans to spend $11 million on a rural airstrip. Eight miles from the planned airstrip, the developers are ripping up an existing airfield that was built with public money but largely unused. “The Federal Aviation Administration has already spent…
Read MoreA 10-month investigation by Garance Burke of the Associated Press has found unsafe levels of contaminants such as lead and pesticides in school drinking water in all 50 states. “But the problem has gone largely unmonitored by the federal government, even as the number of water safety violations has multiplied.” An interactive graphic allows the…
Read MoreBrad Heath of USA Today reports that “nearly $10 billion in stimulus aid to repair the nation’s tattered highways has largely bypassed dozens of metropolitan areas where roads are in the worst shape.” Stimulus funds are intended to be spent quickly and repairs to many of the worst roads would take too much time and…
Read MoreLewis Kamb of The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash) writes that Washington state commerce officials have launched an investigation of the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association. The probe follows News Tribune reports that exposed financial mismanagement and other problems at the nonprofit affordable housing agency.
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