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An investigation by D.L. Bennett, Cameron McWhirter, Heather Vogell and data analysts Megan Clarke and John Perry of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has found that the apathy and negligence of workers at the Fulton County 911 call center endangered the lives of emergency workers and of those seeking emergency help. The reporters, who reviewed nearly five…
Read MoreAmes Alexander and David Ingram of The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported that North Carolina Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry has collected at least half of her campaign contributions from executives and managers of companies that have been inspected by her department. The newspaper’s analysis also found that while the Labor Department routinely reduces fines for workplace…
Read More“State senators may be violating a Texas Constitution ban on using taxpayer money for bonuses to government workers by approving temporary end-of-year raises to give staffers thousands of dollars in extra pay,” reported Matt Stiles of the Houston Chronicle. An analysis of a state payroll database obtained through the Texas Public Information Act showed a…
Read MoreIt’s 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 social science tools — from probabilities to survey research — in creative ways that lead to journalism…
Read More“The American military faces a growing threat of potentially fatal equipment failure—and even foreign espionage—because of counterfeit computer components used in warplanes, ships, and communication networks,” according to a report by Brian Grow, Chi-Chu Tschang, Cliff Edwards and Brian Burnsed of BusinessWeek. The business of salvaging microchips from computer refuse is booming in China. Old…
Read MoreIn Kansas, reporters often must wait for public records to be extracted from a salt mine. After a few years, records required to be retained are stored deep underground at a giant salt mine complex in Hutchinson. That’s one of the many tidbits we learned last weekend during a Watchdog Workshop at Wichita State University.…
Read MoreThe Washington Post‘s Carol D. Leonnig gives readers a glimpse into the power and influence Maurice R. “Hank” Greenberg wielded as the CEO of the AIG financial firm. Under Greenberg’s leadership, AIG employees donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican and Democratic candidates who held key financial regulation positions. Additionally, Greenberg’s charisma and donations…
Read More2009 CAR Conference This year’s Computer-Assisted Reporting (CAR) conference is being held March 19-22, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind., at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre. Registration and hotel information is available at www.ire.org/training/conference/indy09/. The conference will offer everything from cutting-edge technology to the basics on using spreadsheets, databases and online mapping. Learn from the best in…
Read MoreA series by Brad Branan of The Fresno Bee looks at problems with how the city of Fresno, Calif. regulates development. Despite a plan to curb urban sprawl, it continues to plague the area leading to some of the country’s worst air quality and the most concentrated poverty in the nation. Lawsuits filed under the…
Read MorePAC to the Future, the political action committee of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, funneled almost $100,000 over the past nine years to her husband’s real estate and investment firm for rent and utility payments, according to a report by Jennifer Haberkorn of The Washington Times. FEC records indicate that the payments quadrupled when Paul Pelosi…
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