Blog
Jill Riepenhoff and Doug Haddix of The Columbus Dispatch used U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proxy statements to examine the boards of directors of 30 companies based in central Ohio. They found huge increases in compensation and an increase in directors serving on multiple boards since the 2002 passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Companies defend…
Read MoreA series by Fred Schulte and June Arney of The (Baltimore) Sun reveals that an archaic law is creating problems for thousands of Baltimore residents. “Baltimore’s arcane system of ground rents, widely viewed as a harmless vestige of colonial law, is increasingly being used by some investors to seize homes or extract large fees from…
Read MoreAn investigation by The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) shows that the habitat of endangered species is being developed despite a plan to protect such lands. “Some of the best places for western Riverside County’s rarest animals and plants face destruction by developers despite a costly, sweeping plan to protect such habitat…In case after case, county and…
Read MoreA on-going special report by The Washington Post looks at federal agriculture subsidies, which topped $25 billion in the last year. In the latest story, Dan Morgan, Sarah Cohen and Gilbert M. Gaul report on the influence of the dairy lobby and its ability to crush the efforts of a California dairyman who was operating…
Read MoreMike Casey of The Kansas City Star reports on the rampant dissatisfaction many consumers have with their insurance providers. The paper conducted an 11-month investigation into insurance problems and analyzed almost 35 million records, including over 600,000 complaints logged in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) database from 2003 through 2005. The analysis shows…
Read MoreDiana B. Henriques and Andrew Lehren of The New York Times report on the proliferation of faith-based rehabilitation programs funded by tax dollars and springing up in correctional facilities across the country. “Since 2000, courts have cited more than a dozen programs for having unconstitutionally used taxpayer money to pay for religious activities or evangelism…
Read MoreAs part of an on-going investigation of Democratic state Rep. Jim Black, Dan Kane and J. Andrew Curliss of The News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) report the coordinator of the state page program, Ann Lassiter, had arranged for student pages to stay with her son, a convicted felon. Rep. Black removed Lassiter from her position…
Read MoreThe Dallas Morning News has conducted a year-long investigation into safety issues plaguing the trucking industry in Texas. The final installment of the series focuses on felons in the workforce, harsh working conditions that make trucking a dangerous job, and the industry’s political influence in shaping safety laws and regulations. The Department of Transportation’s Truck…
Read MoreIn a three-day series, Spencer Hunt of The Columbus Dispatch reports on the environmental issues arising out of a resurgence in coal mining in the state of Ohio. He found that “state laws and programs designed to safeguard the land and water are riddled with problems.“
Read MoreTony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman reports on short-comings in Texas estate laws which make it easy to defraud the deceased. “State probate laws don’t ensure that a deceased person’s assets actually get to heirs
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