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David Josar of The Detroit News used records obtained under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act to find that “Detroit City Clerk Jackie Currie has spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds on a team of private lawyers and advisers to defend her in a lawsuit that accuses her of mismanagement and fraud in the handling…
Read MoreEric Hand, Todd Frankel and Jaimi Dowdell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examined the state of dams in Missouri and Illinois, following the failure of a dam in southeastern Missouri. They found that hundereds of dams in Missouri and Illinois lack plans for handling emergencies, are regulated by cash-strapped state offices that make intermittent inspections…
Read MoreBob Cuddy, Sarah Linn and Leslie Griffy of The Tribune reviewed San Luis Obispo County’s disaster documents to show that the county was vulnerable in case of a major disaster. "While the county, home to Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, gets high marks for its planning, Hurricane Katrina showed that plans are one thing, implementing…
Read MoreChristine Willmsen and Justin Mayo of The Seattle Times analyzed court records, sex offender registries and check-in logs to show that hundreds of sex offenders register as homeless — making their whereabouts unknown. This results in law-enforcement officials not having any way of tracking them, and residents often being unaware of potential threats. The investigation…
Read MoreMike Casey of The Kansas City Star examined OSHA’s inspection database for the metropolitan area of Kansas City, Mo., to show that low fines for workplace deaths or injuries are common even when OSHA cites employers for a serious violation. The investigation found that in 80 such fatal and injury accidents, half of the fines…
Read MoreEric Stevick and Scott North of the The (Everett, Wash.) Herald used state education testing data to show that at 95 percent of Washington
Read MoreRuss Buettner, Heidi Evans, Robert Gearty, Brian Kates, Greg B. Smith and Richard T. Pienciak of the Daily News in New York used FEMA data to show that the federal government’s $21.4 billion program to help New York recover from the 9/11 terrorist attacks was dreadfully flawed. "New Yorkers by the tens of thousands received…
Read MoreJohn Estus of The Daily O’Collegian at Oklahoma State University found that “Nearly $110,000 in federal funds intended to help poor Stillwater residents buy homes of their own was given to middle-class buyers who did not qualify” in an eight-week investigation that has prompted a state audit of the program. Estus also revealed the program…
Read MorePhil Pitchford, Ben Goad, David Danelski, Mark Kawar and projects editor Cathy Armstrong of The (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise examine the safety issues surrounding trains carrying hazardous cargo as they travel through populated areas. “Every day, trains hauling tons of hazardous chemicals roll past Inland homes, schools, hospitals and businesses.” The newspaper says residents are “largely…
Read MoreTresa Baldas of The National Law Journal reports that corporations are increasingly requesting that judges seal “the divorce records of top executives to protect trade secrets or crucial financial information from leaking out, or simply to avoid embarrassment.” The article cites examples from across the country, including California, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
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