The early bird deadline for 
The 2025 Freelance Fellowship Recipients
RAI 24 News, a news channel in Italy, reports that the United States used white phosphorus as a chemical weapon in the November 2004 attack on Fallujah. The Christian Science Monitor writes about the piece, including information and links from other news sources. RAI’s Web site includes a statement from the U.S. Embassy that, in…
Read MoreBill Finch and Ben Raines of the Mobile Register used an independent energy-use analysis to show that Alabama natural gas customers are likely to pay hundreds of dollars more for the same amount of natural gas than customers in neighboring states this winter. "The higher price that the Alabama Public Service Commission allows Alabama utilities…
Read MoreSteve Neavling of The Bay City Times and the Detroit Free Press reviewed bills at the tax-funded Area Agency on Aging to show that the agency credit cards were charged for expenses running from a dozen roses to 14 out-of-state trips to locales such as Boston, San Francisco and Puerto Rico. "The regional agency that…
Read MoreRandy Lee Loftis of The Dallas Morning News reviewed government test results to show that the Army Corps of Engineers is planning one of the biggest environmental clean ups ever attempted in New Orleans. According to the report, part of an extensive look at the rebuilding of New Orleans, the clean up would involve scraping…
Read MoreStudents from the Missouri School of Journalism led by Steve Weinberg, a former director of IRE, spent months researching DNA testing, digging up court testimony and interviewing witnesses to report on a St. Louis case which had been controversially re-opened in 2003. The report is a detailed account of the 1982 murder of JoAnn Clenney…
Read MoreDavid Evans, Michael Smith and Liz Willen of Bloomberg Markets report on the lack of strong regulation and standards that is plaguing the pharmaceutical industry in the testing of experimental substances on humans, resulting in the death and injury of scores of people. The world’s largest drugmakers spend $14 billion each year to test experimental…
Read MoreJake Wagman, with contributions from Steve Bolhafner, Mark Learman and Matthew Fernandes, of St. Louis Post-Dispatch examined St. Louis City Treasurer Larry Williams’ hiring practices to show that his payroll includes employees with criminal records, political connections and, sometimes, both. " Of about 200 employees in the treasurer’s office, at least five have been convicted…
Read MoreMatthew Kauffman of The Hartford Courant conducted a computer-assisted analysis of federal financial records for nearly 300 veterans’ charities across the country to show that veterans’ charities, whose donations have increased since the start of the Iraqi War, lag well behind other charities when it comes to the percentage of money that goes directly to…
Read MoreBill Burke and David Gulliver of The Virginian-Pilot used local court data to show that " from 2000 to 2004 in Hampton Roads, 42,606 people were convicted of driving on a suspended or revoked license, according to an analysis of court records." More than 4,600 people were found guilty three or more times, and some…
Read MoreJonathan Salant of Bloomberg Markets analyzed Federal Election Commission records to find the Republican Party’s $190,000 in donations to seven Texas politicians in 2002 is five times more than any of the other contributions the national party made to state legislative races that year. “The charges may bolster a prosecutor’s accusations that Tom DeLay, who…
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