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The 2025 Freelance Fellowship Recipients
Lawrence Messina and Vicki Smith of The Associated Press have a three-part series examining the impact of the video poker industry on West Virginia. They found that nearly 2,000 businesses have the gambling machines installed and “fifteen businesses, families or partnerships — out of more than 1,300 that held one or more licenses — collected…
Read MoreIn a Web exclusive report, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek report that state emergency management directors have complained FEMA has concentrated too much on preparing for terror threats and not enough on natural disasters. “Internal Homeland Security documents obtained by Newsweek lend support to the state directors’ complaints. Out of 15 ‘all hazards’…
Read MoreCenter for Investigative Reporting’s Dan Noyes finds that “After a long career spent representing blue chip corporations and resource industries, Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, Jr. brings more potential conflicts of interest to the bench than any justice of his generation.” The investigation looks at “rules governing conflicts of interest and reveals cases already on…
Read MoreBill Bowman and Paul D’Ambrosio of Gannett New Jersey newspapers navigated the details of school district contracts to show that “in districts around the state, it is not uncommon for boards of education to grant tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay to their chief administrators through complex contract deals that keep the true…
Read MoreThe National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism; the Knight Chair in Journalism at Arizona State University; and IRE are proud to introduce the Philip Meyer Journalism Award, a contest to recognize the best journalism done using social science research methods. The awards are in honor…
Read MoreSarah Okeson of the Peoria, Ill., Journal Star mapped tornado sirens and looked at how much of the county they cover, as well as geocoding the county’s schools and nursing homes and looking for gaps in the coverage. “The National Weather Service thinks Peoria is adequately prepared for a tornado or other disaster.” Okeson describes…
Read MoreFrank Bass and Dirk Lammers of The Associated Press examined nearly $5 billion in loans granted by the Small Business Administration as Sept. 11 recovery aid, and found that many went to businesses “that didn’t need terror relief — or even know they were getting it.” The SBA said it first learned of the problems…
Read MoreDan Stockman of The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette used business and property records to show that an Indiana foundation set up to benefit children and schools “has been used to buy a luxury vacation home in an exclusive neighborhood where an advertisement says ‘the fortunate few’ will ‘live where everybody wants to play.’” Directors…
Read MoreChris Casteel of The Oklahoman used rarely-scrutinized records detailing congressional office expenses, finding that “Rep. John Sullivan is leasing a sport utility vehicle in his congressional district for $1,242 a month at taxpayer expense. Rep. Frank Lucas rented a car in December in Oklahoma City and paid more than $1,500 for it out of his…
Read MoreJohn Blake of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution used public tax and property records to show how Bishop Eddie Long, leader of the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, received more than $3 million in salary and property over four years from a tax-exempt charity that he founded in 1996. The charity’s compensation for Long was nearly…
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