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Kevin Rothstein of the Boston Herald obtained city data through public records request showing that “trash-disposal scofflaws owe Boston $3.1 million in fines dating back to 2000 … and the Menino administration admits its toothless enforcement policies are allowing property owners to ignore the penalties and let garbage pile up citywide.” Poorer neighborhoods of Boston…
Read MoreJason Felch, Robin Fields and Louise Roug of the Los Angeles Times investigate Getty Chief Executive Barry Munitz and his handling of the nonprofit. Declining stock markets helped in the nonprofit’s two-year $1 billion loss, leading to cutbacks and layoffs. Two days following a series of layoffs the Getty paid $72,000 for an SUV for…
Read MoreClint Riley of The (Hackensack, N.J.) Record investigates New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey’s plans to promote biotechnology in the state in a four-part series. The investigation found problems with New Jersey’s partnership with the biotechnology industry. “Millions of your tax dollars have gone to companies that take valuable research, profits and jobs from New Jersey…
Read MoreBob Williams and Stephen Henn of the Center for Public Integrity investigate lobbyists who sit on the governing boards of nonprofits. Lobbyists are not supposed to pay for congressional travel, but the investigation found “that a favored way to evade the prohibition on picking up the tab is to do so through charitable non-profits…” The…
Read MoreLiz Chandler, Peter Smolowitz, Melissa Manware and CAR specialist Adam Bell from The Charlotte Observer report on their findings that more crime in being committed in Charlotte schools than is being reported by the school district. The investigation found “1,473 crimes reported to police at schools, 631 of them violent or threatening.” Compare that to…
Read MoreDavid White of The Birmingham News used state records to show that since November 2002, more than 20 state lawmakers and executive officials have taken trips paid for by private interests. “Lawmakers took trips to places such as Australia, the Bahamas and California and got tickets for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and the…
Read MoreSteve Neavling of The Bay City Times has a six-part series on Bay County government spending on private attorneys. “Between 2001 and 2004, the county paid private lawyers nearly $1.13 million — more than twice the amount spent by each of four other Michigan counties with similar populations. And that does not include the more…
Read MoreDave Altimari and Grace E. Merritt of The Hartford Courant obtained records showing that “at least four University of Connecticut officials were aware of problems found in a 1999 audit of a $1 billion construction program but not disclosed to state legislators. Most of those problems were never fixed, and the school failed in subsequent…
Read MoreSuzanne Hoholik of The Columbus Dispatch used state data to show that a 2002 Ohio law intended to direct accident victims to trauma hospitals was working as intended: “More injured people are being taken to trauma centers, and fewer are dying in small, rural hospitals. Trauma experts believe as many as 900 lives a year…
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