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Ginny MacDonald and Brett J. Blackledge of The Birmingham News used federal data to show that “thousands of big trucks travel Alabama’s highways with bad brakes, bad tires and bad drivers … Many of those dangerous trucks in recent years have been involved in accidents that have killed hundreds, injured thousands and cost millions in…
Read MoreHelen Huntley of the St. Petersburg Times analyzed the cities top 10 companies finding that, for the first time ever, all 10 are more than $1 billion in revenue. “Eight of the 10 increased revenues by double digits last year. Their average return on equity was 20 percent.” The story includes graphics that provide details…
Read MoreLise Olsen of the Houston Chronicle continues the Chronicle’s investigation into the 1995 explosion at the BP oil refinery. Olson used OSHA data to uncover why few deaths had been attributed to refineries in the past. “Increasingly, the accuracy of government safety statistics is undermined by the changing work force. These days, up to half…
Read MoreAndrew Conte and Mark Houser of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review analyzed and mapped campaign contributions for the Pittsburgh mayoral race. They found that “nearly two-thirds of the $1.2 million raised by front-runner Bob O’Connor … has come from outside the city.” A lot of O’Conner’s contributions were found to have come in large chunks. The story…
Read MoreSteve Lackmeyer and John Perry of The Oklahoman used state and federal data to find that “fixing Oklahoma’s bridges — the nation’s worst — would cost taxpayers billions of dollars. All proposed remedies fall woefully short.” The state has had the highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges for at least three years. The bulk of…
Read MoreJonathan Salant of Bloomberg Markets analyzed Federal Election Commission records finding that House Majority Leader Tom Delay “gave more money to U.S. congressional candidates than any lawmaker in the last decade … the Texas representative has contributed $3.5 million to 432 congressional candidates …” After Delay, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is next in helping…
Read MoreProducer Nishi Gupta and reporter Debbie Dujanovic of KSL-Salt Lake City investigate the rate of disease and death in former narcotics officers who were exposed to chemicals in the meth labs they once were raiding. They found a high risk of cancers, auto-immune diseases and other illnesses in comparison to national statistics. They “discovered 24…
Read MoreJason Kandel of the Los Angeles Daily News obtained overtime expenditures from the Los Angeles Police Department and used Excel to analyze the data. He found that the LAPD has already overspent their overtime budget by $8 million with two months still remaining in the fiscal year. “The Los Angeles Police Department spent $62.8 million…
Read MoreKen Ward Jr. of the Charleston Gazette filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain records on two logging contractors shut down for repeated environmental violations. Department of Environmental Protection records “showed that the agency cited Yeager [airport contractors] last month for two violations of its stormwater control permit on the slide repair work.”…
Read MoreJeff Zeleny, Mike Dorning and Michael Tackett of the Chicago Tribune reviewed travel records for Illinois’ congressional delegation, finding that “at least 835 trips taken by either Illinois Congress members or their staff highlight the uneasy intersection between private dollars and public policy that raises questions about whether a special interest group is trying to…
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