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David Kocieniewski of The New York Times uses public records to investigate the homeland security threat, specifically along a two-mile stretch, deemed the most vulnerable by terrorism experts. The investigation looked into “… a chemical plant that processes chlorine gas, so close to Manhattan that the Empire State Building seems to rise up behind its…
Read MoreJennifer Dixon and Victoria Turk of The Detroit Free Press used state campaign finance records to show that “Michigan legislators have dipped into campaign cash to buy cars, jewelry, expensive gifts and entertainment in possible violation of federal tax codes.” The IRS is investigating whether the spending, which lawmakers defend as necessary, constitutes a personal…
Read MoreM. Asif Ismail of The Center for Public Integrity reviewed lobbying records to report on the “deep-pocketed pharmaceutical and health products industry”, which “has lobbied on more than 1,400 congressional bills since 1998 and spent a whopping $759 million during that period …” The story includes detailed graphics, as well as data seperated into categories…
Read MoreDave Altimari of The Hartford Courant used documents released under a federal lawsuit by the paper to show that Connecticut’s “judicial branch began an organized effort in the 1990s to hide the existence of some lawsuits involving the rich and famous, years before court officials claimed those so-called super-sealed cases were merely the results of…
Read MoreR. Jeffrey Smith and Derek Willis from The Washington Post analyzed federal campaign expenditure records to find that top congressional leaders “flew on corporate-owned jets at least 360 times from January 2001 to December 2004.” Members of both parties took part in the practice, although leading Republicans flew more often than Democrats. “The records show…
Read MoreDejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spent two months delving into the finances of the Pittsburgh Pirates, owned by a private company, to project “that the Pirates will make a $12.8 million profit in 2005.” The average Major League Baseball franchise generated about $4.4 million in profits last year, and the Pirates’ payroll has been…
Read MoreMary B. Pasciak and Andrew Bailey of The Buffalo News analyzed fourth-grade standardized test scores from the area to find that “top performing schools – those that get the most from their students regardless of family income – often are the ones teaching students who have the least … These top schools didn’t necessarily have…
Read MoreSusan Vinella of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reviewed spending records from Ohio’s largest Head Start agency to find “executives and board members spending tens of thousands on meals, trips and gifts. Many of the expenses were paid with government money that the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland receives for its annual budget, which…
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