Business
Little being done to protect garment workers in poorer countries
In the first of two articles by The New York Times is has been revealed that there have been “failures to protect garment workers in poor countries“, such as Bangladesh, “who make much of the world’s clothing” including brands for Walmart.
Read MoreBan on uranium mining may be lifted in Virginia
The Alexandria Gazette Packet reports that “in the last year, Chatham-based Virginia Uranium, Inc., has contributed $147,000 to sponsor research favorable to overturning a ban on uranium mining and invested more than $52,000 in campaign contributions across the commonwealth.” “The company has hired 19 lobbyists from five firms in an effort to persuade legislators that…
Read MoreThe shadowy side of offshore industry
“A worldwide investigation aimed at stripping away the anonymity that binds together one of the most shadowy aspects of Britain’s financial industry.” “In a unique collaboration, the Guardian and BBC Panorama have sifted through many gigabytes of data, obtained by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, to find information that helped identify more than…
Read MoreOklahoma jobs program may not be so cut and dry
In an investigation by Alex Cameron, director of the Oklahoma Impact Team, “it has been found that a job incentive program that has created tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Oklahoma has also rewarded companies that cut jobs and even exported jobs overseas.”
Read MoreReuters: The casualties of Chesapeake’s “land grab” across America
Chesapeake Energy has become the principal player in the largest land boom in America since the 1850s California Gold Rush, amassing acreage positions that rival those of any U.S. energy company. Its strategy is clearly spelled out in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “We believed that the winner of these land…
Read MoreWashington Post exposes secretive deals, billions in unexplained property tax reductions
In an ongoing series, The Washington Post’s Debbie Cenziper and Nikita Stewart identified $2.6 billion in unexplained property tax reductions, made through secretive, back-room deals, for hundreds of influential developers in Washington, D.C. The third installment today found that the District’s new chief appraiser had been dogged by similar allegations at his last job in…
Read MoreEmployers caught cheating
The News & Observer exposed employers who cheat, misclassifying construction workers to avoid taxes and buying fake workers’ compensation policies. A three-part series, “The Ghost Workers,” also showed a state government inept at — and not interested in — finding the dishonest businesses. However, Governor Bev Perdue has already ordered reforms.
Read MorePolluters stick taxpayers with multimillion dollar clean-up bill
“State officials in Missouri talked tough with previous owners of a polluted site, but when it came time to do the cleanup, Missouri taxpayers were stuck with almost the entire bill–$12 million–, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch investigation has found.” “In addition to not holding the polluters to account, the state and city allowed a single…
Read MoreInvestigating Texas’ public pension fund investments
“As part of its ongoing examination of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, The Dallas Morning News investigated the shadowy world of pension fund placement agents — the middlemen hired by private firms to solicit public capital.” “The article focused on one man, a politically connected Houston investment manager, and how his work as a…
Read MoreIllegal online payday loans thrive in New York
Payday loans — short-term, small dollar loans with exorbitant fees — are restricted in 18 states, and New York’s ban is one of the toughest. But reporter John Sandman found evidence that online payday lenders are circumventing these bans, illegally targeting potential borrowers in these states. The investigation, published by City Limits, was supported by…
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