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Human smuggling networks linked to terrorist groups
Pauline Arrillaga and Olga R. Rodriguez of the Associated Press reviewed court records from Mexico and the United States as part of an investigation into “the many pipelines in Central and South America, Mexico and Canada that have illegally channeled thousands of people into the United States from so-called ‘special-interest’ countries – those identified by…
Read MoreCable barriers fail to prevent deaths
Scott North, Diana Hefley and Lukas Velush of The (Everett, Wash.) Herald used Washington state transportation data to show that a stretch of I-5 where a cable barrier separates the opposing lanes of traffic may not be preventing as many accidents as other areas. In one three-mile section, “vehicles went over, under or through the…
Read MoreLoophole endangers drivers in Canada
Kevin McGran of The Toronto Star used federal and provincial records to show that “if you rent a U-Haul, you’ve got a 50-50 chance of getting a truck that won’t pass a road safety check.” Ontario police failed nearly half of such vehicles during road examinations between 2002 and 2004, and Ministry of Transportation data…
Read MoreDrug lobby spends millions to influence legislation
A team from The Center for Public Integrity reports on spending by the pharmaceutical and health products industry on lobbyists. “The drug industry’s huge investments in Washington — though meager compared to the profits they make — have paid off handsomely, resulting in a series of favorable laws on Capitol Hill and tens of billions…
Read MoreDog owners receive majority of tickets
Chris Barge of the Boulder Daily Camera analyzed city animal enforcement records to show that “roughly seven out of every 10 tickets written by Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers over the past three years have cited dog-related violations.” About a quarter of all dog-related infractions occurred in the Wonderland Lake management area –…
Read MoreData shows heart attack death numbers declining
Stephen Smith of The Boston Globe used state data to show that “deaths from heart attacks in Massachusetts dropped by 24 percent in eight years,” a decline doctors attributed to increased usage of angioplasty and aspirin. “Nationwide, the number of people succumbing to heart attacks has also decreased, although at a somewhat slower pace than…
Read MoreStudy finds high levels of pollutants in Calif. family
Douglas Fischer of Alameda Newspaper Group spent nine months investigating chemical pollutants in a family that “lives at one end of the consumer-chemicals spectrum — they eat organic, avoid common household cleaners and pesticides, don’t have wall-to-wall carpets or large new appliances.” The paper consulted a commercial research ethics board, responsible for protecting study participants’…
Read MoreInvestigation uncovers purchase card problems
Steve Lackmeyer and Ryan McNeill of The Oklahoman analyzed a never-completed 2002 audit of Oklahoma’s purchase card system. They found that for, “17 of the 20 agencies with cards at the time, receipts were not reviewed or verified to see whether the goods or services were received.” The state auditor is preparing to investigate the…
Read MoreAnalysis finds atypical campaign finance expenditures
Michael Cass of The Tennessean reports on an analysis of 2004 disclosure forms for all Tennessee legislators, which found political expenses in places not typically incurred. One expense was for “$1,414 to Interstate Liquors by Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-McMinnville.” The story includes detailed sidebars outlining what the law says, how to follow the money and…
Read MoreCompanies tied to bureau donate heavily to Republicans
Mark Naymik and Joseph L. Wagner of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer analyzed state campaign contributions to show that “top Ohio Republican officials and political committees have received millions of dollars in campaign contributions from companies managing money for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Almost two-thirds of the 212 companies hired by the bureau to invest…
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