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Extra Extra Monday: War veterans, inmate risks, betrayals of trust and more
Welcome to IRE’s roundup of the weekend’s many enterprise stories from around the country. We’ll highlight the document digging, field work and data analysis that made their way into centerpieces in print, broadcast and online from coast to coast. Did we miss some? Let us know. Send us an email at web@ire.org or tweet to @IRE_NICAR. We’ll add…
Read MoreThe Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer investigate inflated prices on cancer drugs
In a joint investigation, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer of Raleigh found that large nonprofit hospitals in North Carolina are dramatically inflating prices on chemotherapy drugs at a time when they are cornering more of the market on cancer care. The newspapers found hospitals are routinely marking up prices on cancer drugs…
Read MoreLaw enables over-production of Oregon medical marijuana, enabling traffickers to exploit state program
The illicit trafficking of Oregon medical marijuana is widespread and highly lucrative, according to The Oregonian’s analysis of highway stops, police reports and federal and state court records. Exploitation of the 14-year-od program is made possible by lax state oversight and loose rules lead to the production of far more pot than a typical patient needs,…
Read MoreLeak detection systems not providing as much protection as the public has been led to believe
Lisa Song, an InsideClimate News reporter, has analyzed a decade worth of federal data that shows that the general public has detected far more oil pipeline spills than leak detection technology.”
Read MoreUse of interactive timeline shows failed project, lack of city oversight
“The Lansing (Mich.) State Journal spent more than two months gathering and reviewing public records to determine how city leaders in East Lansing handled construction of a downtown mixed-use building, not far from Michigan State University, after a portion of the unfinished building collapsed and it was discovered that the developer had started construction without…
Read MoreSolving a health gap
After a report was released by Spokane’s regional health district, the newspaper mapped life expectancy for each neighborhood in Spokane – showing the differences in well-being among its many neighborhoods: People in the county’s wealthy neighborhoods can expect to live longer than those in the poorer ones, by years and years.
Read MoreUsing grade data to show trends in universities
“Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press higher education reporter Brian McVicar used a decade’s worth of electronic grade reports to examine what classes at Grand Valley State University students struggle with the most, what academic areas students perform well in, and how grading at the university has changed over time.” “McVicar, an IRE CAR boot camp alum,…
Read MoreWisconsin forestry tax break program gives taxpayers bill, landowners benefit
There are more than 1 million acres in Wisconsin open to the public through a forestry tax break program. Good news for hunters and hikers … if only they could find it. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Raquel Rutledge found while taxpayers pick up the tab, it can be nearly impossible for anyone other than the landowner to…
Read MoreLos Angeles Times finds dispatchers waste valuable time on 911 calls
An internal study obtained by the Los Angeles Times shows that Los Angeles Fire Department dispatchers waste valuable time getting 911 callers to start CPR on cardiac arrest victims, possibly leading to preventable deaths. In March, the Times reported that a Los Angeles mayoral candidate unwittingly exposed inaccurate reporting of response times by the fire department.…
Read MoreDayton Daily News finds wasteful mileage reimbursements in Ohio cities, counties
Many city and county governments in Ohio pay employees more for mileage reimbursements than the state government does, and they could save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually if they switched to pay what the state does, according to a Dayton Daily News report published Wednesday. How they did it, from the Dayton Daily News…
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