The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
USA Today investigation prompts review, potentially freeing wrongly imprisoned
U.S. Justice Department review, triggered by a USA Today investigation, has identified 175 prisoners who must be released or resentenced because they were improperly imprisoned. In June, USA Today reported that those prisoners should not have been imprisoned because they had not committed a federal crime, and others received longer sentences than the law allows.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Several enterprise stories tackle gun control issues
The Washington PostReview of FBI forensics does not extend to federally trained state, local examinersThe Washington Post reports that thousands of criminal cases at the state and local level may have relied on exaggerated testimony or false forensic evidence to convict defendants of murder, rape and other felonies, according to former FBI agents. The Journal…
Read MoreWhen politicians gamble on developers with taxpayer money, who ends up paying?
“Public agencies often use tax-based resources to partner with private developers. Those deals can help transform blighted areas, but they also can become costly projects with dubious results. In a two-day series, the Statesman Journal explores local examples of how public-private partnerships have worked.”
Read MoreVA support coming too late to veterans
“The VA’s inability to pay benefits to veterans before they die is increasingly common, according to data obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting.” “The data reveals, for the first time, that long wait times are contributing to tens of thousands of veterans being approved for disability benefits and pensions only after it is too…
Read MoreTaxpayers may foot the bill for lead cleanup
“In the latest installment in USA TODAY’s “Ghost Factories” series, reporter Alison Young examines who is responsible for cleaning up lead contamination around old lead smelter sites.”
Read MoreA look at income inequality in the US
“Reuters, in a multi-part series, explore how the government is either exacerbating inequality or doing less than it could to alleviate it.” “As the nation’s leaders debate whose taxes to raise and what social programs to cut before a Jan. 1 deadline, today’s story, “Redistributing Up,” shows that the government’s hand in income inequality is…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Student debt, river debates, lead contamination and opiate addictions
Milwaukee Journal SentinelThe Wrong-Way River“Biologists predict the number of unwanted organisms moving on the Chicago canal will only grow until the waterway is somehow plugged. And it is much more than a Great Lakes problem because biological pollution travels both directions on this invasive species superhighway.” The Morning CallAmazon warehouse workers fight for unemployment benefits“Its…
Read MoreMN state reps under scrutiny for ties to insurance firm
An investigation by MPR News has found that a “Republican state representative who steered legislation through the House to drop thousands of people from the state-run MinnesotaCare program is an independent contractor for an insurance brokerage firm that lobbied for the change.”
Read MoreAudio surveillance quietly being installed in public buses
“Government officials are quietly installing sophisticated audio surveillance systems on public buses across the country to eavesdrop on passengers, according to documents obtained by The Daily.“ “Plans to implement the technology are under way in cities from San Francisco to Hartford, Conn., and Eugene, Ore., to Columbus, Ohio.”
Read MorePeace Corps bureaucracy leaves some volunteers stranded with thousands of dollars in medical debt
In a report by FairWarning it has been found that despite their service to the Peace Corps organization, some volunteers are left stranded with thousands of dollars in medical bills after being hurt or becoming sick while completing their assignments. “The program’s flawed management was underscored by a Government Accountability Office report issued in November.…
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