The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
Members of Congress found sponsoring legislation that benefits themselves and family
“According to a Washington Post analysis 73 members of Congress have sponsored or co-sponsored legislation in recent years that could have benefited businesses or industries in which either they or their family members are involved or invested in.” “The findings emerge from an examination by The Post of financial disclosure forms and public records for…
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 MoreExtra 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 MoreObama cabinet failing at FOI requests
“In June, more than 30 Bloomberg reporters filed Freedom of Information Act requests with 57 agencies for the travel records of top administrators and cabinet secretaries. Three months later, only about 30 percent of the cabinet-level agencies had gotten back to the reporters with documents, and only one cabinet-level agency responded within the legal 20-day…
Read MoreNJ state police rely heavily on opinion, rather than exams, for promotions
“The New Jersey State Police are one of only two statewide law enforcement agencies in the country to rely almost entirely on the opinion of supervisors for promotions, a practice most discarded years ago in favor of more objective written and verbal exams.” “A Star-Ledger survey found that the Rhode Island State Police, with a…
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 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 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-old program is made possible by lax state oversight and loose rules lead to the production of far more pot than a typical patient needs, the newspaper…
Read MoreDCS chief James Payne fought his own agency over family matter
The Indiana Department of Child Services director, James W. Payne, fought to discredit and derail his agency’s recommendations in a child neglect case involving his own grandchildren, the Indianapolis Star reported. The story is based on the newspaper’s review of hundreds of pages of documents from DCS legal filings, investigation reports, monthly status reports submitted…
Read MoreState of sexual harassment payouts
The Asbury Park Press reports that although New Jersey has paid millions in sexual harassment cases, little has been done to change the culture in some agencies.
Read More