The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
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Earmark spending falls slightly but exceeds desired limits
While slightly down, earmark spending is still well above the levels deemed acceptable by Obama, according to an analysis by USA Today. “The Senate included $12.6 billion for earmarks in the 12 annual spending bills for 2010, while the House versions contain $9.1 billion, the analysis shows. That’s down 9% in the Senate and 13%…
Read MorePainkillers unregulated in college football programs
Pain is part of football. According to a series by The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.), so are painkiller injections on game days at college programs all over the country. Despite concerns about the possibility of increased risk of prescription painkiller addiction, the otherwise meticulous NCAA has virtually no oversight or policy regarding painkiller injections…
Read MoreSocial service agency failed to protect children
After facing roadblocks from the state-run Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, reporters Gina Barton and Crocker Stephenson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gathered thousands of pages of public records to create their own database of deaths within the system. They found that 22 children had died despite the bureau having clear warning signs that they…
Read MoreWoman’s plight shines light on problems with beef inspection
A story by The New York Times shows the risks involved with consuming ground beef. In 2007, a hamburger eaten by Stephanie Smith was tainted with E. coli and ravaged her nervous system leaving her paralyzed. “Ms. Smith’s reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme, but tracing the story of her burger,…
Read MoreCongressmen opposed stimulus, yet pleaded for funds
Thomas Burr and Matt Canham of The Salt Lake Tribune report that while Sen. Bob Bennett vocally opposed the stimulus bill, he simultaneously asked Energy Secretary Steven Chu “to pay special attention to several Utah projects as he doled out billions in stimulus money.” All four of Utah’s Republican Congressmen voted against the stimulus, yet…
Read MoreConvenience store owners targeted by U.S. attorney’s office
Jerry Mitchell of The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) reports that documents obtained by the paper show “the U.S. attorney’s office in Oxford targeted convenience store operators in north Mississippi, many of Middle Eastern descent, despite a lack of any connection to terrorism.” While no links to terrorism were found, the “Convenience Store Initiative” netted other criminal…
Read MoreTexas medical examiners plagued with problems, lack oversight
A series by Yamil Berard of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports on problems with medical examiners in Texas. “Texas medical examiners have misidentified bodies, botched examinations and had to do a double take on cases of individuals later exonerated by law enforcement.” Critics point to lax oversight and an absence of performance standards among other…
Read MoreFelons, mentally ill live with seniors in Illinois nursing homes
A Chicago Tribune 3-part investigation by David Jackson and Gary Marx found elderly and disabled nursing home residents assaulted, raped and even murdered because Illinois has failed to manage the growing numbers of mentally ill felons admitted to nursing facilities. “More than any other state, Illinois relies heavily on nursing homes to house mentally ill…
Read MoreContaminated drinking water found in schools across the U.S.
A 10-month investigation by Garance Burke of the Associated Press has found unsafe levels of contaminants such as lead and pesticides in school drinking water in all 50 states. “But the problem has gone largely unmonitored by the federal government, even as the number of water safety violations has multiplied.” An interactive graphic allows the…
Read More$11 million in FAA funds budgeted for unnecessary airstrip
A report by Dave Tobin of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) shows how the Federal Aviation Administration plans to spend $11 million on a rural airstrip. Eight miles from the planned airstrip, the developers are ripping up an existing airfield that was built with public money but largely unused. “The Federal Aviation Administration has already spent…
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