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New conflict of interest concerns arise in state corruption case
As part of a two-year investigation by The (Toledo, Ohio) Blade into the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and corruption in state government, James Drew and Steve Eder have discovered that a conflict of interest was not disclosed when in a five-year, $384,000 contract was given to the accounting firm of Ciuni & Panichi. The…
Read MoreLax monitoring creates security issues at Chicago airport
Dave Savini of CBS 2 – Chicago investigates a breach of security at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Insufficient tracking of employee ID badges at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport have created a gaping hole in airport security. The badges enable employees of the airport to access high-security areas without being screened . A database obtained from Chicago’s Department…
Read MoreFlaws in firefighters’ safety gear ignored for 5 years
Bill Dedman of MSNBC.com reports that the U.S. government took 5 years to react to warnings made in 2000 that firefighters’ PASS alarms were failing to perform as intended. These units sound an alarm and flash lights if a firefighter has been motionless for 30 seconds. Documents made public under the Freedom of Information Act…
Read MoreWashington’s $8 Billion Shadow
Writing for Vanity Fair, Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele uncover the influence of SAIC, a “mega-contractor” in Washington, D.C. SAIC, unlike other contractors, is often called upon for expertise “
Read MoreLax security leaves airports and community vulnerable
Investigative Reporter Jeremy Rogalski and the 11 Investigates team discovered that local general aviation airports in the Houston area have almost no security funding or regulation. As a result, the team was easily able to walk onto unattended small and medium-size jets. One expert described the planes as “flying weapon(s)” because they could be used…
Read MorePolitics play into road fund allocation
Richard Rubin of The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer investigated how politics determine how money is allocated from a North Carolina road fund. “The $15 million contingency fund is controlled largely by legislative leaders who distribute it to their colleagues’ districts, and their own, without a comprehensive analysis of traffic, safety or population, according to an Observer…
Read MoreOutsourcing the Government
In the first article of a series examining government contracting, Scott Shane and Ron Nixon of The New York Times describe how independent contractors have become “a virtual fourth branch of government. On the rise for decades, spending on federal contracts has soared during the Bush administration, to about $400 billion last year from $207…
Read MoreNJ taxpayers bankrolling Meadowlands development gamble
John Brennan and Jeff Pillets at The (Bergen County, NJ) Record went deep into the financial underpinnings of a developer’s promise to transform the state’s most infamous landmark from smelly garbage dumps and swamps into an Emerald City of golf courses, luxury condos and resort hotels. They emerged with a compelling story about the way…
Read MoreBudget cuts threaten vulnerable students in Wisconsin
A three-day series by Andy Hall of the Wisconsin State Journal looks at budget cuts in Wisconsin schools which threaten funding aimed to aid vulnerable students. Citing a lack of money, increasing numbers of Wisconsin schools are pulling out of a state program credited with boosting the scores of vulnerable poor and minority students. In…
Read MoreSports “doctor” under investigation
Mike Fish of ESPN.com reports that Mack Henry “Hank” Sloan, who runs an Atlanta clinic with a clientele of sports stars, is under investigation for allegedly practicing medicine without a license. “The 36-year-old Sloan calls himself a naturopath, a practitioner of a medical discipline that emphasizes holistic approaches to enhance the body’s innate ability to…
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