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Federal judge’s financial conflict of interest went unnoticed for years
“A federal judge has issued three key rulings over a four-year period that favored companies in which he owned stock, a California Watch analysis has found.” “Measures are in place to prevent judges from violating federal conflict-of-interest laws. But Judge Manuel Real, a 46-year veteran of the bench appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, appears…
Read MoreCalifornia National Guard Culture Questioned
“A joint-investigation by NBC Bay Area and KNBC-TV in Los Angeles has uncovered a disturbing hidden culture in the California National Guard where some guard members say sexual assault and racism at times go unchecked, and where retaliation is a frequent method of discipline.”
Read MoreCity’s lucrative speed camera program dogged by problems
“While the city reaps millions from motorists who believe their only practical option is to pay up, the evidence used to issue speed camera tickets is not nearly as unimpeachable as many drivers and lawmakers think, The Sun found. Even some city District Court judges criticize the program.”
Read MoreNew Jersey railway put trains in Sandy flood zone despite warnings
“New Jersey Transit’s struggle to recover from Superstorm Sandy is being compounded by a pre-storm decision to park much of its equipment in two rail yards that forecasters predicted would flood, a move that resulted in damage to one-third of its locomotives and a quarter of its passenger cars.”
Read MoreFlorida’s Vanishing Springs
“A century ago Florida’s gin-clear springs drew presidents and millionaires and tourists galore who sought to cure their ailments by bathing in the healing cascades. Now the springs tell the story of a hidden sickness, one that lies deep within the earth.”
Read MoreGeorgia schools lay unequal foundations for college
“The paths of these top students illustrate the uneven preparation for college provided by Georgia schools. The challenges of rural districts have been a long-standing concern, but an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis focused on college readiness. It found that rural students are more likely to need remedial help in college and to score lower on the…
Read MoreUtah Highway Patrol discipline problems go beyond Lisa Steed
“While the case of Cpl. Lisa Steed, the one-time Trooper of the Year who is suspected of falsifying arrest reports and lying on the witness stand, has grabbed headlines, an investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune revealed wider problems in how UHP investigates and adjudicates accusations of misconduct among its 425 troopers — a number…
Read MoreStudy spotlights high breast cancer risk for plastics workers
“Women employed in the automotive plastics industry were almost five times as likely to develop breast cancer, prior to menopause, as women in the control group. These workers may handle an array of carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. They include the hardening agent bisphenol A (BPA) — whose presence in polycarbonate water bottles and other products…
Read MoreTraces reveal leading seller of ‘crime guns’ seized by police
“After a wave of unprecedented gun crime in Seattle during the first half of the year, KING television began a series of investigations into how criminals get their guns. In the latest installment, the KING 5 investigators used federal gun trace records to find the firearms dealer who sold the most guns that ended up…
Read MoreState’s cancer-fighting agency funded projects of Perry campaign contributor
“A month after Texas voters approved a 10-year, $3 billion program to fight cancer, a Dallas businessman and several of his associates began to pour tens of thousands of dollars into the campaign funds of Gov. Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. Millions from a new state agency would flow to two firms founded…
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