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Light sentences, expunged records prompt officials to call for new laws
“A review of government corruption cases by The Clarion-Ledger, including a dozen listed in today’s edition, indicates public officials tend to get off easy when they’re caught with their hands in the till. It shows a trend of light sentences and early release, inequity of sentences, lack of prosecution and expunged records.”
Read MoreTexas police spend millions on drones
“While the nation disputes if, when and where the government should use drones over U.S. soil, Texas state police are taking their surveillance efforts to the next level. In a little-noticed July purchase, officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety inked a $7.4 million contract with the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. for a…
Read MoreAzerbaijan’s elites illegally purchase property in Czech Republic
“Officials of oil-rich Azerbaijan, including members of the Aliyev ruling family, have established companies in Prague, bought land, and built hotels and luxury villas most of them focused around in the famous spa city of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). The problem is that some of these investments are illegal. The full extent of their investment became…
Read MoreInvestigation leads to EPA re-examining lead factories
“The Environmental Protection Agency is re-examining more than 460 former lead factory sites across the USA for health hazards left by toxic fallout onto soil in nearby neighborhoods.” “The massive effort, a result of a USA TODAY investigation, involves locations in dozens of states and has already identified several sites needing further investigation and some…
Read MoreHundreds of reports from students trapped in elevators at UT-Arlington
“According to open records obtained by The Shorthorn’s Krista Torralva the University of Texas-Arlington has spent more than one million dollars on elevator upgrades yet students are still getting trapped.” “It has also been found that the campus is in violation of Texas law, which requires certificates of compliance to be posted either inside each…
Read MoreMembers 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 MoreLooking at the vast diversity of American voters
“To win national office in America, candidates must appeal to a mosaic of diverse communities, which vary in culture, religion, income, education, geography and political views. How well they succeed in appealing to some groups without alienating others can only be measured by data that reflects this rich diversity. Working with Ipsos, Reuters has created…
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…
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