The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
High price of diplomacy with China
The first of two investigative reports from the Center for Investigative Reporting’s James Sandler examines the Bush administration’s efforts to squelch legal proceedings against two high ranking Chinese officials accused of torturing members of religious groups, including Fulan Gong. The two accused officials are former trade minister Bo Xilai and Beijing
Read MorePentagon emerges as puppeteer of favorable wartime coverage
A report by David Barstow of The New York Times reveals how the Pentagon has used a cadre of retired military officers to “generate favorable news coverage of the [Bush] administration
Read MoreSafety issues ignored despite marked increase in nail gun injuries
A Sacramento Bee investigation into the dangers associated with nail guns reveals a dramatic increase in injuries over the last decade. Andrew McIntosh reports that despite an increase in injuries — some resulting in death — the Consumer Product Safety Commission has done little to address safety issues. While many accidents go unreported, an April…
Read MoreIndustry controls state hospital regulation
Clark Kauffman of The Des Moines Register explores the influence that the Iowa hospital industry exerts over state regulators and lawmakers. In Iowa today, a state license to run a hospital costs $10, just as it did in 1947. That’s less than the cost of a state license to open a bait shop. And the…
Read MoreSan Francisco emergency response times lagging
Jim Doyle of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the city’s emergency response system is failing to meet response goals. In February 2004, the city adopted a 6-1/2 minute standard for emergency response. Since then, at least 439 people have died while waiting for delayed emergency assistance. “The The Chronicle found that delayed emergency medical…
Read MoreRetired city workers profit from unpaid sick time
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporters Kevin Crowe and Jake Wagman did a quick-hit CAR story about how much money retirees from the city have been getting for unused sick pay. “Of 281 employees who received payment for unused sick days, 149 workers walked away with at least $10,000; 15 of those workers received more than $50,000.”…
Read MoreBig retailer profited from state office supply contract
California’s state office supply contract was meant to benefit the small businesses while saving the state money, but an investigation by Kimberly Kindy of The San Jose Mercury News shows that the contract actually lined the pockets the big box retailer Office Depot. In 2007, the state’s bill for office supplies ran over $32 million.…
Read MoreProfits balloon for business improperly certified as disadvantaged
Elizabeth Newell and Robert Brodsky of Govermnent Executive report that a Miami-based defense contractor saw a significant increase in his business after being improperly labeled as a small disadvantaged business. AEY, Inc. is currently under investigation for providing faulty munitions as part of a $289 million contract to provide the Afgahanistan Army and police force…
Read MoreDeclassified memo reveals claims to president’s unfettered wartime power
Dan Eggen and Josh White of The Washington Post report on the recently declassified 2003 Justice Department memo that was responsible for creating the “legal foundation for the Defense Department’s use of aggressive interrogation practices” in the run up to the war in Iraq. The memo suggested that presidential power was nearly unlimited during a…
Read MoreThousands of underground fuel tanks must be upgraded in South Florida
An investigation by Mc Nelly Torres of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel revealed that forty-three percent of underground fuel tanks in South Florida must still be upgraded to be in compliance with state environmental laws. A state law requires all underground tanks use a “double-walled system” by 2009 to prevent soil and groundwater contamination. The Sun-Sentinel‘s…
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