Uncategorized
Lenience in juvenile court system may have cost one woman’s life.
John Diedrich of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports on the disturbing facts of how some very violent juveniles slip through the cracks of our court system. One, Markus Evans, first encounter with the courts was when he was 7 years old, after stabbing his kindergarten teacher with a pencil. 10 years later, he is…
Read MoreWashington state bans toxic asphalt sealants.
Washington state is now the largest government in the country to ban the cancer-causing industrial waste. The asphalt sealant is used on surfaces such as driveways, parking lots, and even playgrounds. One US Representative is seeking a nationwide ban. “The Washington state legislation and Doggett’s drive for a nationwide ban flowed from studies by…
Read MoreInvestigation shows Phoenix kidnapping statistics are skewed
Using Arizona’s Open Records Law, Dave Biscobing of KNXV-TV in Phoenix recently uncovered discrepancies in kidnapping statistics used by the Phoenix Police Department to obtain more than $2 million in federal grant money. City leaders and Arizona Senator John McCain repeatedly cited the statistics, calling Phoenix the “Kidnapping Capital of the US.” However, Biscobing’s research…
Read MoreAnalysis of aviation data reveals frequent safety problems
“A six-month examination of more than 150,000 reports filed by pilots and others in the aviation industry over the past 20 years reveals surprising and sometimes shocking safety breaches and close calls at local, regional and major airports throughout the country.” The investigation was a collaboration between members of the Investigative News Network and National…
Read MoreInvestigative reporter Dusty McNichol dies at 54
Long-time IRE member Dunstan “Dusty” McNichol died unexpectedly Tuesday. He was 54. McNichol, who contributed to the IRE Journal and spoke at IRE Conferences, was an active member of IRE since 1998. McNichol covered the New Jersey Statehouse for 10 years for the Star-Ledger “and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize…
Read MoreLoophole keeps gun dealer in business
From almost the time it opened, a Wisconsin gun store has been in trouble with federal authorities. After repeated warnings about problems, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked the store’s license in 2007. But as Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich reported, three years later the case is tied up in…
Read MoreInvestigation finds mercury in face cream
A Chicago Tribune investigation discovered high levels of mercury in skin lightening creams sold throughout Chicago. The newspaper sent 50 skin-lightening creams to a certified lab for testing, most of them bought in Chicago stores and a few ordered online. Six were found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law. Of those, five…
Read MorePersonality disorder used to discharge soldiers, strip them of benefits
A report by Joshua Kors in The Nation explores the Army’s fraudulent use of personality disorder diagnoses to discharge soldiers, thus stripping them of their disability benefits and long term medical care. The article details the case of Chuck Luther who suffered a concussion during a mortar attack in May 2007. After reporting his symptoms,…
Read MoreHawaii’s long-term-care system for elderly fraught with problems
In a four-part series, Rob Perez of the Honolulu Advertiser found Hawaii’s long-term-care system for the elderly is fraught with problems, including a placement system tainted by kickbacks and fraud. He also found that Hawaii nursing homes are the least sanctioned in the country, that reforms at the state Legislature are consistently blocked by care-home…
Read MorePersonnel law in North Carolina shrouds records in secrecy
Keeping Secrets, a three-part series by The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) for Sunshine Week, found North Carolina’s 35-year-old personnel law is among the most secretive in the nation, barring access to disciplinary actions, hiring decisions and employment histories. The series had plenty of examples showing how this secrecy is preventing the public from learning…
Read More