Social issues
Are U.S. border agents crossing the line?
“In partnership with the Investigative Fund of the Nation Institute, Need to Know investigates whether U.S. border agents have been using excessive force in an effort to curb illegal immigration.” “The report raises questions about accountability because border agents are part of the Department of Homeland Security and therefore are not subjected to the same…
Read MoreEPA fails to warn families of lead contamination where smelters once stood
“USA Today’s investigative team found the EPA failed to tell people about or take action on hundreds of former lead smelting sites they’d known about for years. Alison Young and Pete Eisler tested the soil around former plants in 13 states and found potentially dangerous levels of lead remain in people’s yards and in parks.”…
Read MoreMissing the mark with background checks
An investigation, by Sandy Brundage of The Almanac, has revealed many holes in the process California schools take while checking the background of teachers. “According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state maintains a confidential database of complaints against teachers in public schools, but can only publicly disclose “final adverse actions” taken. The…
Read MoreSchool test scores raise questions across the nation
“Suspicious test scores in roughly 200 school districts resemble those that entangled Atlanta in the biggest cheating scandal in American history, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.” To learn how the reporters gathered information click here. “The newspaper analyzed test results for 69,000 public schools and found high concentrations of suspect math or reading…
Read MoreNYPD using counterterrorism tactics on lawful citizens
Adam Goldman and Matt Apuzzo, for the Associated Press, report that undercover NYPD officers attended meetings of liberal political organizations and kept intelligence files on activists who planned protests around the country, according to interviews and documents that show how police have used counterterrorism tactics to monitor even lawful activities.
Read MoreNew York’s Freedom of Information Law fails concerned parents
Elmira Star-Gazette reporter Jason Whong showed that despite having the benefit of the newspaper’s archives and knowing where to look and which dates to research, New York’s Freedom of Information and open records law couldn’t help him — or any parent — find much evidence of an accused sexual predator’s history of similar crimes and…
Read MoreDocuments further confirm surveillance of Muslim-Americans
The Huffington Post reports that the New York Police Department collected information on businesses owned by second- and third-generation Americans specifically because they were Muslims, according to newly obtained secret documents. They show in the clearest terms yet that police were monitoring people based on religion, despite claims from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the contrary.
Read MoreUnregulated Florida summer camps leave children at risk
A six-month Palm Beach Post investigation into unregulated Florida summer camps has revealed that the state’s lax laws have allowed convicted child molesters to get jobs in Florida camps, where they went on to molest still more victims. For every child who was harmed, many more are at risk — especially in the state’s poorest…
Read MoreRural schools and communities lose billions in funding
An expired federal program aimed to benefit former logging communities means massive budget wholes for hundreds of schools and communities across the country, an investigation by California Watch found. The Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act provided nearly $3.8 billion for schools and roads in more than 700 counties in 42 states in the…
Read MoreWA state spends millions to help sex predators avoid lockup
“In a multi-part series, The Seattle Times has found that almost 300 sex offenders in the state of Washington are detained indefinitely in a civil-commitment program. The center protects society from these predators, but is has been plagued by runaway legal costs, a lack of financial oversight and layers of secrecy”
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