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In Minnesota, nurses in trouble get second chances

“Records examined by the Star Tribune of more than 1,000 disciplinary actions by the Minnesota Board of Nursing over the past four years show that it tolerates or forgives misconduct that would end nursing careers in other states. The board actively licenses more than 260 nurses since 2010 who have records of unsafe practice, including…

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Large hospitals enjoy revenue, borrowing advantage

“Hospitals are confronting declining revenues and continuing investment demands from their patients and the government. These twin pressures are bringing into focus the advantages that large hospital operators hold over smaller independent ones, and why the latter might want to align with the former.”

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Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries deny, delay asbestos, hazard claims, suits, insiders allege

“Scripps interviewed more than 20 sources — some confidential — reviewed dozens of lawsuits and spoke with former insiders, who all allege the Berkshire-owned companies that handle its asbestos and pollution policies — National Indemnity Co. and Resolute Management Inc. — wrongfully delay or deny compensation to cancer victims and others to boost Berkshire’s profits.…

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Hidden cash fueled Warren campaign

“Long before the term “Super PAC” entered the national lexicon of campaign finance, unauthorized committees — those acting in support of but without the expressed approval of candidates — gave donors a means to skirt limits that New York places on those donating directly to candidates.”

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Congressional budget crisis was months in the planning

“The stand by conservatives that led to the current crisis was the outgrowth of a long-running effort, waged by a galaxy of well-funded groups, to undo President Obama’s health care law,” the New York Times reports. Shortly after President Obama started his second term, a loose-knit coalition of conservative activists led by former Attorney General…

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City gives felon six figure grant to open liquor store

TIF rules prohibit liquor stores from getting small business grants, and state and local laws bar felons from holding a stake in a liquor store except under rare circumstances, the Chicago Tribune reported. But a new outlet was funded and approved by City Hall agencies that exercised little oversight. The new liquor store was bankrolled…

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Tracking what data are available and where during the government shutdown

We reported yesterday that many government agencies had shut off access to their online data services, and that the NICAR database library was a good source for finding government data during the shutdown. Poynter today has an interesting post on the challenges the shutdown has caused for data journalists. If you want more background, the…

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Sex offenders in Oregon: State fails to track hundreds

Oregon has some of the worst records in the country at following federal standards intended to thwart roaming sex offenders, the Oregonian reports. It has become a haven for offenders who want to escape much stricter rules in other states. The state is two years behind entering names into its electronic database of registered sex…

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IRE members win Barlett and Steele Awards from Reynolds Center

Four IRE members were among journalists honored in the seventh annual Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism, announced today by the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. The awards are named for the investigative team of Don Barlett and James Steele, they are funded by the Reynolds Center and celebrate the  best…

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IRE to keep Data Library OPEN during Government Shutdown

The government has shut down; national parks and museums are closed. Some million federal workers stayed home. Even some government data portals, such as data.gov and census.gov, have been shuttered. But don’t fret. The NICAR database library provides access to dozens of government databases at a time when federal agencies across the world wide web…

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