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FBI allowed informants to commit 5,600 crimes
A USA Today report states that the FBI gave its informants permission to break the law at least 5,658 times in a single year, according to newly disclosed documents that show just how often the nation’s top law enforcement agency enlists criminals to help it battle crime.
Read MoreSyria’s Unspoken Crimes
There have been reports that in war-torn Syria, rape has become an epidemic as both sides seek to destabilize, frighten and ruin the other. But unearthing the stories of these widespread atrocities is difficult, and often impossible. Women in Syria face dire political, personal and familiar consequences if they admit to being victims — no…
Read MoreMexican journalists targeted
Amid the recent fanfare surrounding big arrests in Mexico’s drug war, those journalists still daring to shed light on the cartels and corrupt state officials keep on dying, and the killers, they just keep on getting away with it, according to an Al Jazeera report.
Read MoreTop drone supporter, beneficiary now looks to uses closer to home
The strikes are deeply unpopular in South Asia and in other parts of the world, reports the Investigative Reporting Workshop. The Taliban killed 10 foreign mountaineers in Pakistan in June — in retaliation, the Taliban said, for the U.S. drone strikes. Many of the drones that were used in Pakistan, along with those sent to…
Read MoreIndustry muscle targets federal ‘Report on Carcinogens’
A Center for Public Integrity reports that increasingly, industry is targeting James Huff’s former employer and its parent, the Department of Health and Human Services — in particular, HHS’s Report on Carcinogens. Two lobby groups sued the agency after two widely used chemicals were listed in the report. In a victory for industry, lawmakers mandated…
Read MoreLearn how to investigate local government on a shoestring budget
IRE and Poynter announced a low-cost investigative workshop: Investigating Local Government on a Shoestring Budget. With growing Medicare and pension costs, 2013 will be a rough year for local governments that face significant budget deficits in a slowly recovering economy. These governments face critical decisions, IRE and Poynter are offering training to ensure journalists are…
Read MoreCountries with longtime FOI laws have less corruption, better human development
The Center for Law and Democracy rates FOI law effectiveness by country. Freedom of Information Act advocates have consistently claimed that institutionalizing the right to information will benefit countries, particularly in addressing corruption. They are not lying. By comparing indices on corruption, human development, and years of having an FOI law across 168 countries, I…
Read MoreAlfred Friendly Fellow falls in love with Excel during IRE training
By Mugambi Mutegi Editor’s note: in July, IRE hosted the 2013 class of Alfred Friendly Fellows for training in training in computer-assisted and investigative reporting, covering Excel spreadsheets and more. One of the fellows, Mugambi Mutegi, wrote about his experience using Excel for the Alfred Friendly Press Partners, republished below. In the short time I have been alive,…
Read MorePolitically active ‘social welfare’ nonprofits get IRS approval with cash, connections
The Sunlight Foundation reports that in the wake of Citizens United, tax-exempt social welfare groups, 501(c)4 organizations, have becoming increasingly popular as conduits for big, anonymous campaign donations. A survey by the Sunlight Foundation found dozens of groups in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia that appear to benefit Republican and Democratic politicians, despite being set…
Read MoreCritics question billion-dollar tutoring program
“A decade after schools were required to offer tutoring sessions by third-party vendors, an increasing number of school districts and researchers say the multibillion-dollar system is broken,” according to The Sacramento Bee.
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