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Worker shortages drive calls for high school curriculum changes
It is what much of Austin’s manufacturing looks and sounds like today. Advanced machinery producing precision products. A computer monitor at virtually every workstation. And a workforce with an increasingly advanced set of technical skills. The difficulty is finding workers with the skills to make it all go.
Read MoreThe bank, the school and the 38-year loan
In early 2008, residents of Placentia and Yorba Linda approved a $200 million school construction bond after reading those fliers and being assured repeatedly that ‘their money will be spent wisely.’ What happened instead was that Measure A led to a debt so large and long lasting that it mortgaged the future of their children’s…
Read MoreAppeals of denied permits get guns into questionable hands
“Since 2003, at least 299 people deemed too dangerous or otherwise unfit for a gun-carry permit were able to obtain them on appeal to the sheriff or a judge, a Star Tribune analysis shows.” Read the investigation here.
Read MoreEagle Ford pay is high, but work can be fatal
“Since 2009, at least 11 employees working for drilling companies and spinoff industries in Eagle Ford Shale counties have suffered horrific deaths that could have been prevented, according to OSHA investigations obtained under the Freedom of Information Act,” the Express-News reported.
Read MoreMuch judicial secrecy in Consumer Protection Safety Commission case
Two years ago, the federal Consumer Protection Safety Commission launched saferproducts.gov, an online tool for consumers to review complaints and warnings about hazardous products. Since it launched, Fair Warning reports, the first lawsuit by a business attempting to conceal a complaint is “blazing new trails in judicial secrecy.” “Thanks to closed-door hearings, sealed records and…
Read MoreThis Valentine’s Day, background your date using public records
Don’t let love get in the way of investigating. The old saying in journalism goes something like “if your mother says she loves you, check it out,” and if that’s true for your mother then it’s certainly true for your Valentine’s Day date. So let’s begin our walk through of how to make use of…
Read MoreHealthcare facility forced into federal oversight
“In its “Chronic Condition” series spanning the last three weeks, The Dallas Morning News is delving into how Parkland Memorial Hospital has become the nation’s largest healthcare facility ever forced into federal oversight to remedy patient-safety dangers.“ “This week, the installment by Miles Moffeit discloses how Parkland’s medical-school partner acts as a shadow government over…
Read MoreBehind the Story: How the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel learned about an ATF sting gone wrong
Credit: Lou Saldivar, Journal Sentinel Graphics Editor John Diedrich and Raquel Rutledge of the Journal Sentinel had an opportunity to gain rare insight into an undercover government operation in 2012. Their watchdog reporting on the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ sting operation in Milwaukee revealed the operation may have done more harm…
Read MoreDespite drop in workplace deaths, oil industry still averages 39 per year
“The Houston Chronicle analyzed five years of fatal oil patch accident reports and found Texas oil and gas field fatalities consistently averaged 39 per year – the highest number among any occupation investigated by OSHA in the Lone Star State.” “Three companies – two in Houston and one in Tulsa- reported more than three fatal…
Read MoreBillions spent on phone subsidies that go to some who may not qualify
“The U.S. government spent about $2.2 billion last year to provide phones to low-income Americans, but a Wall Street Journal review of the program shows that a large number of those who received the phones haven’t proved they are eligible to receive them.”
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