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Company at San Francisco International Airport Neglects Baggage Screening

“Baggage screeners at San Francisco International Airport allege that dozens if not hundreds of bags identified by X-ray machines as high-risk bomb threats are loaded onto planes each day without any human inspection in a clear violation of federal rules.” “In interviews conducted over the past year, six company screeners told The San Francisco Examiner…

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Mental health patients falling through the safety net

KUOW’s John Ryan reports that “in the past decade, a dozen patients of Washington’s Western State Hospital have killed themselves and more than a hundred others have tried.” “Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults in Washington state. But inside a psychiatric hospital like Western, patients are supposed to…

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DCFS failing to protect Illinois children

In a report by The Chicago Reporter it has been found that “despite the Illinios Department of Child and Family Services involvement, many children die at the hands of their caregivers. Advocates say their deaths could be prevented.”

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Utah’s Transit Authority officials travel the world

Documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune have revealed that Utah’s Transit Authority CEO has spent more than $600,000 on international travel. Trips range from China to the United Arab Emirates and also include 17 U.S. cities. “But UTA officials say they receive great value from travel, learning from mistakes and successes of other transit agencies.…

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The Throwaways

Police enlist young offenders as confidential informants, the New Yorker reports. They are the foot soldiers in the government’s war on drugs. By some estimates, up to 80 percent of all drug cases in America involve them. For police departments facing budget woes, untrained C.I.s provide an inexpensive way to outsource the work of undercover…

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It’s all about location for disabled vets in limbo

A Bay Citizen investigation has found that “veterans waiting for decisions on their disability claims wait longer than the Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged, especially if they come from larger urban areas. Solutions tried in four locations have not helped so far, as the backlog continues to grow.”

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Cool tools to cover the election

By Doug HaddixKiplinger Program directorKiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, Ohio State University A new mobile app called Ad Hawk created a buzz this weekend during an IRE Election Watchdog Workshop at The Ohio State University. It’s an amazing new public service offered by the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C. Here’s how it works:…

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Philip Meyer Journalism Awards Call For Entry

Enter the 2012 Philip Meyer Journalism contest for your chance to win $500. Are you proud of a computer-assisted reporting story you’ve done this past year? Do you have a keen eye for great watchdog stories and the ability to combine that with social science research methods? If so, enter into the Philip Meyer Journalism…

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Let IRE help you report on every stage of Hurricane Isaac

Cover the storm from every angle with help from the Covering Natural Disasters story pack. Compiled of tipsheets, stories with questionnaires and helpful databases to provide the most information you need to give your audience the full story.

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Finishing the CAR story, overcoming initial hurdles

By Laura KrantzGatehouse Media This summer I attended my first IRE conference, in Boston. I really wanted to learn Microsoft Excel skills and I did, thanks to patient IRE staff. But more importantly, I was inspired by all the ruthless journalists using creative ways to mine for data and writing compelling stories. I left itching to…

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