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Cleaning up world’s largest radioactive mess
“A USA Today investigation reveals that seven decades after scientists came to the US during World War II to create plutonium for the first atomic bomb, a new generation is struggling with an even more daunting task: cleaning up the radioactive mess. Several senior engineers cited design problems that could bring the treatment plant’s operations…
Read MoreCA, a haven for diploma mills
“An investigation by The Bay Citizen has found that California is a haven for diploma mills and unaccredited schools. The paper found that the state has given approvals to hundreds of dubious programs and has not inspected some of these schools for decades.”
Read MoreCostly bus shelters spur anger, embarrassment
How much should a bus shelter cost? In Grants Pass, Ore., the answer may surprise you. Harry Esteve of The Oregonian reports that city officials recently signed off “on a project to build five bus shelters at an estimated cost of $106,000 apiece,” or the cost of building a three-bedroom house. The project has spurred…
Read MoreING’s “cafes” may be trying to avoid regulation
The Bay Citizen reports that the Internet banking giant, ING Direct USA, may be trying to bypass regulation by opening “cafes” instead of branches. By not offering deposits at the cafe, ING does not have to follow regulation that requires banks to lend money to low- and moderate-income borrowers in metropolitan areas. ING claims the…
Read MorePostmark deadline for IRE Awards is Friday, Jan 13
Don’t forget to submit your best investigative reporting to the 2011 IRE Awards contest. The postmark deadline is January 13th, 2012. 2011 marked the 33rd year for the IRE Awards, which honor the best in investigative reporting in all types of media. This year, to better reflect the evolving nature of the industry, and the…
Read MoreFDA’s medical experts had industry ties
“Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration convened a committee of medical experts to weigh new evidence concerning the potential dangers in popular birth control pills including Bayer AG’s Yaz and Yasmin. The committee concluded by a four-vote margin that the benefits of drugs with drospirenone, the synthetic hormone in question, outweigh the risks.…
Read MoreRisks and benefits vary for citizens along Keystone XL route
“If the Keystone XL oil pipeline were approved today, residents in the six states along its route would not receive equal treatment from TransCanada, the company that wants to build the project.“ “In Kansas, for example, lawmakers gave TransCanada a 10-year tax exemption, which means the state won’t receive any property tax revenue from the…
Read MorePartisan candidates treated differently in Virginia
This month, members of the General Assembly are gathering in Richmond, while “legislators are buzzing about the exclusion of four major Republican candidates from the presidential preference ballot in Virginia on Super Tuesday.” “Missing in that conversation is any discussion of a loophole that gives political parties power to say whether or not candidates have…
Read MoreDrug trial research often concealed
John Fauber of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that “drug research, even from clinical trials sponsored by the federal government, routinely is suppressed, harming patients and increasing health care costs, according to new data highlighting an ethical controversy that continues to plague the field of medicine.” “The current situation is a disservice to research participants,…
Read MoreEmergency managers overpaid in cash-strapped community
An investigation by the Flint Journal in Michigan reveals that several state-appointed emergency managers are being paid six figure salaries. Residents of the “cash-strapped” communities question the high salaries, and many have sued the state. “By law, the pay of Michigan’s five emergency managers — ranging from $132,000 to $250,000 — is set by the…
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