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Asthma strikes more young people in certain Utah ZIP codes
A report by the Salt Lake Tribune reveals that children living on the west side of Salt Lake City take more trips to the emergency room and are more likely to “be hospitalized for asthma than those living in the rest of the state.” An analysis of data from the Utah Department of Health that…
Read MoreTaking CAR 2011 home
There is plenty to take home from the CAR Conference, whether or not you made it to Raleigh, N.C. The four-day conference offered hands-on training of new analytical resources, along with dozens of other tips for journalists. With so much information, it’s good to take the next few weeks to process it all. IRE staff…
Read MoreFood stamp fraud runs rampant in King County
Food stamp fraud has been a problem in the business district of Seattle for years. The problem was so bad, in fact, that a three-year investigation by federal agents could not clean up the mess. Chris Ingalls and KING 5 News have uncovered new “information that may explain why: Our analysis of government data shows…
Read MoreThe New Mafia
The Daily investigates the increasing number of Mexican drug cartels in American suburbs. The team was led by reporter Josh Bernstein and “spent six months traveling” through Mexico to document how the “drug cartels are becoming ‘The New Mafia’ in America.” Smugglers bring illegal immigrants into the country and hold them in “drop houses,” which…
Read MoreNatural-gas drilling poses risks, regulation is lax
“Drilling Down,” a series by The New York Times, explores the the risks of natural-gas drilling, along with efforts to regulate the industry. “The relatively new drilling method — known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking — carries significant environmental risks.” For each well the process can create over a million gallons of wastewater…
Read MoreIdentity thieves targeting tax returns
In one of the fastest growing forms of identity theft, crooks are using a stranger’s Social Security number and other personal information to fool the Internal Revenue Service into diverting the person’s rightful refund to the thieves’ pockets, according to a Scripps Howard News Service investigation. The volume of tax- or wage-related identity theft complaints…
Read MoreEPA underreports radiation in nation’s drinking water
A KHOU-Houston report reveals that the federal EPA allows water companies to avoid reporting certain types of radiation contamination in the public’s tap water, giving a false picture to the American public about their water safety. For example, if the radiation comes from uranium, utilities can subtract that radioactivity out of their final reports to…
Read MoreCAR conference comes to Raleigh
IRE’s annual Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference is taking place in Raleigh this weekend. On-site registration is still available. Find computer-assisted reporting tips and news from the conference on the conference blog or search for the hashtag #NICAR11 on Twitter.
Read MoreInvestigative books of 2010
IRE’s annual list of investigative books can be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet. More than 250 books published in 2010 made the list, which includes title, author and publisher. The annual list is compiled by Steve Weinberg. Author(s) Title Publisher Year published Abraham, Laurie The Husbands and Wives Club Touchstone 2010 Alter, Jonathan The Promise:…
Read MoreCalifornia hospital chain reports high rates of malnutrition
A California Watch report reveals that facilities managed by California hospital chain Prime Healthcare are reporting unusually high malnutrition rates in its Medicare patients. Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. has reported that “16.1 percent of its Medicare patients 65 and older suffered from kwashiorkor, according to a California Watch analysis of state health…
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