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Background checks for Idaho educators unreliable
In a report by Ben Botkin of the Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho), found that the state’s system for completing background checks on teachers fails to give school districts a full picture of the applicant’s background. The problem came to light after a Times-News investigation found that a teacher charged with sex crimes had a prior…
Read MoreThe Hidden Life of Guns series
The Hidden Life of Guns, a year-long investigation by The Washington Post, traced guns recovered in crimes in the region. The Post‘s analysis found a small number of gun stores in the region were linked to a vast majority of the guns recovered in crimes. “Since 1992, more than 2,500 guns recovered by police and…
Read MoreOutside groups give Republicans edge in election spending
Jonathan D. Salant of Bloomberg News found vulnerable House Democrats outraising their opponents, only to see outside groups making up the financial disparity. “Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20, Republican-leaning outside groups that aren’t limited in the amount of money they are allowed to spend on candidates paid out $118 million, while those backing Democrats…
Read MoreDollars for Doctors investigation
ProPublica, NPR, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Consumer Reports teamed up for “Dollars for Doctors,” an investigative project that found a hundreds of doctors being paid to promote pharmaceuticals have a history of misconduct. “Their misconduct included inappropriately prescribing drugs, providing poor care or having sex with patients. Some of…
Read MoreWayne County has failed to pay out nearly $4 million in restitution payments
An investigation by the Detroit Free Press has found that Wayne County “has collected nearly $4 million in court-ordered restitution from convicted burglars, sex offenders and other criminals but failed to pay that money to thousands of their victims.” While county officials have claimed that victims are difficult to locate, the investigation found that county…
Read MoreHarmful care a pattern at Chicago care facility
A Chicago Tribune investigation uncovered a pattern of harmful care at Alden Village North, a Chicago home for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Thirteen times in the last decade, residents have died under circumstances that led to state citations for neglect or failure to investigate. Instead of cracking down, regulators have allowed the problems…
Read MoreFinancial institutions profit from role as tax collector
Wall Street titans have a new sweet spot — as surrogate tax collectors. Huffington Post Investigative Fund reporters Fred Schulte and Ben Protess describe how big financial institutions see profits in tacking on fees and threatening to foreclose when homeowners fall behind on property taxes. Some of the big financial institutions are operating quietly, setting…
Read MoreGovernor’s tech fund has aided campaign donors
An investigation by The Dallas Morning News found that Governor Rick Perry has given more than $16 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to companies with investors or officers who are large campaign donors. The governor has denied any sort of political influence on how the tech funds are awarded.
Read MoreEmails reveal backlog of unprocessed tax returns dating to 1994
Internal emails requested by The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) showed that the North Carolina Department of Revenue had an undisclosed backlog of unprocessed tax returns going back to 1994 and, in thousands of cases, taxpayers were owed money for unknowingly overpaying their taxes. The e-mails also showed the department had quietly changed its policy…
Read MoreApply now for the Philip Meyer Journalism Awards
Toxic air and school children. Deadly infections in hospitals. Dangerous care in nursing homes. Journalists tackled each of these issues last year with work that won the Philip Meyer Journalism Award. The award recognizes stories that incorporate survey research, probabilities and other social science tools in creative ways that lead to journalism vital to the…
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