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Joe Mahr: Towing tales from St. Louis
A private towing company now under federal investigation used a specially created unit of off-duty St. Louis police officers to tow cars during the city’s major Mardi Gras festival. Officers repeatedly towed cars parked outside of a towaway zone set up for the festival each of the past two years. The towing company failed to…
Read MoreInvestigating EPA’s chemical oversight program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires chemical manufacturers to produce any documentation they may come across that indicates their product could cause “substantial risk” to people or the environment. The companies have 30 days to notify the government once they become aware of this kind of information. This information could come in the form of…
Read MoreCourt documents never made public
A Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester, N.Y.) investigation into filing practices in Monroe County state courts revealed that documents critical to the outcome of countless civil lawsuits have never been made public because they were never filed with the court as required by state rules. The investigation prompted the New York State Office of Court Administration to…
Read MoreTeachers supported Prop 8 while their union opposed the measure
A report by NPR’s Robert Benincasa shows that California’s teachers’ union was giving money to oppose Proposition 8 while members of the union were making donations to support the ban on gay marriage. “Teachers, aides and counselors in California public school systems gave about $2 to support the marriage ban for every $1 they gave…
Read MoreCustom training provides inroads to good journalism
When asked why, during a slowing economy and troubled time for newspapers, Rob Dean decided to provide customized IRE training for his staff and other journalists from across New Mexico and Colorado, the managing editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican said he wanted to inspire young journalists to embrace and pursue their craft. See…
Read MoreHome Wreckers: How Banks are Worsening the Foreclosure Crisis
BusinessWeek‘s Brian Grow, Keith Epstein and Robert Berner detail efforts by the banking industry and its lobbyists in Washington to delay, dilute and obstruct attempts to rescue homeowners. The story describes how those efforts continue, and tracks campaign contributions by financial institutions and large lobbying expenditures by TARP recipients.
Read MoreIRE customized training sparks swift changes
Leaders of the Santa Fe New Mexican are moving quickly to build on three days of custom IRE training for their newsroom. Among their follow-up plans: an intranet for their newsroom and additional spreadsheet training for the staff. Read the full report in the new ‘IRE On the Road’ blog by training directors Jaimi Dowdell…
Read MoreSanta Fe paper focuses on watchdog work
Only a local news organization can hold institutions and individuals in a community accountable, so journalists need to be equipped for the job, says Rob Dean, managing editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican. That’s why the newspaper sponsored custom IRE training for its staff in early February. “In the last three days, I think…
Read MoreTexas homeowners paying more for less coverage
Jennifer LaFleur and Ed Timms at The Dallas Morning News have found that, despite legislation to reform homeowner insurance coverage, many Texans pay some of the country’s highest premiums but receive below-average coverage. The story also includes an explanation of the computer-assisted reporting for the piece. This is the fourth and final installment in the…
Read MoreMembership help for troubled times
In these difficult times, IRE is making a special offer to our members: If your membership renewal has come due and you are out of work, we will provide you with a complimentary one-year renewal so that you can continue to use IRE’s resources and services. This offer is retroactive for all of those who…
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