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Army missteps handling chemical weapon disposal plant
Matthew D. LaPlante of The Salt Lake Tribune found that the U.S. Army made several errors in its attempts to dispose of Utah’s stockpile of lewisite, a now-illegal agent similar to mustard gas used in chemical warfare. Lewisite can be disposed of in two ways: by incineration, which can release arsenic into the air without…
Read MoreSewage cleanup plan not enough to repair polluted waterway
A special report by the Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) looks at Beargrass Creek, a polluted waterway that runs through Louisville, Kentucky, and finds that an $800 million sewage cleanup plan won’t be enough to solve its many problems. The report used computer-assisted techniques and multi-media presentations to help document and tell the story of this troubled, urban…
Read MoreIndianapolis city employees are abusing parking placards
An investigation by Tom Spalding and Heather Gillers of the Indianapolis Star has led to a policy change regarding special parking placards in Indianapolis. Some have been using the special permits, intended to help city employees complete quick downtown tasks, to park for hours at no charge. The abuse has negatively impacted downtown businesses, whose…
Read MoreSt. Louis towing lot illegally sold impounded cars
Reporters Joe Mahr, David Hunnand and Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have uncovered a scandal involving St. Louis police and a private towing contractor. St. Louis police, who do have access to a public impound lot, allowed the proprietors of the St. Louis Metropolitan Towing lot, to illegally keep and sell stolen and…
Read More“Mitchell Report” for NFL shows history of drug use
Using media reports, archives, public records and interviews with players and personnel, Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune compiled a “Mitchell Report” for the NFL. The list identifies 185 players linked to abuse of performance-enhancing drugs dating back to 1962. “There are no bombshell names unveiled for the first time, nor is it considered…
Read MoreHead of McCain’s transition team lobbied for Freddie Mac
Newly released Congressional documents show that the lobbying firm of William Timmons Sr., who Republicans say has been tapped to lead Sen. John McCain’s transition committee, receive $260,000 this year from Feddie Mac prior to the government’s takeover of the mortgage company, report Jonathan D. Salant and Timothy J. Burger of Bloomberg. The midyear financial-disclosure…
Read MoreNY state misappropriating fees collected from cell phone tax
An investigation by Michelle Breidenbach of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y) shows that a $1.20 cell phone tax intended for upgrades to 911 technology is being misappropriated. Only six cents for every $1.20 collected ends up in the coffers of the 911 call center. “Instead, the state spends the money on itself: overtime, fringe benefits, travel,…
Read MoreCluster of foreclosures linked to loose lending practices
Cary Spivak and Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel identified the four inner city neighborhoods hit the hardest by the mortgage meltdown in Milwaukee and zeroed in on the lending practices. The reporters found that many of the people who lost homes to foreclosure never should have gotten loans in the first place. But…
Read MoreOccupational disability claims an epidemic at L.I.R.R.
An investigation by The New York Times has uncovered an epidemic of occupational disability claims among retirees of the Long Island Rail Road. “Virtually every career employee — as many as 97 percent in one recent year — applies for and gets disability payments soon after retirement, a computer analysis of federal records by The…
Read MoreSection 8 vouchers lead to suburban migration, new challenges
In an effort to break up large-scale public housing projects riddled by crime, Section 8 vouchers have created the opportunity for low-income families to move into suburbs, according to a report by Gregory Korte of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The opportunity for a more stable community is not without its challenges, and many Section 8 tenants…
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