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Deadly Denial series
An investigation by the Rocky Mountain News examined the federal program to compensate the people who became sick building the nation’s nuclear weapons. The paper found that the agencies running the program, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services, have derailed aid to workers by keeping reports secret from…
Read MoreBorrowers Betrayed
An eight-month investigation by Miami Herald reporters Jack Dolan, Matt Haggman and Rob Barry found the Florida agency in charge of regulating mortgage professionals broke down at every level, allowing thousands of people with criminal records to get licenses — many who went on to steal millions from borrowers and banks. The newspaper also found…
Read MoreFive years later, bankrupt company’s bills continue to mount
Adam Bell of The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer analyzed several years of records from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to detail how five years after Pillowtek, a major textile company, abruptly closed — leaving 7,650 people out of work — the bills for lawyers and other professionals handling the case have topped $33 million, and continue to…
Read MoreCrime & Punishment series
An investigation by The (Toronto) Star explores the state of crime and punishment in Canada. A new law increasing mandatory minimum sentencing was passed even though Canada’s crime rate has dropped over 25 percent in the last 15 years. The series looks at the monetary and social costs of the a tougher approach to crime,…
Read MoreAirbag recalibration may be linked to some accident fatalities
The recalibration of airbags in some 2005 Chrysler minivans meant to prevent potentially dangerous late deployments may be responsible for some fatalities when airbags fail to deploy, reports Mike Casey of The Kansas City Star. The family of the late Brooke Katz is suing the automaker because the airbag in her 2005 Dodge Caravan failed…
Read MoreRepossession business booms as economy struggles
The current credit crisis and rising fuel costs mean an increase in business for repo men according to a report by Jaweed Kaleem in The Miami Herald. For National Liquidators, a boat repossessor and auctioneer, “business has tripled in the last 18 months as higher maintenance fees, fuel and docking costs — as well as…
Read MoreRed Cross blood collection services riddled with problems
Despite being under a court order for 15 years to improve how it collects and processes blood, the American Red Cross remains plagued by problems, reports Stephanie Strom of The New York Times. “The problems, described in more than a dozen publicly available F.D.A. reports — some of which cite hundreds of lapses — include…
Read MorePrescription narcotic abuse rampant in Nevada
Marshall Allen and Alex Richards of the Las Vegas Sun investigated the prevalence of use and abuse of prescription narcotics in Nevada. The Sun’s analysis showed that “Nevadans consume about twice the national average of several prescription painkillers,” including hydrocodone, methadone and oxycodone. Data from the Clark County coroner’s office shows that deaths from prescription…
Read MoreCharities lose funds to for-profit fundraisers
Los Angeles Times reporters Charles Piller and Doug Smith found that for-profit fundraisers in California are collecting significant amounts, while the nonprofits they claim to support see little of the money. “In more than 5,800 campaigns on behalf of charities that were registered with the state attorney general from 1997 to 2006, the fundraisers reported…
Read MoreCountrywide V.I.P. deals exposed
A report by Dan Golden, of Condé Nast Portfolio, investigates the breadth of the Countrywide V.I.P.-loan scandal. Angelo Mozilo, C.E.O. of Countrywide, extended favors well beyond members of Congress. Among those granted favors were “former Countrywide director Henry Cisneros, who served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration; former White House…
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