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Of Note: Interview on Investigative Journalism
John McQuaid, co-author, with Mark Schleifstein, of Path of Destruction: The Devastation of New Orleans and the Coming Age of Superstorms, interviews Charles Lewis, founder of the Center for Public Integrity, on the future of investigative journalism on the Internet. McQuaid is blogging for newassignment.net.
Read More“Fatal Food”
Thomas Hargrove of Scripps Howard News Service, along with contributions from Sruthi Kunnel and Lee Bowman, completed an investigation into food-borne illness outbreak reports made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical officials in Kentucky have already ordered reform’s to the state’s disease reporting process as a result of this investigation. Links to…
Read MorePolice pensions pumped up by overtime pay
Brian Sharp of the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y., takes a look at the Rochester police department’s overtime pay, an issue gouging the city’s budget. Inflated wages due to overtime are being used to bolster the pensions of officers nearing retirement. The investigation included analysis of 10 years of salary records which are included…
Read MoreEmpire Zone abuses afford millions to a lucky few
The (Syracuse, N.Y.) Post-Standard’s Mike McAndrew and Michelle Breidenbach expose abuses of New York’s “Empire Zone” tax breaks which negate the programs intended purpose:” to create jobs in targeted impoverished areas.” One mall owner was able to cash in on about $14 million in tax breaks by paying the city of Geneva to expand the…
Read More“Blighted Homeland”
In a 4-part series, the Los Angeles Times looks at the lingering results of uranium mining on a Navajo reservation where almost 4 million tons of uranium was mined for over 4 decades. “Navajos inhaled radioactive dust, drank contaminated water and built homes using rock from the mines and mills. Many of the dangers persist…
Read More“House of Lies” continued
In another installment of The Miami Herald‘s House of Lies series, reporter Debbie Cenziper found documents, emails and correspondence that showed Miami-Dade government leaders were warned about serious breakdowns in public housing but failed to take action, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Read MorePrince George’s County officials abuse credit card privileges
Cheryl W. Thompson of The Washington Post reports that officials in Prince George’s County charged thousands of dollar in personal purchases to county-issued credit cards. ” The Washington Post reviewed billing statements and other documents covering credit-card use over the past four years for officials in Prince George’s, where there has been a move to…
Read MoreCardiologist given no-show contracts at New Jersey medical school
Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin of The Star-Ledger cover the details emerging from a “whistle blower lawsuit” against the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In an effort to make their cardiac surgery program seem robust to avoid being shut down, UMDNJ “ paid at least nine local cardiologists in private practice salaries…
Read MoreBeyond Sago – a series on mine safety
Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette analyzed government reports and data and found that 9 out of every 10 coal mining deaths nationwide over the last 10 years could have been avoided if existing safety rules had been followed. Ward’s report, the first in a series of special investigative stories, appeared in Sunday’s…
Read MoreCollege coaches cash in
Jodi Upton and Steve Wieberg of USA Today have taken an extensive look at the contracts of NCAA Division 1-A football coaches. “Head coaches at the NCAA’s top-level schools are making an average of $950,000 this year, not counting benefits, incentives, subsidized housing or any of the perks they routinely receive. At least 42 of…
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