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Payday lenders find lucrative home in Ariz.
Craig Harris, Ryan Konig and Matt Dempsey of The Arizona Republic looked at how minimum regulation and a large population of low-income workers has created a thriving market for payday lenders. “In the past four years, the number of payday-loan offices in Arizona has nearly tripled to 610, and there are more of these offices…
Read MoreS.C. port authority operates like a business
Michael R. Shea of The Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette delved into the South Carolina State Ports Authority, the state agency that manages “the fourth-largest waterborne shipping network in the country through marine terminals in Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal, South Carolina.” The stories show that political contributions, political appointments and no-bid contracts blur the line between…
Read MoreContributors get the contracts in Ohio
James Drew and Mike Wilkinson of The (Toledo) Blade examine the relationships between Ohio politicians and the businesses that do work for the state’s Department of Transportation. “Over the last decade, a Blade investigation shows, those firms have contributed more than $1 million to politicians, political parties, and political action committees. In the last five…
Read MoreW. Va. cashes in on video poker
Lawrence Messina and Vicki Smith of The Associated Press have a three-part series examining the impact of the video poker industry on West Virginia. They found that nearly 2,000 businesses have the gambling machines installed and “fifteen businesses, families or partnerships — out of more than 1,300 that held one or more licenses — collected…
Read MoreMo. tops in alcohol-related boating accidents
Bente Birkland and Catherine Rentz Pernot of the Columbia Missourian used data from the U.S. Coast Guard to determine that “between 2000 and 2004, Missouri led the nation in alcohol-related boating accidents.” Among other findings: “The Lake of the Ozarks topped the list for boating accidents in Missouri, and it is the most dangerous body…
Read MorePotential conflicts identified for Supreme Court nominee
Center for Investigative Reporting’s Dan Noyes finds that “After a long career spent representing blue chip corporations and resource industries, Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, Jr. brings more potential conflicts of interest to the bench than any justice of his generation.” The investigation looks at “rules governing conflicts of interest and reveals cases already on…
Read MoreDisaster planning focused on terror threats
In a Web exclusive report, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek report that state emergency management directors have complained FEMA has concentrated too much on preparing for terror threats and not enough on natural disasters. “Internal Homeland Security documents obtained by Newsweek lend support to the state directors’ complaints. Out of 15 ‘all hazards’…
Read MoreCall for entries: Philip Meyer Journalism Award
The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism; the Knight Chair in Journalism at Arizona State University; and IRE are proud to introduce the Philip Meyer Journalism Award, a contest to recognize the best journalism done using social science research methods. The awards are in honor…
Read MoreLucrative perks for school administrators
Bill Bowman and Paul D’Ambrosio of Gannett New Jersey newspapers navigated the details of school district contracts to show that “in districts around the state, it is not uncommon for boards of education to grant tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay to their chief administrators through complex contract deals that keep the true…
Read MoreMapping tornado sirens allows look at disaster planning
Sarah Okeson of the Peoria, Ill., Journal Star mapped tornado sirens and looked at how much of the county they cover, as well as geocoding the county’s schools and nursing homes and looking for gaps in the coverage. “The National Weather Service thinks Peoria is adequately prepared for a tornado or other disaster.” Okeson describes…
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