The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "FOI" ...
-
Murder Mysteries
Schripps Howard News Service has conducted the most complete accounting ever made of homicide victims in the United States. Aggressive use of state and local Freedom of Information laws allowed the wire service to assemble a database of 525,742 homicides, including records of 15,322 killings never reported to the FBI. The "Murder Mysteries" project calculated the homicide clearance rate for every police department in the U.S., prompting four departments to promise reforms. Scripps also developed an algorithm that identified 161 suspicious clusters of unsolved homicides involving women of similar age killed through similar means. Authorities in Gary, Ind., and Youngstown, Ohio, Launched new investigations into possible serial murder in their communities as a result of this project.
Tags: Murder; mystery; FBI; homicide; killings; serial killer; police department; investigation; FOI; algorithm; computer-assisted reporting;
-
"Murder Mysteries"
The Scripps Howard News Service has compiled an extensive database of homicide victims in the U.S., by using state and local Freedom of Information laws. The project revealed records of more than 15,000 murders that were "never reporter to the FBI." As a result of the series, several police departments "promised reform," and new investigations into old murders were launched.
Tags: FOI; FBI; Uniform Crime Report; serial killer; database; freedom of information; violence; criminologist
-
"Welfare Waste"
Welfare funds can be, and often are, misused. A review of "two million state welfare transactions" by the KSTP-TV team reveals that EBT cards were used more than 100 times in liquor stores during the course of one month. They also found the money was spent on things like lottery tickets and tattoos, and the practice is entirely legal.
Tags: FOI; Department of Human Services; EBT; Minnesota; Virgin Islands; Data Practices Act
-
"Derailed - A Star Tribune Speical Report"
The Star Tribune and ProPublica revealed that the nation's "second-largest railroad company," Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), has gone to great lengths to cover up its legal mishaps and wrongdoings. In addition to losing evidence, the company and its lawyers worked to gain "unfair advantage "over opponents in "more than 20 court cases."
-
"Trail of Chief's Ouster"
In this article, Kauffman reveals the story behind the town manager who "abruptly ousted" the local police chief. The chief was investigating allegations of sexual harassment against the town manager, Jeffery O'Keefe, when he was "stripped of his job." After analyzing "thousands of emails" sent and received by O'Keefe, it seems the town manager started building a case to remove the chief the day after learning of the allegations against him.
Tags: Jeffery O'Keefe; FOI; Matt Reimondo; police chief; East Hampton; sexual harassment; town manager; town hall
-
"Political misuse of a public database, a collection of stories by Harford Courant staff writer Jon Lender"
Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz exploited an extensive yet recondite database of "36,000 Connecticut citizens" by submitting a FOI request within her office. By using her own staff and a "taxpayer-funded budget," she tracked and documented citizen's "political and personal information" and created the database to boost her aspiration of reaching higher office.
Tags: Susan Bysiewicz; FOI; Richard Blumenthal; campaign; taxpayers; Democrat; state attorney general; governor
-
East of St. Louis School District 189 investigation
This investigation into East St. Louis School District 189 shows misuse of funds and highlights questionable decisions at administrative levels for both academics and athletics. About 7,500 students attend classes in the district that has received constantly failing grades when compared to educations achievement statewide. The district receives millions in federal "Title 1" money because more than 90 percent of its students live blow the poverty line. However, this investigation revealed questionable use of those taxpayer funds. In September, the story took a turn and focused on the champion East St. Louis Flyers football team that was eventually kicked out of the state playoffs despite having an undefeated recored. In these stories, questionable practices by district officials regarding strict residency rules were revealed.
Tags: Title 1; academics; athletics; school; students; low-income; taxpayer; East St. Louis Flyers; football; School District 189; corruption; finance; FOI
-
Your Right to Know
As Members of Parliament (MPs), they are to use their power to best serve the people. In this article, we see that this is not the case and taxpayers' money is being used for their own personal use. Furthermore, they try to keep this information hidden by ways of denying requests of expenses, delaying publication of information, and exempting themselves from their own laws.
Tags: Members of Parliament (MPs); Freedom of Information Act; FOI; House of Commons; Taxpayers; House flipping; Scandal; London; United Kingdom
-
Executive Decisions
The story identified a pattern of involvement by Executive Council - the wing of the bureaucracy serving the premier - in vetting and withholding information from FOI requests, contrary to the letter of open-records legislation and sworn testimony by civil servants.
Tags: Canada; open records; FOIA; executive council; premier; Newfoundland; Danny Williams; purple files
-
Danger Below
This investigation began with citizen complaints about New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation. Many of the complaints concern old toxic waste disposal sites; the agency does not make sure the contaminated groundwater and soil are completely cleaned, nor does the agency communicate with people affected by the sites. The DEC's shortcomings may have stemmed, in part, from its diminished resources and power under the administration of governor George Pataki.
Tags: environment; toxic waste; FOI; EPA; state government; pollution