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 "New Orleans" ...
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Playing with Fire
“Playing with Fire” focuses on a public board well out of the public eye, but one that could cost New Orleans taxpayers millions of dollars every year. After a month of digging through thousands of pages of records at the New Orleans Firefighters Pension Fund, WVUE-TV and Lee Zurik revealed questionable salaries, spending, and management.
Tags: broadcast; taxes; taxpayers; firefighters; salaries
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Playing with Fire
“Playing with Fire” focuses on a public board well out of the public eye, but one that could cost New Orleans taxpayers millions of dollars every year. After a month of digging through thousands of pages of records at the New Orleans Firefighters Pension Fund, WVUE-TV and Lee Zurik revealed questionable salaries, spending, and management. Among the notable discoveries: a $70,000 raise and $90,000 lump sum payout for the board Secretary-Treasurer/CEO; tens of thousands of dollars in questionable credit card charges by the board; and tens of millions of dollars in questionable investments. This last element is perhaps the most egregious for the citizens of New Orleans who are left to foot the bill for any pension fund shortfalls. This multi part series launched an investigation by the city’s inspector general, forced the board to change polices and led to charges filed by the state ethics board against two of the principals in our series.
Tags: New Orleans; taxes; taxpayers; credit cards
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Holding Officials Accountable for their Accounting
The stories focus on the reluctance of officials to share information with the public in New Orleans.
Tags: New Orleans; public officials
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Swiped
WVUE combed through tens of thousands of pages of public documents to examine how public officials were spending and misspending their viewers' money. It is thought that this investigation will save the city of New Orleans millions of dollars.
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The Gravy Train
An in-depth look at the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad revealed $100,000 of questionable purchases on the general manager's public credit card and a blatant disregard for state and city public bid laws.
Tags: railroad; bid laws; spending; taxpayer; public entity; New Orleans
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New Orleans Police
CBS News takes an in depth look at the allegations of police brutality in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Federal investigators uncovered at least three murders and filed charges against a dozen police officers. The investigation determines why and how the chaos led to the crimes.
Tags: Hurricane Katrina; police; investigation; police brutality; natural disaster; hurricane
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"FEMA's Toxic Bureaucracy"
After nearly a year of reporting, the CBS News Investigative Unit reported a string of "discrimination, sexual harassment and cronyism in the New Orleans" FEMA office. Several staff members went on camera to share stories revealing the "toxic environment" of the FEMA office. Just a day after the story aired, an internal investigation was launched by FEMA, and the Chief of Staff was quickly transferred.
Tags: Gulf Coast Recovery; Nancy Ward; Federal Emergency Management Agency; FEMA Louisiana Transitional Recovery; Doug Whitmer; Joseph Cao; Jim Stark; Mary Landrieu
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New Orleans's tech contracting scandal
Former top mayoral aide, Greg Meffert, was caught in a web of self-dealing and exposed free vacations that the mayor had received. The series “helped the FBI and other federal investigators track the payments and relationships”. Also, it eventually “led to a 63-count federal criminal indictment against Meffert, his wife and the city vendor, Mark St. Pierre”.
Tags: crime; Mayor Ray Nagin; technology chief; state government; corruption; gifts; city hall; civil trial; city government
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Section 8 Scandal
The series discovered that the person running the Section 8 housing program in New Orleans, was also living in the housing himself. This housing is intended for low income people and families, not those making "6-figure salaries". After this story, action was taken and new leadership was brought into the Section 8 program of the Housing Authority (HANO).
Tags: housing; government; Housing and Urban Development (HUD); federal; department; program; support
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Katrina's Hidden Race War / Body of Evidence
The stories describe racial conflict that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "Katrina's Hidden Race War" chronicles the formation of an armed militia in a predominately white neighborhood that shot at African American males suspected of looting. "Body of Evidence" outlines the death of Henry Glover and the New Orleans Police Department's refusal to seek medical attention for him. Glover's incinerated body was later discovered behind the Fourth District police station.
Tags: Katrina; hurricane; New Orleans; police; body; militia; Algiers Point; looters; shot; charred remains; incinerated corpse; Donnell Herrington; Wayne Janak; Henry Glover; Thompson;