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 "Organ Donation" ...
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Human Tissue Donation
It’s a billion dollar business that begins with an act of generosity: When someone or their family agrees to donate a person’s body, for free, after death. When they click the “donor” box on their driver’s license application, most organ donors don’t realize that they have also agreed to donate their tissue. They’ve made a legally binding promise that a private company can take skin, bones, tendons, ligaments and anything that’s not a living organ—and turn it into for-profit medical products. In a four part radio series that aired in July 2012, NPR Correspondent Joseph Shapiro highlighted this little known industry and the shortcomings in regulation that raise concerns among donors, medical professionals, and government officials at many levels. The series was part of a collaboration between NPR’s Investigative Unit and the International Consortium for of Investigative Journalists, a project of the Center for Public Integrity.
Tags: Human tissue donation; organ donors; ICIJ; Center for Public Integrity
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Crime and Human Organs
Bloomberg Markets magazine shows how impoverished people from Belarus to Nicaragua have been humiliated, maimed, and killed by organ traffickers and the doctors with whom they work. The stories expose the activities of transplant rings that supply wealthy Americans, Europeans, and Israelis with kidneys extracted from the poor.
Tags: Belarus; Nicaragua; Kidney; Organ Donation; Black Market
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Follow the Unlimited Money
Following the Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited donations to political campaigns from outside groups, the Sunlight Foundation launched a tool to track the activities and campaign contributions of organizations.
Tags: campaign; campaign contributions; politics; spending; donation
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Scientology vs. Anonymous
This series focuses on the “struggle between one of the world’s most secretive churches and the internet’s most elusive protest organization”. Further, it reveals that the allegations of abuse by the Scientology leaders were never investigated by law enforcement. Additionally, the Anonymous protesters, considered a hate group, received donations from ranking church members.
Tags: Hemet, California; Riverside County Supervisor; L. Ron Hubbard; origin; religion; controversy; battle; war
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Shriners' Investigation
Frost has reported this story for three years, picking up where the ORlando Sentinel left off twenty years ago by focusing on how the Shriners used charitable donations to fund mortgages for executives, directors and key employees and failed to report these transactions, specifically the mortgage satisfactions, on their exempt organization tax returns (990 form.) This past year, most of Frost's focus has been on the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters who were involved in a series of sex crimes.
Tags: Shriners; Royal Order of Jesters; prostitution; sex trafficking; drugs; nonprofit organizations; fraud
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Journalists Taking Sides
Reporter Bill Dedman disclosed information on how journalists at news organizations, magazines, TV networks and metro newspapers were using their money to contribute to political campaigns. He contacted journalists that were listed to provide a better explanation of their campaign donations.
Tags: campaign funding; contribution; liberal media; objective journalism
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Post-Enron Law Opens the Boardroom
As a result of the 2002 passing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the records of large companies became more readily available to investigators and the public. Due to these public filings, the financial compensation for directors at Enron became widely known: "directors received $350,000 a year to attend a handful of meetings. Half collected thousands more as highly paid consultants to the giant energy trader. Others accepted multi-million-dollar donations from the company for nonprofit organizations where they worked."
Tags: Enron; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; directors compensation; nonprofit
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Shriners Hospitals for Children Investigation Series
Freelance reporter Sandy Frost investigated a tip from Shriner Vernon Hill that there were irregularities in the way the fraternal Shriners organization and the charitable Shriners organizations were handling their money and not complying with Standards For Charitable Accountability.
Tags: Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine AKA Shriners; Standards for Charity Accountability; 2001 Criminal Tax Manual; Hershel Gober; Philanthropic Research, Inc. AKA Guidestar.org; Second Avenue Partners; Mike Slade; Aquantive; Nick Hanauer; Shriners; Masons; Knights Templar; Royal Order of Jesters; National Sojourners Order of Quetzacoatl; Mike Severe, Imperial Officer, Shrine of America; compensation; real estate transactions; excessive benefit transactions; charitable donation fraud; HIPPA; Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; Vernon Hill; Suite101.com; Paul Dolnier; 501c10 non profit fraternal corporation; 501c3 non profit charity; Better Business Bureau; Charity Watch Center; Pennsylvania's Charitable Special Investigation Unit; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; good old boy system; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance; whistleblower retaliation; Charles G. Cumpstone Jr., Potentate Stewart W. Lewis; Charities Review Council of Minnesota; Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; GAAP; Independent Sector; SLAPP: strategic lawsuits against public participation; Cabiri Royal Order of Scotland; International Order of Demolay
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Divided Loyalties
A look at how nonprofit health information and advocacy groups are taking millions of dollars from druge and medical device makers. Organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and the National Osteporosis Foudndation are involved in this debate of drug safety.
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Good Gifts Gone Bad PART I
"Good Gifts Gone Bad is a nine part series of reports into massive charitable fraud in the car and clothing donation industry." Middle men for these donations were scamming both the donator and the organization by stealing the donations and reselling for profit.