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 "PG" ...
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Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
This book documents how the per-capita disability rate due to mental illness has increased six-fold since 1955, when Thorazine was introduced into asylum medicine. The number of adults on government disability has tripled since 1987, the year Prozac was introduced. Finally, the number of children receiving disability due to a serious mental illness has risen 35-fold since 1987.
Tags: medicine; psychiatry; psychiatric medicine; Thorazine; Prozac; disability; mental illness; National Institute of Mental Health; World Health Organization; American Psychiatric Association;
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All the Devils are Here: The Hidden Story of the Financial Crisis
This book offers an attempt to exlore all the various forces -- on Main Street, Washington and Wall St. -- that lead to the financial crisis of 2008. They explored the extent that subprime loans fed the crisis; how Wall Street dictated the degraded lending terms; and the efforts of federal regulators to thwart predatory lending at the state and local levels.
Tags: financial crisis; subprime lending; housing crisis; foreclosure; predatory lending; Wall Street; Contrywide; Ameriquest; Goldman Sachs; Merrill Lynch; AIG;
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The PG&E Scandal
The San Francisco Bay Guardian reveals "how Pacific Gas and Electric Company cheats San Francisco out of millions of dollars a year -- with the active help of the Mayor's Office." The paper also explains "how PG&E let its local infrastructure crumble -- while it sucked tens of millions of dollars out of town to build a global empire" and "how PG&E has built a long record as a corporate criminal."
Tags: San Francisco; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; money; corporate crime; Mayor; millions
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Power Struggle: California's Engineered Energy Crisis and the Potential of Public Power
Multinational Monitor investigates how huge oil and gas companies close to George W. Bush have profited from the energy crisis in California. "The blackouts ... have many causes. But neither a shortfall a supply nor a surge in demand for electricity is among them," the magazine points out. The story finds that California's consumers and taxpayers are victims of a massive, complex double-theft, first by the biggest electric power utilities, and second by some of the president's closest associates and contributors. Another finding is that the U.S. barons of fossil and nuclear fuel have used the crisis as " a pretext to declare an all-out assault on environmental protection."
Tags: American Public Power Project; environmental protection; oil; gas; president; utilities; deregulation; power plants; electric market; Public Media Center; Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights; California and U.S. Public Interest Research Groups; American Public Power Project; Concerned Stockholders of California; Dick Cheney; Federal Electrical Regulatory Commission; PG&E Corporation
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The Shame of San Francisco: How PG&E Stomped Public Power--Again
This story came out of the Bay Guardian's 30 year effort to force the City of San Francisco to abide by federal law requiring the city to deliver electric power generated from the city-owned Hetch Hetchy dam to the citizens of San Francisco, stop Pacific Gas & Electric co.'s illegal monopoly in San Francisco and curb the locally headquartered, massive transnational corporations undue influence on City Hall. This particular story uncovered that from 1995 to 1996 the Grand Jury had investigated the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which oversees operation of the dam, for having a relationship altogether too cozy with PG&E.
Tags: utilities
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No title (id: 13954)
Over the course of 1996, the Benchmarks team of reporters, artists and editors developed 43 measurements of civic performance and used them to compare the Pittsburgh region to 14 other similar America cities. Their findings highlighted Pittsburgh weaknesses in exports, job growth, business startups, new and expanded facilities, construction, population growth, population age, migration, labor force participation, unemployment, per capita income, smart government, bond ratings, cost of living, black infant mortality, medical costs, and air quality. In particular, their work put a spotlight on the hidden costs of civic fragmentation, best illustrated by the fact that Allegheny County, the metro county surrounding Pittsburgh, is home to 130 other independent municipalities, each wit its own taxing powers, bureaucracy and debt structure. (March 31, June 30, October 20, December 1, 29, 1996)
Tags: Heuck Weiskind Lowry Croadn et al CAR PG Benchmarks Contest entry 154 pgs.
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No title (id: 13718)
"PG&E Unplugged" used record winter power outages as a springboard to point out serious failing in the performance and regulation of the nation's largest electric utility company. It demonstrated that three prolonged blackouts, the worst of which cut off power to five million customers of pacific Gas & Electric Co., were due to factors other than the severe weather blamed by PG&E. Rather, utility cost-cutting seriously weakened its service reliability - an unanticipated outcome of one of the nation's first and boldest plans to deregulate the electric power industry. (May 19 - 21, 1996)
Tags: Petersen Smith Sandoval CAR PG&E unplugged Contest entry 92 pgs.
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No title (id: 13104)
The Journal of Commerce looks into the increasing number of international pirate attacks. According to the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, pirates are attacking more ships at sea and on the piers. The biggest threat is in Southeast Asia, where about 120 piracy incidents were reported between 1991 and 1995. There has also been an increase of piracy in South America, specifically Brazil. (May 8, 1995)
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No title (id: 12344)
The Buffalo News reports on how children of city officials got some summer positions because their parents' or a relative's political connections helped get their applications through City Hall.The children are working at some of the approximately 200 jobs available through programs run by Mayor Masiello and the Common Council. (July 15, 1995)
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No title (id: 12334)
The Buffalo News reports that half of Erie County residents are older than 36-years - old. The number of senior citizens in the suburban towns of Tonawanda and Cheektowaga is greater than the state of Florida. (Aug. 6, 1995)