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 "Tom Ridge" ...
-
Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke
Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rohm were the owners of Rainbow Farm, a 52-acre campground and concert venue with the mission of advocating the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. Their activities included holding events on the property, events at which attendees smoked marijuana and which trumpeted many uses for hemp. Though the two men did not sell or deal the drug, these activities drew the ire of the local Cass County, MI prosecutor, who began to focus efforts on getting Rainbow Farm shut down. Rohm's son was taken away from the two men, and a series of legal pushes by the police ended in a standoff at Rainbow Farm. In the end, FBI snipers shot and killed both men, who had burned Rainbow Farm to the ground in an act of protest. Author Dean Kuiper examines the buildup to the fateful standoff, and discusses what Rainbow Farm's purpose was in this book. Ironically, this story was widely reported in the Midwest before the events of Sept. 11, 2001 pushed it off the front page. Yet Kuiper stuck with it to produce this story.
Tags: Cannabis; hemp; marijuana; drug legalization; Ruby Ridge; Waco; Tommy Chong; stoner; FBI
-
Aloha Al Qaeda
This story delves into wasteful spending by the Department of Homeland Security. Among other scenes are outgoing secretary Tom Ridge lounging by the pool at a resort hotel in Hawaii while other staffers swim and snorkel nearby, all on a working day and at taxpayers' expense.
Tags: government waste; war on terror; misappropriation of public funds
-
Anti-Terror Funds Buy Wide Array of Pet Projects
The Washington Post traced the path of the region's first wave of homeland security aid from its distribution through its final use, a trail that has been largely unexamined by federal regulators. The reporters found that much of the $324 million directed to the Washington region after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks remained unspent or was funding projects with questionable connections to homeland security. The analysis included a review of contracts, grant proposals, and purchasing databases. Results showed millions were spent on items such as leather jackets for police officers.
Tags: anti-terrorism; anti-terrorism funds; terrorism; homeland security; Prince George's County prosecutors; Congress; The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; World Trade Center; Pentagon; Department of Homeland Security; Bethesda-Chevy Chase Fire Squad; Tom Ridge; District of Columbia Hospital Association; Psychiatric Institute of Washington; Kroll Government Services; bioterrorism; Prince William County; D.C. Department of Mental Health; D.C. Emergency Management Agency; anthrax; Montgomery County; Fairfax County; Federal Communications Commission