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 "Wealth" ...
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Mount Bachelor Academy: Ever unconventional, long controversial
When attending a private school for troubled teens, no one thought they would ever have to do such a thing as performing a lap dance while wearing revealing clothes. This method was "therapy" for victims of sexual abuse. Other types of methods were used, such as "sleep deprivation, extended physical labor, verbal abuse and restricting communication between parents and children." The reason these methods could continue was the school was "catering to the wealthy parents who felt they had nothing to lose and students were afraid to reveal the truth."
Tags: FOIA; private school; troubled; teens; students; education; mistreatment; abuse; wealth
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Investigating the Economic Structure Behind the Moldovan Regime
Oleg Voronin is the richest man in the Republic of Moldova. Scoop reporting uncovered a massive mafia-like network which Oleg used to seize businesses and operate them for profit. Opposition was silenced through swift and quiet violence, media manipulation and threats.
Tags: Oleg; Voronin; Republic of Moldova; appropriations; seizure; body guard; media; opposition; communist; business; wealth
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From Dreams to Debt
This story details a con scheme by unlicensed investment counselors affiliated with an organization called Pacific Wealth Management. The company would pay more than the asking price for many of the homes purchased for investors, then pay the seller's asking price and keep the difference. They sold millions of dollars worth of houses to middle-income families, but when the housing market began to deflate, these people were left with millions of dollars in debt.
Tags: real estate; investments; housing market; scam
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Fast Forturne, Big Spending
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has a "$1 billion-a-year gambling empire" and is one of the wealthiest tribes in America. The Sun-Sentinel looks at how tribal leaders "used millions of the tribes money for their personal benefit with virtually no outside scrutiny."
Tags: Native Americans; Seminole; tribe; Florida; gambling; casino; personal wealth; tribe leaders
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Green With Envy: Why Keeping UP With The Joneses is Keeping Us in Debt
Author Shira Boss investigates the effect of money on our society and on the way we live. A major point is that some who put on a show of being well-to-do are actually struggling behind the scenes. She examines situations including a family living in a gated community yet racking up credit-card debt, a politician who has to sleep on a cot, and a 50-something baby boomer who's peers are set, but who has kids in college and no retirement fund. Boss also uses statistics from economics, psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology to show that sometimes keeping up appearances can be reckless financially.
Tags: Wealth; debt; bankruptcy; earnings; keeping up with the Joneses; economics; psychology; sociology; cultural anthropology
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Is tax-exempt LVH sharing enough of its wealth?
The Lehigh Valley Hospital built up a record $76 million surplus in 2005, but is doing little to give back to the community.
Tags: Lehigh; Lehigh Valley Hospital; LVH; hospital
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Probing into the Wealth of Public Servants
The Korean Broadcasting System investigative team researched the land holding and tax records of hundreds of high-ranking South Korean government officials and found numerous instances of tax evasion and speculative real estate purchases by officials. The investigation led to changes in South Korean law regarding declaration of properties of public servants.
Tags: South Korea; tax evasion; tax records; land records; real estate; real estate speculation; public officials
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Blood on the Street
Gasparino investigates the role of highly paid stock-market analysts in creating the stock market bubble of the 1990s that wiped out billions of dollars of wealth, much from average, middle-class American investors. He claims that analysts were being paid not to find, in an unbiased manner, suitable stocks for people to invest in, but rather to promote stocks of companies that were also clients of their firms.
Tags: stock analysts; stock market boom; invest; Citigroup; Merrill Lynch; Morgan Stanley
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Public Pensions, Private Jackpots
This investigation started when the staff of the Free Press noticed several key public figures bringing in substantial pension checks. After sampling other local cities and counties, they were able to analyze pension calculations and noticed that many other government employees were enjoying the perks of early retirement and large pensions. This new-found wealth comes at the expense of large tax increases and potential burdens on future taxpayers.
Tags: public employee pensions; police; firefighter pensions; Wayne County
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Soaring Home Prices in the Bay Area
This investigation by the St. Petersburg-Times looks at the skyrocketing price of real estate in Tampa Bay area homes. Reporters analyzed more than 260,000 homes in 300 neighborhoods to discover a new prospect of wealth for homeowners. "This has changed the face of neighborhoods, created wealth for middle class homeowners unthinkable short of winning the lottery and turned some into overnight land speculators."
Tags: None