Resource Center

Stories

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 "boxing" ...

  • 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

    By Steven Drummond; Sandra Bartlett; Robert Benincasa; Alicia Cypress; Nelson Hsu; Susanne Reber; Kevin Uhrmacher; Barbara Van Woerkom; Angela Wong

    National Public Radio

    2012

  • Abandoned Ashes

    KSHB-TV discovered 155 boxes of unclaimed ashes in the basement of an abandoned funeral chapel. How did it happen? Who did the ashes belong to?

    Tags: Funeral Homes; Cremation

    By Ryan Kath; Andy Pollard

    KSHB-TV (Kansas City

    2011

  • Warhol Inc., The Brillo-Box Scandal

    Even though he died more than two decades ago, Andy Warhol’s images are still in high demand. The prices for his paintings rank among some of the highest and his fame shows no signs of diminishing. Furthermore, the amount of products with his imagery continues to expand and his brand is becoming one of the most powerful in the world. The second part of this story, describes the Brillo box scandal. This scandal deals with Warhol’s Brillo boxes design being reproduced and sold as originals.

    Tags: Andy Warhol; Brillo boxes; Brand; artist; Collectors; Work; Art; Paintings

    By Eileen Kinsella

    ARTnews

    2009

  • Infested Oatmeal

    Boxes of oatmeal had "an excessive amount of meal moths," the bugs were both inside the box and individual packets.

    Tags: consumer; oatmeal; food; health; safety; FDA; infestation; contamination;

    By Jeanie Powell; Ben Isenhower; John Finley

    WAFF 48 News (Huntsville, Ala.)

    2007

  • Mattress Man

    Local mattress retailer Handy Dandy Woods sells old used mattresses, re-covering them and passing them off to customers as new. The WHEC team took a hidden camera to the store and purchased mattresses and box springs, later cutting them open to expose filthy old mattresses. They also tested the mattresses for allergens and spoke with people who had bought mattresses from the same store. They also tracked down the person who had "rebuilt" the bedding.

    Tags: Mattress; allergens; asthma; consumer fraud

    By Brett Davidsen; Michael Jaeger

    WHEC-TV (Rochester, N.Y.)

    2006

  • Family Secrets

    The murders of Sally Carbajal, estranged wife of famed boxing trainer Danny Carbajal, and Sally's new boyfriend stunned the community. This story explores the strong motivation for Danny Carbajal to have the pair executed, i.e. hundreds of thousands of dollars in property and retirement accounts that were to be the subject of a high-stakes court hearing a few days later. It also revealed the extent that Danny and the couple's two daughters went in their efforts to keep Sally from receiving her 50% share of the couple's community property.

    Tags: fraud; corruption; homicide; boxing; Danny Carbajal

    By Paul Rubin

    None

    2005

  • Wrong Face, Wrong Time

    Judy tells the story of an Indian-born man from Columbia, Missouri who was jailed for four months because the FBI thought he was a national security threat with ties to Al-Qaeda. Judy shows that, in fact, the FBI's assertions were drawn from a single mis-checked box on a social security form and were entirely unfounded.

    Tags: homeland security; jail; prison; innocence project; FBI; terrorism

    By Cliff Judy

    KOMU-TV (Columbia, Mo.)

    2004

  • Boxing Champ Murder

    This series of articles paints a very detailed picture of the events surrounding the murder of Robert Quiroga, a former world boxing champion. The investigation also sheds light on the boxer's connections with the Bandidos, a Texas motorcycle gang that was implicated in the murder.

    Tags: crime; murder; sports; athletes; gangs; bikers

    By Meena Thiruvengadam;John Whisler;David Flores;Jaime Castillo;Amy Dorsett;Tracy Idell Hamilton;Mary Moreno

    Express-News (San Antonio, Texas)

    2004

  • Boxed In

    In 1959, a 12 year old white boy is raped, murdered, and stuffed into an icebox in Houston, Texas. For this crime, six black teenagers were arrested. Some served life, one was executed. The Icebox Murder is considered Houston's most infamous race crime, which was forgotten until now. 45 years after the murder, investigative reporter at Dallas Observer tells the story from the eyes of one of the accused murderer and the victim's mother.

    Tags: murder; sex abuse; rape; Houston Texas; racism; racial profiling; crime

    By Kevin McAlester

    Dallas Observer

    2004

  • Dove of oneness: Snared by a cybercult queen

    This investigation exposed a grifter who solicits donations on the Internet to help spread the word about what she claims is a secret law that abolishes income taxes, forgives mortgages, zeroes out credit cards and declares peace. Although she has not broken the law, she moves frequently, hides behind cyber-pseudonyms and forwards her mail to post office boxes. She proclaims her interest as only promoting world peace but has links to an investment scam that robbed thousands of people out of millions of dollars and ultimately landed its creator behind bars.

    Tags: cult; scam; NESARA; National Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act; Omega project; cyber fraud; Internet

    By Sean Robinson

    News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

    2004