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 "equity" ...
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Investor's Club
The story shows that the University of California had invested $2 billion into private equity funds and companies with policy making Regents that held substantial conflicts of interest. The Regents include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his personal investment adviser, and the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Tags: Regents; conflict of interest; University of California; investment; Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Renaissance 2010: Searching for Equity
Karps' investigation looked into the the impact of Renaissance 2010, an education initiative in Chicago intended to "open 100 new schools, most of the charter schools, and close 70 failing schools within a span of six years" in an effort to bring better education to areas that needed it most. This investigation looks at the actual results of the plan. To report the story, Karp had to struggle against the barriers to obtaining meaningful information on charter schools. While funded publicly, they are operated by private companies that are not subject to the same transparency laws as public schools.
Tags: education; charter schools; public schools; academic performance; FOIA; transparency; Renaissance 2010; Chicago
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Investor's Club
The eight-month investigation found that the University of California invested $2 billion in private equity funds and companies in which several Regents held significant financial interests. The Regents include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his personal investment adviser, Paul Wachter, and Richard C. Blum, a Wall Street professional married to Senate Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
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"Little Leagues, Big Costs"
This five-day series chronicles the experiences with youth sports of high school and college athletes and coaches. By establishing "baseline data" that has been previously unreported, Dispatch reporters found a "corrupted" sports program overrun with angry parents and practices that cause severe injury to young athletes. Rising costs and financial competitions are added pressures to the industry.
Tags: youth-sports; IRS 990s; NCAA; NCAA Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act; Nexis; Ohio State; Gene Smith; Ohio High School Athletic Association; OHSAA; OSU
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Financial Fraud
Wall Street Journal reporter, Mark Maremont exposes a California investment banker turned con man who was charged with money laundering. A deeper look into the life of Danny Pang reveals questions about the validity of his credentials and of the mysterious death of his first wife. Mr. Pang denied any wrongdoings until his death was found dead in September 2009.
Tags: Danny Pang; Private Equity Management Group Inc.; Ponzi scheme; Janie Louise Pang;
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Dateline NBC: Tricks of the Trade
In this investigation, Dateline exposed what experts call deceptive sales practices in the marketing of equity indexed annuities - especially to senior citizens. Hidden cameras captured the claims agents made and the critical disclosures they glossed over when they thought they were alone with retirees.
Tags: fraud; abusive sales tactics; equity indexed annuities; marketing; sales methods; retirement planning seminars; scare tactics; insurance licenses;
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The Credit Trap
This series ties lax credit card lending and punishing fee practices to the housing boom, to consumers' mounting financial distress, and to the economic downturn. The reports revealed that during the housing boom, banks sharply raised card limits in part because of a surge in home equity, much of it now vanished. Then banks guided borrowers to tap into rising home equity to pay off card balances, putting their homes at risk.
Tags: credit card; credit card debt; home equity; housing market; economy; rate hikes; mortgages; banking industry; card lenders
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Detroit tax breaks go to the well-heeled
"An obscure, secretive city council entity, the "Hardship Committee," was charged with determining which property-owners were so poor they should be excused from paying all their taxes. But in many cases the breaks meant for the cash-strapped went to the seemingly well-off, including people who drove luxury vehicles, multiple property owners and others who got six-figure home-equity loans. These stories also looked at the members of the committee and found its members were being sued for fraud, had filed for bankruptcy, had a trail of unpaid debts and, in one case, had submitted a false resume."
Tags: city government; property; taxes; fraud
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A million LIttle Pixels
Kansas City's Pitch Weekly reporter David Martin pokes holes in claims made by entrepreneur John FLowers, who got $500,000 in venture capital support from Kansas state's Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation.
Tags: Kozoru; background checks; venture capital; skunk works; computer hacker; DefCon; network security; Hiverworld; nCircle; natural language; Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation; KTEC; OPen Prairie Equity Partners; David Warthen; Ridgely Evers; Ask Jeeves; open records; instant messaging; mobile devices; cell phone; Wikipedia; Industry Ventures; reality-challenged statements
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Lost Home
A Baltimore area homeowner who felt trapped was about to lose her home when a foreclosure "rescue" company promised to help her. The company offered a deal the homeowner accepted: She thought she was getting a home equity loan but soon learned she had actually sold her home without knowing it.This deal should not have happened because it was prohibited by state law.
Tags: fraud; loans; real estate; homeowner; Baltimore