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 "fixing" ...

  • Methadone, a Costly Fix

    A News Tribune investigation found that methadone treatment in Minnesota is widely abused, has led to overdoses and deaths, sees few complete the treatment, has dealers selling the drug on the streets, and costs taxpayers millions each year.

    Tags: Methadone; methadone overdoses; methadone treatmentl; drugs; drug dealers; taxpayers

    By Brandon Stahl

    Duluth News-Tribune (Duluth, Minn.)

    2012

  • Failed to Death: Protecting Colorado’s Children

    In a joint investigation with the Denver Post, 9NEWS uncovered 72 of the 175 Colorado children who have died of child abuse over the past 5 years were known to the agency that is supposed to keep them safe--human services. The series revealed how those children were “Failed to Death” by each and every person they had ever known. Reporters fought for access to public documents, police reports, and court records, along with convincing key stakeholders to allow them unprecedented access to every step of the child welfare process. The reporters uncovered a system where accountability and transparency is nearly non-existent and caseworkers find it nearly impossible to assess which children will live and which will not. Since the series first aired, the Colorado Legislature has put a priority on fixing the child welfare system.

    Tags: child welfare; FOIA

    By Nicole Vap, Jeremy Jojola, Jace Larson, Anna Hewson (KUSA) and The Denver Post.

    KUSA-TV (Denver)

    2012

  • MKE Journal Sentinel: Police Problems

    In Milwaukee, there may be no institution more powerful, more troubled and more determined to fight public scrutiny than the police department. It is a dangerous combination. In 2012 alone, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel exposed how two officers ignored a handcuffed prisoner’s gasps and pleas for help, refused to call an ambulance in violation of department policy, and then were cleared of responsibility despite indications they played a role in the man’s death. We revealed deep flaws with the city’s crime numbers and showed how the chief, instead of fixing them, misled the public about its safety while boosting his resume. All the while, the department has worked to stymie scrutiny, from charging unpermitted fees for access to public records to dropping daily media briefings in favor of news dispensed via Twitter and a flashy new website ironically dubbed “The Source.”

    Tags: police; Milwaukee; prisoners

    By Ben Poston; Gina Barton; John Diedrich

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    2012

  • Chicago Takes on Bad Developers, With Mixed Results

    Some Chicago neighborhoods face a troubling conundrum. Thousands of condominiums that were built during the "housing boom" are "proving to be poorly built." Leaks and electrical issues are only a couple of the problems homeowners are facing. In an effort to help the homeowners, the city of Chicago filed lawsuits against the condo developers. The effort has backfired. Many developers have fled the country, which leaves the homeowners with thousands of dollars in repairs that are needed to fix the code violations.

    Tags: condos; construction; lawsuits; Chicago; builders; developers; West Wabansia; Bucktown; Bad Developer Task Force; code violation

    By Ashley Gross; Cate Cahan

    WBEZ Radio (Chicago)

    2010

  • The Economic Collapse: Fixing Blame

    The series details the AIG bailout and the decisions surrounding it. It also looks at how small community banks in the Greenspan-era were able to overextend themselves like the big Wall Street banks did.

    Tags: Moody's; AIG; bailout; banks; Wall Street; Ben Bernanke

    By Greg Gordon; Kevin G. Hall

    McClatchy - Washington Bureau

    2010

  • "Logan Canal Collapse Investigation"

    A massive mudslide that destroyed numerous residential homes and killed a mother and her two children could have been prevented. According to an investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune, the owners of the irrigation canal that collapsed and caused the mudslide neglected to fix existing problems with the waterway, or warn residents of the potential danger. Meanwhile, Logan city received warnings that the canal posed a threat to residents, but did not act upon them.

    Tags: Logan Utah; mudslide; bluff; landslide; waterway; irrigation canal; Logan City

    By Matthew D. LaPlante; Nate Carlisle; Maria Villasenor; Tony Semerad; Arrin Newton-Brunson; Melinda Rogers; Dawn House; Brooke Adams

    Salt Lake Tribune

    2009

  • Ghost Tickets

    For decades now city officials, city police, and their spouses and friends are not paying their parking tickets and getting away with it. In this investigation of this secret parking ticket favors, it reveals that “millions of dollars” are lost from these parking tickets and the city must find a way to fix the problem. Further, the city’s government is being ridiculed for their lack of control and supervision over such practices.

    Tags: Albany, NY; audit; finances; corruption; leaders; local government; department; Common Council

    By Brendan J. Lyons

    Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

    2009

  • Miami; City Politics, Finance on Edge

    During the booming times around the country, everyone was spending money, especially the local government in Miami. The officials in Miami were spending money even if they didn’t have it and creating deficits, which are too difficult to get around during the hard times. Furthermore, the city has depleted their reserves by “more than $50 million” to help fix the deficits, which isn’t doing them any good.

    Tags: taxes; taxpayers; expenses; costs; corruption; politicians; politics; revenue; emergency funds; money transfers

    By Charles Rabin; Larry Lebowitz; Michael Sallah; David Ovalle; Scott Hiaasen; Andres Viglucci; Audra Burch; Ronnie Greene

    Miami Herald

    2009

  • Connected

    “Two former judges, already facing charges for accepting kickbacks, are accused of fixing a $3.5 million defamation case against The Citizens’ Voice newspaper at the behest of a convicted mob boss. The stories establish various ties between the judges and the mobster. The state Supreme Court eventually granted the newspaper a new trial.”

    Tags: William D'Elia; Michael T. Conahan; Mark A. Ciavarella; court system; jail; verdict; direct connections; Robert J. Kulick; gambling site; court cases

    By Dave Janoski

    The Citizens

    2009

  • Captive Care

    “The story is about third-world conditions in the prisoner care facilities operated by the Tarrant County public hospital, John Peter Smith, and the efforts of the hospital’s new CEO and COO to fix the problems”.

    Tags: health care; medicine; medical services; patients; poor; equipment

    By Eric Griffey

    FW Weekly, (Fort Worth, TX)

    2009