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 "retirement" ...
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America's Great State Payroll Giveaway
A state-employed psychiatrist in California made $822,000 by clocking in 17 hours every day last year, including Sundays and holidays. An employee cashed out with $609,000 for unused vacation when she retired, claiming she never took vacations in a 30-year career. A highway patrol officer collected $484,000 in salary, pension and leave payments. The chief money manager at a Texas pension fund got $1 million in salary and bonuses while posting investment returns that trailed those of peers who earned a quarter as much. Bloomberg News used freedom-of-information laws to obtain 1.4 million payroll records from the 12 largest states and show how taxpayers funded these out-of-control expenses and more, while at the same time states cut funding for universities, public safety, health care, schools and services aimed at the neediest residents.
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What a Life
A San Antonio lab says primate research is necessary for curing diseases like AIDS and hepatitis. But what progress has really been made? And is pressing retired lab chimps back into service worth it?
Tags: Primate researches; AIDS; hepatitis
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Glamour Beasts: The dark side of elephant captivity
The zoo industry claims that elephants are thriving inside U.S. zoos. But that’s not true. It never has been. The Times found that elephants are dying out inside zoos. For every elephant born, on average two others die. Just 288 elephants are left inside 78 accredited U.S. zoos. Captive elephants may be demographically extinct within 50 years – there won’t be enough females left to breed. The Times conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis of 390 elephant fatalities for the past 50 years. In a desperate race to make more baby elephants, Seattle’s Woodland Park has tried to artificially inseminate their Asian elephant, Chai, at least 112 times, sometimes adopting crude and reckless procedures. As nearly two dozen zoos have shutdown or plan to close elephant exhibits, nonprofit sanctuaries with thousands of acres represent one option for retired or unwanted elephants. But a zoo industry trade group is fighting a bitter battle to thwart sanctuaries and punish zoos that give up their elephants.
Tags: zoo; elephants; zoo industry
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Public Pension Perks
The series details how state elected officials nationwide have passed obscure laws to inflate the pensions paid to special groups of workers and to themselves.
Tags: pension; David Thomas; legislative pension; retire
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Pension Madness
In "Pension Madness," New Jersey Watchdog exposes systematic state pension abuses in New Jersey. The report documents 170 "retired" public officials who collectively pocket $12 million a year in retirement pay in addition to their current salaries.
Tags: Pension; New Jersey; State Pension
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Perry's Private Deals
An investigation into Texas Governor Rick Perry's political campaign. The investigation uncovered Perry's relationship with his doctor and his back-room pressure to make the stem cell injection practice- which isn't FDA approved- big business in Texas. The Texas Governor also quietly retired and started cashing out his pension and salary concurrently.
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Public Salary Database
The reporters set out to track the total cost of employment for state workers, tracking everything from the amount of taxpayer money that goes toward health benefits to overtime and even retirement benefits.
Tags: state workers; employment; taxpayer; overtime; retirement
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Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers
"This book looks at the hidden causes of the retirement crisis in America. While employers blame an aging workforce, global competition and market losses, Retirement Heist demonstrates that employers themselves are largely to blame for the crisis."
Tags: retirement
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Tracking Your Tax Dollars
The five-part investigation found Florida state agencies were spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on bonuses, retirement gifts, flowers, gift cards and more. At the same time they laid off state employees and cut services to balance the budget.
Tags: federal stimulus; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Stimulus Bill
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Nursing homes received millions while cuttings staff, wages
A 2004 law giving California nursing homes more funding is questioned when reporters found that more than 230 homes had either cut staff or wages.
Tags: nursing homes; patients; wages; retirement homes; elderly