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Hailed as an alternative to pricey bureaucracy, putting public services into the hands of private companies is more popular than ever. Businesses now handle everything from foster care to court fine collections to prisons to the infrastructure of war. But taxpayer savings can be hit or miss, political cronyism is thriving and in some cases, privatization has led to abuse and death. Listen to reporters talk about the role of political influence in oversight, the ins and outs of contract math, “trade secret” exemptions to public records laws and uncovering patterns of abuses.