From Rocco Rorandelli for CNN World, the story of teens working in American tobacco fields. An excerpt: In many states, children as young as 12 can legally work on a farm as long as it’s after school and they have their parents’ permission. “It doesn’t specify whether the farm is producing corn or tobacco, but … the kid who works in ...
The Miami Herald has picked up BrowardBulldog.org’s investigation of lobbyists operating in the shadows of Florida government. The in-depth report found broad loopholes in otherwise tough requirements for lobbyist disclosure and registration in Florida. (An excerpt): .. Florida’s independent special districts are a separate class of government — a hodgepodge of obscure taxing and other authorities that, with few exceptions, offer the public ...
From Florida, the state known for its “Sunshine” Freedom of Information laws, an investigation of special governmental districts that allow lobbyists to influence decisions, without any public disclosure. Dan Christensen of BrowardBulldog.org reports there are hundreds of districts responsible for billions of dollars in government spending each year that allow lobbyists to operate in the shadows. The districts have control over airports, public hospitals, water management, ...
From Shawn Musgrave for the Boston Globe, a follow-up story to his investigation of privacy concerns over police department scanning of license plates. After the Police Department released private information by mistake, it decided to suspend the program, indefinitely. ...
From Karen Coates and Jerry Redfern, a book about the bombs the US dropped in Laos, still exploding many years later. The book, Eternal Harvest, published by ThingsAsian Press, is the result of seven years of work. Coates and Redfern traveled through Laos, locating people, taking their photos, and listening to their stories. They dedicate their book to the more than 50,000 Laotians ...
From Sam Eifling for the Arkansas Times, an investigation of the rupture of an ExxonMobil pipeline that spilled oil and released fumes throughout a neighborhood in Arkansas. Before the spill, residents didn’t know they were living above a pipeline. “The oil went to the lake, [Ann] Jarrell said. “But the toxic fumes came to us.” In one part of the series, he reports the health ...
From Jarrett Murphy and Kate Pastor for City Limits, a report on the state of gambling in New York, where more casinos will be opening now that voters have approved a constitutional amendment. The winners and losers are not easy to predict, according to the report: [T]he number of existing gambling options raises the question of whether new casinos will draw new players to the market or ...
From Laura Kasinof for Washington Monthly, an article about the post-war grief that may impact women who have served in the military differently than men. An excerpt: *While it’s clear that war is hell for everyone, men and women alike, it’s unclear how the unique female experience in the barracks, on the battlefield, and back at home may affect them differently. ...
From Laird Townsend for Mother Jones and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, the story of family farmers facing drier than Dust Bowl conditions, and limited options. An excerpt: *If recent research by the US Department of Agriculture is any indication, the crop failures will be a sign of the future. In a February 2013 report, the agency rounded up relevant ...
From Trey Kay, radio documentary producer, “The Long Game: Texas’ Ongoing Battle for the Direction of the Classroom,” a documentary premiering on KUT Radio, Austin, Texas that explores the culture wars over classroom curriculum in Texas. From the release announcing the premiere: “Long Game focuses on the fundamentally different mindsets that are pitted against one another when deciding how to educate the next generation. The ...