By heavy lifting, nursing assistants at risk of becoming patients
With over 35,000 injuries of nursing employees tracked by the Department of Labor Statistics, these workers incur nearly three times the rate of “back and other musculoskeletal injuries” as...
View ArticleCalifornia consumer group targets chemicals in chocolates
A California-based consumer advocacy group is taking action against major chocolate manufacturers for failing to make customers aware of the products' potentially harmful ingredients, including lead...
View ArticleShould Taxpayers Pay for These Climate Casualties?
With few offshore barriers to curb a storm’s fury, Scituate is the front line in New England’s expensive, losing battle against the sea. The coastal town accounts for nearly 40 percent of...
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In effort to be ‘green,’ property owners misuse coveted LEED designation
Photo by Lauren Owens and Illustration by Shan Wang for NECIRA lobby plaque at Woburn’s Trade Center 128 features a U.S. Green Building Council membership logo (top right corner). The Cummings...
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State pays millions to pave way for Gloucester hotel despite beach policy
Lauren Owens for NECIRThe Birdseye plant, birthplace of the flash-freeze process, stood on a barrier beach in the center of “the Fort,” a historic neighborhood packed with marine industry in...
View ArticleMurder of witnesses a roadblock in convicting DC criminals
Witnesses trying to cooperate with police sometimes pay a fatal price in in Washington D.C. At least 37 people have been killed for either working with law enforcement or simply “out of fear that they...
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State pays millions to pave way for Gloucester hotel despite beach policy
Lauren Owens for NECIRThe Birdseye plant, birthplace of the flash-freeze process, stood on a barrier beach in the center of “the Fort,” a historic neighborhood packed with marine industry in...
View ArticleDrivers with obstructed plates cost Massachusetts thousands
In an effort to speed up the tolling process and cut costs, the Massachusetts Turnpike is transitioning from a system of toll tickets to either EZ-pass, or billing drivers tracked down through their...
View ArticleOver a dozen Massachusetts doctors owe government $2.6 million
Sixteen Massachusetts doctors have failed to pay back their student loans, totaling over $2.6 million in debt owed to the government. From the story: “‘Physicians are told to do no harm and in this...
View ArticleWithout federal approval, healthcare providers lose out on $5 million budget
Providers offering mental health and substance abuse treatment have not be allowed to touch their $5 million budget for this year because federal officials have not approved the amount. The hold-up...
View ArticleNew Mexico fines go uncollected
When a government employee misses campaign finance report deadlines or inaccurately lists expenses, these violations are supposed to result in a fine. But during recent years, 62 percent of finance...
View ArticleWith lack of oversight, flavoring chemical poisons workers
A toxic chemical called diacetyl, used in products like coffee flavoring and e-cigarettes, is destroying the lungs of people who work in its manufacturing plants. But according to Watchdog Report by...
View ArticleDifferent screenings for passengers and employees at most American airports
Most airport employees are not subjected to a security screening before entering their work areas in many of the nation’s airports. A CNN investigation found that without federal standardization, only...
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We’re Hiring: Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy
The New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) is a nonprofit investigative reporting newsroom based at Boston University and at the studios of WGBH News. Our mission is to ensure the...
View ArticleConnecticut nurse among top prescribers in U.S.
A Connecticut nurse practitioner is among the top 10 prescribers in the country of potent controlled substances, despite that healthcare workers in that job rarely prescribe those kinds of drugs. In...
View ArticleLack of tools, conflicts of interest for charter school authorizers
Authorizers of charter schools are tasked with deciding which schools are running properly and which ought to be shut down. But according to a ProPublica investigation, these officials can lack the...
View ArticleDespite scrutiny, persistent violence at Riker’s Island
Even after a “damning” U.S. attorney general report and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s declaration of commitment to end brutality at Riker’s Island, violence continues at the New York prison. According to a...
View ArticleLeading voice against global warming tied to “corporate cash”
Scientist Wei-Hock Soon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has been a key voice arguing against the cause and effect relationship between greenhouse gases and global climate change. But...
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NECIR Reporter Beth Daley Wins McGraw Fellowships for Business Journalism
On Feb. 24, NECIR reporter Beth Daley received a $15,000 grant to report on the genetic testing industry as part of the McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism. According to the Harold W. McGraw...
View ArticleMassachusetts parents left in the dark about in-school crimes
Last year, over 50,000 students in Massachusetts were disciplined for crimes and offenses, ranging from bullying to rape, but parents aren’t always made aware. According to Michael Richard, West...
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