AP investigation finds flaws in criminal self-surveys
The justice system is turning to data to lessen mass incarceration rates. By using questionnaires, officials determine a level of risk that an inmate will reoffend. But an AP investigation already...
View ArticleFlawed 911 system fails to locate all callers
Thousands of lives could be saved every year if emergency services had the capabilities to trace the location of the caller, according to a USA Today investigation. From the story: “Today's cellphone...
View ArticleFlight coordinator manipulated schedules for trysts
A former program specialist for the Federal Air Marshal Service used her access to government databases to identify and meet air marshals with whom she wanted to pursue a relationship, according to an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NECIR reporter awarded $15,000 to investigate genetic tests; previous work...
NECIR reporter Beth Daley’s examination into examinations of unregulated medical tests – for everything from cancer to Lyme disease to prenatal genetic defects – and how they are establishing a...
View ArticleMBTA troubles not an easy fix
With spending growth and hourly wages similar to other public transit systems in the United States, the problems with the MBTA may need a closer look. And throwing money at it may not be enough: “the...
View ArticleConnecticut public schools receive disproportionate funding
A practice that makes sure Connecticut towns receive no less state funding for schools than they did the year before has unintended consequences: the wealthiest towns are overfunded, and the towns with...
View ArticlePrivate no-rent list leaves Portland tenants unaware of health, safety...
While Portland renters receiving subsidized housing are protected from properties deemed unsafe or unhealthy to live in, other tenants are able to occupy them without disclosure. From the story: “The...
View ArticleFinancial ties between police and camera maker raise suspicion
Stun gun and body camera brand Taser International has “cultivated financial ties” to police departments across the country who have purchased the company’s devices, leading some to suspect conflicts...
View ArticleWorkers suffer as comp system dismantles
The workers’ comp system in the United States was created as a safety net for people injured on the job. Now, benefits are being reduced. The cost of employee injuries -- tens of billions of dollars in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Critics blast BU doctor for child abuse defense
courtesy of Michael F. HolickDr. Michael F. Holick A Boston University doctor with a history of butting heads with the establishment is irking child abuse specialists nationwide by testifying in...
View ArticleBoston commuting statistics not reflective of crowed trains
Keolis Commuter Services, in charge of Boston’s commuter rail, announced last week that it is running at 80 percent of regular capacity, which should be good news for commuters who have been paralyzed...
View ArticleVermont Smoke and Cure meat, supposedly local, traced to Pennsylvania
Officials are investigating a case in which pork products that were marketed as Vermont-born may have been sourced from out of state. Unfamiliar tattoos on the animals led USDA slaughterhouse...
View ArticleClean-up of Wikipedia pages about police violence traced to NYPD
Edits made to Wikipedia pages related to cases of alleged policy brutality have been traced by their IP addresses to the New York Police Department’s network, according to a review by Capital New York....
View ArticleIT contractors among highest paid, least regulated government workers in Texas
Texas’s employment of information technology contractors has gone without oversight, allowing thousands of contract workers to be paid tens of millions of dollars “without bidding requirements or...
View ArticleGrowing popularity and concern for artificial turf
As artificial turf becomes an increasingly popular option for sports fields and playgrounds, concerns are increasing about the ingredients of crumb rubber, the shredded tire bits that act as artificial...
View ArticleNECIR reporter Beth Daley wins investigative award from Association of Health...
The New England Center for Investigative Reporting won a first place nod for investigative reporting in the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from the national Association of Health Care...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Genetic tests’ online claims may not give the full story
Cancer patients or their families often arrive at oncologists’ offices holding printouts about genetic tests that they found on the Internet. The tests promise profound results: By understanding the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gunshot detection system raises questions of privacy
A gunshot detection system called ShotSpotter, which has been activated in Brooklyn and the Bronx, has privacy advocates curious about potential Fourth Amendment violations. From the story: “On its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Medical malpractice suits dwindle in face of difficulties
Medical malpractice claims have hit a record low in Wisconsin as insurance for doctors has grown to over $1.2 billion with state support. From the story: “Only 84 medical malpractice suits were...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Criminal witness held in jail for 900 days
Benito Vasquez-Hernandez has committed no crime, but has been incarcerated for over two years. As a material witness in a murder case, he may be “the longest-held material witness in Oregon and...
View Article