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Thousands of taxpayer money used for St. Patrick’s parade
Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and road race attracts tens of thousands of people for the celebratory weekend, and taxpayers foot the bill. From the story: “The city spends $70,000 in snow...
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Vermont judge vacancies raise constitutional questions
Budget cuts have led to the fifth vacant judge position in the Vermont Superior Court by September, leading some to wonder about citizens’ access to timely justice. From the story: “The vacancies on...
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Little justification for Massachusetts senate perks
Massachusetts state legislators can receive extra pay, pensions, and perks, under the guise of dealing with increasingly “complicated and consuming” work. Gone unchecked, the system provides a way...
View ArticleValue of oceanfront homes likely to plummet if federal sand subsidies disappear
Besieged by rising seas and ever more violent storms, many East Coast communities now slow the erosion of their beaches by reinforcing them with massive amounts of sand. The grains, often paid for or...
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Boston marathon fund recipient was never injured, officials say
Joanna Leigh – a Jamaica Plain resident who claims she was injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing – was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court March 30 on grand jury charges of larceny and making...
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Boston schools failing to teach English language learners
Boston’s school system is failing to provide adequate instruction to students who speak little or no English, according to a federal review obtained by The Boston Globe. The news report says the...
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Global seafood industry reliant on slave labor
Hundreds of laborers – mostly from Myanmar, also known as Burma – have been brought to Indonesia and forced to work on fishing trawlers for little or no money, and are held captive between fishing...
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Uncertain science for Shaken Baby Syndrome
Symptoms considered indications of Shaken Baby Syndrome can also be symptoms of accidents and medical conditions and may lead to the wrongful incarceration of caregivers, suggests a report by The...
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Little known about Mexico’s mass graves
Hundreds of mass graves have been discovered across Mexico, but the government isn’t keeping track of them, reports Buzzfeed. Mexico lacks a “comprehensive, organized, and updated database” regarding...
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Award-winning investigative reporter Isaiah Thompson to join staff at NECIR
U-PennIsaiah Thompson Award-winning investigative reporter Isaiah Thompson will be joining the staff of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting beginning Monday, April 6. Isaiah’s...
View ArticleNew prenatal tests very good, but not perfect: researchers warn of false...
New screening tests are far better predictors of fetal genetic conditions compared with previous methods, a new study published April 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine notes, but other studies...
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Achievement gap growing for Connecticut’s English learners
Despite federal investigations into education provided to English learners in Hartford and Stamford, Connecticut, the state is struggling to produce enough teachers for the growing number of students...
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Top officials: NJ National Guard has “toxic command climate”
At least four senior New Jersey National Guard officers, including two top minorities, allege a "toxic command climate," fueled by racial discrimination, cronyism, and retaliatory actions, according...
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California may eliminate long-term juvenile group homes
California’s most troubled youth are sometimes left with nowhere to turn in a state system marred with “negligent stewardship” and “flawed oversight,” according to an investigation by ProPublica. The...
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Buyers struggling to pay Buffett home loans
America’s biggest mobile home manufacturer and lender, Clayton Homes – owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway – relies on predatory sales practices and excessive fees and...
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Feds largely reject sexual violence complaints against colleges
Nearly 75 percent of federal investigations into the mishandling of sexual assault cases by colleges are dropped because “the allegations could not be proved, for late filing, or administrative...
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Darren Sharper rape spree could have been prevented, investigation reveals
The drugging and rape of nine women by Darren Sharper, a “hero” NFL safety and broadcast analyst, could have been prevented had police and prosecutors used the tools made available to them by...
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Questions raised about police intervention in middle schools
A review by The Center for Public Integrity found that Virginia schools have referred students to police at a rate about three times the national average, raising questions about a “school-to-prison...
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Apply for the NECIR Digital Journalism and Audience Development Internship
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...
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Despite spread of Lyme disease, Mass. dedicates no money to prevention
The predawn rumble of pesticide-spraying trucks is a rite of spring in almost 200 Massachusetts communities. Some $11 million is spent in the state each year controlling and counting the pests and...
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