Muckreads

In U.S. Steel town, fatal gas explosion goes unpunished by OSHA

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:21:23 +0000

iWatch News -- More American workers were killed on the job in 2009 than total U.S. fatalities in the Iraq war. This story examines questionable oversight issues that may be contributing to the high number of worker deaths. Part one of a series.

White House visitor logs provide window into lobbying industry

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:15:57 +0000

The Washington Post -- Has Obama kept his promise to lessen lobbyists' influence in Washington? Some aren't so sure, but in a giant leap for transparency, the administration has become the first to release White House visitor logs. The Washington Post has compiled all 2 million of them into a searchable database.

Overtime pay soars for state-run police force

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:57:28 +0000

California Watch -- A state police force in California charged with protecting facilities for the disabled has unusually high levels of overtime pay, leading some to question the organization's record-keeping and pay policies. More than one-fourth of the policemen doubled their salaries through overtime.

Dispatch lag slows Los Angeles Fire Department call response

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:24:07 +0000

Los Angeles Times -- An LA Times analysis of more than 1 million Los Angeles Fire Department 911 calls shows that dispatchers aren't notifying emergency responders fast enough, particularly in medical calls, when even seconds can make a difference.

San Onofre's future hinges on finding cause of abnormal tube wear

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:28:17 +0000

Los Angeles Times -- A California nuclear power plant has been out of commission for months as investigators try to figure out what's causing tubes carrying radioactive water to wear out too quickly, and who has to pay for replacement power during the shutdown. The problem has raised questions about Southern California's reliance on the plant.

Money Unlimited

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:31:29 +0000

New Yorker -- What seemed like a small case turned into a decision that changed the face of modern campaign finance. This great longreads explores, in depth, how it came to be.

At A Slaughterhouse, Some Things Never Die

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:39:12 +0000

New York Times -- In 2000, Charlie LeDuff went quasi-undercover at Smithfield Packing Co., the largest pork production plant in the world, to get this portrait of the deep racial divides still present in this North Carolina slaughterhouse. Part of the New York Times’ Pulitzer-winning package exploring race in America.

Louisiana is the world's prison capital

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:34:15 +0000

The Times-Picayune -- Louisiana imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world: nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.

Taxpayers Fund $454,000 Pay for Collector Chasing Student Loans

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:53 +0000

Bloomberg -- The government relies on a little-known pool of collection agencies to recoup student loans made by banks and other private lenders. They can counsel a borrower to avoid default, but they receive massive amounts more for collecting defaulted loans– up to 37 percent in borrower fees and taxpayer-funded commissions.

Deadliest Danger Isn’t at the Rig but on the Road

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:57:52 +0000

New York Times -- In the past decade, more than 300 oil and gas workers have died in highway crashes--many of them caused by an exemption that lets oil field truckers stay behind the wheel for hours longer than most commercial truckers' limit.