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December 2008 - Posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:29 PM

Goodbye News Gems

I started News Gems in August 2005 as a way to praise the efforts of hard-working journalists around the country. The news industry was enduring a barrage of criticism at the time, and I wanted to show that thousands of reporters, photographers,
posted by jonmarshall | 3 Comments
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 5:14 AM

Abuse in Hawaii

"Crossing the Line" by Rob Perez of the Honolulu Advertiser does a terrific job of investigating the frequency of domestic violence in Hawaii. Among his findings: News about case outcomes considered outrageous quickly spreads in the domestic violence
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
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Monday, December 29, 2008 5:41 AM

What Miami-Dade Taxpayers Didn't Know

In June we highlighted a Miami Herald series, "Taken for a Ride.'' Their latest installment, "How Miami-Dade Transit Tax Went off Track" by Larry Lebowitz and Rob Barry, seems both timely and timeless. It was Nov. 1, 2002, four days before a historic
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Monday, December 22, 2008 5:16 AM

Holiday Cheer

Brian and I are taking this week off to enjoy the holidays. We hope the season is full of good cheer for all of you.
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
Friday, December 19, 2008 4:58 AM

Parolees Don't Pay

A Houston Press investigation, "Crime Doesn't Pay(back)" by Chris Vogel, reveals that more than 90 percent of the 5,133 Texas parolees who have been successfully discharged in the last five years still owe their victims court-ordered restitution. For
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 5:14 AM

How Primary Fund Broke the Buck

"A Money-Fund Manager's Fateful Shift" by Steve Stecklow and Diya Gullapalli of The Wall Street Journal tells the story of Bruce R. Bent, co-founder of the first money-market fund, whose "low-risk" Primary Fund collapsed in September. For years, Mr.
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008 4:57 AM

Schools in Toxic Hot Spots

"The Smokestack Effect: Toxic Air and America's Schools" by Blake Morrison and Brad Heath in USA Today is a talkable special report that should have an impact for years to come. Here's the lede: ADDYSTON, Ohio — The growl of air-monitoring equipment
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:09 AM

Cuba's Revolution at 50

The Miami Herald is running a 10-part series, "The Cuban Revolution," marking the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's ascent to power. The first stories, written by Frances Robles, Andres Oppenheimer and Fabiola Santiago, show great promise. Fifty years
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Monday, December 15, 2008 4:35 AM

The Sad Soldier and Other Stories

American RadioWorks is producing some excellent documentaries that mix sound, photos, text and videos to create powerful stories. Recently it has looked at the dawning of the conservative era during the 1968 presidential campaign,
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
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Friday, December 12, 2008 4:00 AM

Probation's Fatal Flaws

The News & Observer is running an excellent series, "Losing Track: N.C.'s Crippled Probation System," written by Joseph Neff, Sarah Ovaska, Anne Blythe and David Raynor. North Carolina's probation system, designed to help low-level offenders rebuild
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:16 AM

A Fine Serial Narrative

"Finding Forgiveness" by Tom Hallman Jr. in The Oregonian is the haunting story of a woman whose violent father was killed by a police officer. Here's the opening scene, in which Hallman begins to point us toward his powerful climax. The message that
posted by BrianSummers | 1 Comments
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008 6:55 AM

The Man who Stopped a Nuclear Attack

"The Assault on Pelindaba" is a great "60 Minutes" story about the boldest raid ever on a site containing weapons-grade uranium and the man who stopped it. Reporter Scott Pelley and producer Michael Karzis take us to South Africa's Pelindaba
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Tuesday, December 09, 2008 5:56 AM

These Automakers Mean Business

“India - Driven to Compete” by Steve Eder in The Toledo Blade is an eye-opening series on India’s surging auto industry. Yet another challenge is facing the U.S. auto industry. And this time, it isn’t coming from Japan, South Korea, or Germany — or the
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Monday, December 08, 2008 5:06 AM

The Dolphin without a Tail

The St. Petersburg Times is running a wonderful story by John Barry about an injured baby dolphin who swims again despite losing her tail in an accident. Barry's "Winter's Tale" introduces us to Winter, the dolphin, and the people
posted by jonmarshall | 0 Comments
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Friday, December 05, 2008 5:22 AM

Lesley's Choice

"A Hard Choice" by Patricia Meisol in the Washington Post Magazine follows pro-choice medical student Lesley Wojick as she tries to decide if she has what it takes to become an abortion provider. Here's a scene in which Lesley sees one her first abortions.
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Thursday, December 04, 2008 5:48 AM

Sniffing Out BPA

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel watchdog report won a 2008 Pulitzer, and they continue to produce reports that impact readers' lives. Their latest, "BPA Leaches From 'Safe' Products" by Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger, checks out claims that food containers
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Wednesday, December 03, 2008 5:24 AM

Scamming Katrina Victims

In "Charity or Con?" reporter Keli Rabon and her investigative team at WREG-TV in Memphis travel to New Orleans and Pascagoula, Mississippi, to uncover how a Memphis man left victims of Hurricane Katrina with unfinished homes. Rabon reveals
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008 5:27 AM

Freed to Prey Again

Susan Carroll of the Houston Chronicle has written an outstanding series on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have allowed hundreds of convicted felons to avoid deportation. Federal immigration officials allowed scores of violent criminals
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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Monday, December 01, 2008 5:10 AM

More Kids at Risk

The Chicago Tribune continues its superb investigative series, "Hidden Hazards: Kids at Risk." The latest reports, written by Sam Roe, show how mislabeled foods threaten people with allergies. American children with food allergies are suffering
posted by BrianSummers | 0 Comments
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