Investigative Reporting

Sunday, May 13

An investigation into McWane, Inc., “one of the most dangerous employers in America.”

Saturday, May 12

New research on children’s behavior.

The idea that a young child could have psychopathic tendencies remains controversial among psychologists. Laurence Steinberg, a psychologist at Temple University, has argued that psychopathy, like other personality disorders, is almost impossible to diagnose accurately in children, or even in teenagers — both because their brains are still developing and because normal behavior at these ages can be misinterpreted as psychopathic.


Sunday, April 29
/ / Apr 2012

Inside the color forecaster.

There are no analytics measuring success of color forecasting—how would one even accurately measure such a thing? To play it safe most companies rely on a range of color forecasts. Eiseman says Pantone’s effort, and perhaps color forecasting in general, suffers from two misconceptions. The first is that there is some kind of “evil cabal” that “schemes to get the colors out there.” The second is “let’s just throw a dart and wherever it lands is what’s going to be the hot color for next year.”


Saturday, April 28

An uncertain future for the retailer.

“Sears was so powerful and so successful at one time that they could build the tallest building in the world that they did not need,” says James Schrager, a professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. “The Sears Tower stands as a monument to how quickly fortunes can change in retailing, and as a very graphic example of what can go wrong if you don’t ‘watch the store’ every minute of every day.”


Thursday, April 26

In 1979, a Pulitzer was given to “an unnamed photographer of United Press International” who documented a mass execution in Iran.

His name is Jahangir Razmi — and, nearly three decades later, he wants the credit.


Monday, April 23
/ / Apr 2012

Enbridge, Inc. spilled more than a million gallons of tar sands crude into the Kalamazoo River. Was John Bolenbaugh fired for refusing to cover this up?

Tuesday, April 17
/ / May 2012

“My dad looked at me and said, ‘I signed off on Bentsen’s son going into the Guard, and I signed off on Bush’s son going into the Guard.’”

The story behind the story that ended Dan Rather’s career.


Friday, April 13

An investigation of the county’s Tactical Narcotics Team and, in particular, a Christmas-themed sting dubbed “Santa’s Helper”:

A two-month investigation by New Times has found that Santa’s Helper was a colossal waste of police resources. Of the 112 suspects arrested, 73 people were charged only with misdemeanor pot possession. The vast majority of the busted pot smokers were either released within 24 hours or avoided jail by promising to show up in court. Of the 73 alleged tokers, 68 of them — including Dante Level and his siblings — had no violent criminal record. If they were guilty of anything, it was smoking a joint on their own front porch.


Wednesday, April 4
/ / Apr 2012

A report from the KKK’s 2012 Faith and Freedom conference in Arkansas:

It’s quite disconcerting in this modern age to be in a room full of white people who are all spouting the most vile racist slurs that one can imagine, openly, while everyone else laughs and applauds it. There is a Twilight Zone feeling to it, as if you’d stumbled into a secret clubhouse where white people can say those forbidden things—the Valhalla of dumb racist jokes.


Monday, April 2

An investigative look at the killing of Trayvon Martin.


Thursday, March 29
/ / Sep 2000

Is a serial killer on the loose in Wellfleet? An investigation.


Sunday, March 25

Death on America’s racetracks:

At 2:11 p.m., as two ambulances waited with motors running, 10 horses burst from the starting gate at Ruidoso Downs Race Track 6,900 feet up in New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains.

Nineteen seconds later, under a brilliant blue sky, a national champion jockey named Jacky Martin lay sprawled in the furrowed dirt just past the finish line, paralyzed, his neck broken in three places. On the ground next to him, his frightened horse, leg broken and chest heaving, was minutes away from being euthanized on the track.

For finishing fourth on this early September day last year, Jacky Martin got about $60 and possibly a lifetime tethered to a respirator.