March 11th, 2005 | by Derek Willis | published in DIY, NonGov Data
Marc Topkin, Damian Cristodero and Louis Hau of the St. Petersburg Times examines the ten-year history of Tampa Bay’s major league baseball franchise, finding that the Devil Rays’ lack of success can be attributed to a number of factors: * Major League Baseball put the new owners in a financial hole before the team ever [...]
February 7th, 2005 | by Derek Willis | published in DIY, NonGov Data, Paper Trail
Mike Hudson and E. Scott Reckard, writing in the Los Angeles Times, found that the public profile of mortgage lender Ameriquest differs vastly from accounts detailed by former employees and in various public records. “Ameriquest customers filed more complaints with the Federal Trade Commission from 2000 through 2004 than did those of two of its [...]
February 1st, 2005 | by Derek Willis | published in DIY, NonGov Data
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters Ann Hardie, Alan Judd and Carrie Teegardin analyzed how Georgia lending laws affect consumers, creditors and regulators, finding that the state “consistently stood out for its harsh treatment of borrowers and indulgent handling of lenders. Practices permitted in Georgia carry a human toll: escalating numbers of Georgians in financial ruin. Of the [...]
January 25th, 2005 | by Derek Willis | published in DIY, NonGov Data
J. Hale Russell and Elisabeth S. Theodore of the Harvard Crimson revealed that “the confidential drug purchase histories of many Harvard students and employees have been available for months to any internet user, as have the e-mail addresses of high-profile undergraduates whose contact information the University legally must conceal.” With the cooperation of a Harvard [...]
January 13th, 2005 | by Derek Willis | published in NonGov Data
Jacques Steinberg and Tom Torok of the New York Times analyzed newspaper circulation data to show that “across the country each week, more than 1.6 million people who are not on newspaper subscriber rolls are being delivered copies that did not cost them a cent – but they are still being classified as paying customers.” [...]