Last week we had our first video report, in partnership with the American News Project (ANP), investigating so-called “clean coal” and its effect on the local population in Pennsylvania. We’re looking forward to doing more with ANP — a link to the video is in the Washington Independent highlights.
Colorado Confidential became The Colorado Independent last week, a rebranding that’s flowing through the entire CIM news network. All our sites will use the word “Independent” in their names. Minnesota and Michigan are next to rebrand.
And in Iowa, we welcomed Jason Hancock as a Senior Fellow. Hancock most recently wrote for Cityview, Des Moines’s alternative weekly paper. He has also written for the Des Moines Business Record and the New Albany Tribune in New Albany, IN. For the Iowa Independent, Hancock will cover politics and government with an emphasis on accountability.
Read on for highlights from the week.
Best,
David Bennehum, CEO
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT (TWI)
TWI’s budding partnership with the American News Project (ANP), a non-profit video news startup, is starting to flourish. ANP’s producer teamed with TWI fellow Suemedha Sood to produce a compelling video inquiry, “How Clean is Clean Coal?”
Mike Lillis chronicled the mass abandonment of President Bush by panicky Republican senators and representatives unwilling to reject popular legislation aimed at helping farmers and soldiers.
Art Allen exposed the dispiriting tale of how an inventive West Coast firm that developed the best anthrax vaccine was driven out of business by a company distinguished mostly by its Washington connections.
Colorado Confidential became Colorado Independent the evening of May 19, adopting the latest variation of the classy contemporary site design already adopted by Washington Independent and New Mexico Independent.
Cara Degette reiterated the mission of the site in her editor’s note, and the site quickly lived up to its goal of “lively, intelligent, investigative and enterprise reporting” with two pieces from David Williams. First Williams interviewed Jerry Springer, the flamboyant TV talk-show host with the soul of a Democratic politico. Then Williams examined the spread of newspaper chains — and small town blogs — in mountain communities.
“Colorado Confidential” is now the name of the site’s blog.
Eartha Melzer uncovered another environmental threat to Michiganders: More than 9,200 underground fuel storage tanks are leaking cancer-causing chemicals into the state’s groundwater — and the state doesn’t have the money to clean them up.
New fellow Todd Spencer explained how presidential politics will shape the results of the state’s medical-marijuana ballot initiative.
Capitol reporter Jim Fordyce reported the preliminary finding of the Secretary of State that a right-wing activist’s campaign to recall House Speaker Andy Dillon failed to secure enough valid signatures to force a special election.
MinMon continued to supply readers with broad and deep reporting on state, local, national and even international politics.
City Hall reporter Chris Steller broke the story that the city is going to spend $180,000 to tout its tap water over bottled water.
Political reporter Paul Demko illuminated “Ron Ehrardt’s political dilemma,” the story of a moderate Republican legislator forced out of his own party by conservatives. That right-wing influence was further detailed by Andy Birkey in his thorough accounting of the veto power that the reactionary Minnesota Family Council wields over Republican (and shortlisted McCain vice presidential contender) Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Demko sketched the challenges facing Iraq war vet Steve Sarvi as he seeks to unseat Republican incumbent John Kline in the 2nd Congressional District.
And Paul Schmelzer offered an audio interview with filmmaker Errol Morris about his new documentary on the horror of Abu Ghraib.
Lynda Waddington kept readers current on the aftermath of a national story: the May 12 immigration raid on a food-processing factory in the northern Iowa town of Postville where 389 workers were arrested. She contrasted the response of the two local congressmen: Democrat Bruce Braley, who questioned the employment practices of Agriprocessors, which has not been charged with anything; and Republican Rep. Tom Latham, who is keeping quiet. She reported on actions taken by the governor’s office and brought to life the legal proceeding that resulted in guilty pleas from 297 of 302 detainees.
NEW MEXICO INDEPENDENT (NMI)
Only a month old, NMI already leads the state’s news outlets in keeping up with leading political personalities.
David Alire Garcia, managing editor of NMI, scored an exclusive interview with Tom Udall, the Democratic congressman who is now running for a seat in the Senate. The versatile John Arnold delivered both written and video reports on former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias talking about the Justice Department scandal that rocked the Bush administration and the various Republican power brokers he clashed with along the way.
Heath Haussamen revealed the campaign donations that may have shaped Republican Congresswoman (and senatorial hopeful) Heather Wilson’s stand on the farm bill. Haussamen also called out the state’s ethically challenged political culture.
DEPT. OF GOOD NEWS
“Prisioners plant food for the hungry” (Eartha Melzer in Michigan Messenger)