Alison Young Investigates

D.I.Y. Watchdog: Examining local HUD programs

I recently reported on a local housing department's questionable use of more than $6 million in funds from a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fulton Wasted HUD's Money

If you're interested in taking a closer look at some of the HUD-funded programs in your community, a great starting point is to read the reports that have been issued in your state by HUD's Office of Inspector General. They're available on the web at: HUD OIG Reports by State

If you then want more information about a particular case, use your state's Open Records Act to request related documents, earlier HUD performance reviews and other information from the local housing department. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has guides for using each state's Open Records Act, as well as the federal Freedom of Information Act. State Open Government Guide and  How to Use the Federal FOIA

If you are a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, you can access several comprehensive tip sheets on investigating housing. IRE Resource Center

D.I.Y. Watchdog: How to investigate vitamin safety

Synopsis: Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbs and other dietary supplements do not have to go through an approval process at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they’re put on store shelves. They do not have to prove in advance that they are safe and effective. I recently reported on how some supplements are spiked with prescription drugs. Dietary pills spiked with Viagra, other drugs

Here are some tools for digging into the issue:

FDA Recall Notices and Safety Alerts: The FDA posts warnings about various food, drug and dietary products on this web site: FDA Safety Alerts You can also sign up on this page to receive email alerts of new recalls.

FDA Enforcement Reports: Additional issues can be found by searching through the agency’s on-line enforcement reports, using terms such as “supplement” or “vitamin.” FDA Enforcement Reports

FDA Adverse Reaction Data: The agency recently began requiring companies that sell dietary supplements to file reports on serious reactions to their products. The data, as well as individual reports, are subject to release under the federal Freedom of Information Act. But beware: The FDA is incredibly slow in responding to FOIA requests. I recently started receiving documents requested from them from 2003. For information about how to file FOIA requests with the FDA, go to: FDA FOIA Handbook
One way to shortcut long waits at the agency is to determine whether someone else has already had the information you want (or something close to it) released under an earlier FOIA request. If it has -- and you or a friend can get the Washington, D.C., area – you can make an appointment at FDA’s FOIA Reading Room to view the previously released materials.

Federal Trade Commission: The FTC regulates the advertising claims of dietary supplements and has taken action against a number of firms. Searching through the agency’s press releases is a quick way to find recent cases: FTC Press Release Index

GAO Reports: The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has issued some reports on the regulation of dietary supplements. Go to GAO

Cochrane Reviews: If you’re interested in the practice of “evidence-based medicine,” Cochrane Reviews are a great source of information. The Cochrane Collaboration performs systemic reviews of available evidence of the effectiveness of a wide range of treatments. While subscribers and journalists with site credentials can access more information, abstracts are available for free at Cochrane Reviews

U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Another source for reports evaluating the evidence of whether dietary supplements (and other treatments) work, is the AHRQ. To view the agency’s evidence reports, go to AHRQ

PubMed: Cochrane and AHRQ evaluate the weight of evidence provided by various studies by looking at their size, design and other factors. But if you want to look for studies in general, you can search abstracts through the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed site: PubMed

National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements: This is another good source of information. Go to NIH Supplements Office

What other tips do you have to offer? Please post them in the comments section of this article.

D.I.Y. Watchdog: How to investigate airline animal incidents

I recently reported on the potential dangers faced by animals traveling in airline cargo holds. Pets on planes: Animal deaths go unreported

To dig in on the issue yourself, here are some good sources of information:

• DOT Animal Incident Reports: Each month the U.S. Department of Transportation releases a report detailing a wide range of consumer performance data from airlines. Included in the report are details of deaths, injuries and losses involving “animals.” Be aware, as the AJC reported, that the federal definition of an “animal” isn’t all-inclusive the way most people think it is. The term has been limited by the transportation department to only cover pets that have lived in a family household – and excludes animals owned by businesses. Since most of the animals traveling are commercially owned -- headed to pet stores, laboratories, farming operations and other businesses -- be aware that many incidents aren’t required to be reported. Here’s where you get the reports:  DOT Air Consumer Monthly Reports

• USDA Enforcement Actions: Regardless of whether an animal is owned by a family or a company it is covered by the federal Animal Welfare Act. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is responsible for enforcing the law. The agency posts some limited information on its web site that allows you to determine whether it has taken an enforcement action against an airline or other firm that handles animals. Start by going to USDA Enforcement Actions and in the drop-down box in the middle of the page titled “Current ALJ Decisions,” select “Consent Decisions.” The site will automatically redirect you to a list of recent consent decisions, a few involving airlines, that you can view online. Unfortunately, some of the more recent consent decisions do not detail the offense the consent order covers, leaving the reader to wonder what the wrongdoing was. If it’s not spelled out in the consent order, you’ll need to request a copy of the original complaint by contacting the hearing clerk’s office at OALJHearingClerks@USDA.GOV .

• USDA Inspection Reports: As a transporter of animals, airlines are subject to periodic inspection by the USDA. Inspection reports can be requested under the federal Freedom of Information Act. Be aware that it can take weeks, months or years (depending on the agency) to receive documents under the federal FOIA. Instructions for filing a FOIA request with USDA/APHIS are online at: USDA/APHIS How to submit a FOIA

• Inspector General Reports: The USDA’s Office of Inspector General issued a report on the agency’s enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act that may be of interest to those doing future investigations. It’s online at: OIG: Animal Welfare Act Enforcement

If you have other tools you think are useful for investigating this area, please share them in the comments section of this post.

If you are a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) you can access a variety of tip sheets on investigating animal issues.