NSA-Grade Spy Gear Has Flooded Local Police Departments
CityLab
Costly cellphone surveillance devices, of the sort used by federal intelligence agencies, have been acquired by local police nationwide, documents from the 50 largest departments show - raising a host of concerns about privacy and due process. The Man Behind the Fiscal Fiasco in Illinois
Reuters
An investigation explores why blame for the state's financial woes falls largely on longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. He was pivotal in the decisions and legislation that led to billions of dollars of debt and unfunded pensions. Supplement Firms Push 'Brain Boosters,' But Benefits Are Disputed
FairWarning
Concerns about Alzheimer's and other brain-wasting diseases have fueled booming sales of dietary supplements. But as the marketing exploits some of societyâs most vulnerable people, experts doubt the benefits. Florida: Human Waste Fertilizes Farms, but Fuels Toxic Algae Blooms
TC Palm
Two-thirds of Florida's human waste is spread on private land as fertilizer. But nitrogen and phosphorus runoff are damaging the state's watersheds, an analysis reveals, the first since the state stopped collecting data in 2010. Debt in Academe: Tenure-Track Professor Sells Plasma to Make Rent
Longreads
He's a professor at the University of Maine making $52,000. He's a year away from tenure. And he rolls up his sleeve at a plasma bank. Reason: He's $246,000 in debt and desperate for money. Â Massachusetts Oversight Tougher on Hairdressers Than Security Guards
Boston Globe
In Massachusetts, hairdressers, fortune tellers, even kickboxing timekeepers have to be individually licensed by the state before they can ply their trades. But not private security guards. | 
