Reveal: Episode 1: Hidden daycare info, toxic chemicals and a 21st century boiler room scam

By Julia B. Chan, Reveal

Public radio’s first national investigative reporting show has launched. “Reveal,” by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, is now playing on KGNU and available for download on iTunes. So what exactly are we revealing?

In our newest episode, “Reveal” reporter Katharine Mieszkowski continues her investigation into the murkiness that surrounds day care records in the U.S. State inspection reports are public record, but accessing them is still a problem for many parents. More than a dozen states don’t post these records online. And in California, where Katharine lives, the situation is the worst.

In fact, once Katharine started publishing reports on this information gap, California passed a law requiring some day care records to be posted online. The problem is that lots of crucial information remains hidden. In our first segment, she meets one family and shows them documents they could have benefited from seeing much earlier.

And if you’re wondering if your state puts its day care inspection records online, the “Reveal” team has put together an easy way to help you find out: You can search by state or look at a map of the U.S. to see how the states compare.

The second segment brings to life this this old adage: “It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know.”For years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been sitting on information about the serious health risks that certain toxic chemicals pose. The agency’s job is to protect public health and the environment, so why haven’t we heard a peep about these concerns?

Lawmakers and industry groups opposed to new regulations on toxic chemicals have found a way to keep the EPA mum. Reporter David Heath from The Center for Public Integrity uncovers a strategy of delays that has been remarkably successful for those standing in the way of public health.

The next story brings us into the fake and fraudulent world of a 21st century boiler room scam.

David Evans, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg Markets, reveals a foreign exchange scam that leveraged the Internet to rake in billions of dollars from victims all over the world.

All these fraudsters had to do was wait for potential investors to search and land on their site.

Our final story takes us south of the border, where we get a glimpse into the growing surrogacy industry in Mexico.

“Reveal” reporter Sandra Bartlett discovers what can go wrong when one of the biggest players in the baby game abruptly closes up shop.

So what did you think? Listen to our new episode in its entirety and let us know on Twitter or Facebook.

Check out our website to delve deeper into these stories, and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to hear more stories.

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