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Take a look at some of the main stories from the week and an insight into The Ferret's work.
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Hi ,

It's about time we used this platform to blow our own trumpet, so this newsletter asserts - loud and clear - that The Ferret is actually quite good at some stuff!

Here's some of our recent good stuff:

  • We launched a new series, Scotland's Seas in Danger.
  • Our story showing Mark Fortune allegedly threatening a tenant led to a Labour MP writing to social justice minister Shirley-Anne Somerville urging an investigation.
  • Scottish Government ministers were grilled about our report on the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investment in the Gresham House forestry fund.
  • We were cited in a proposed law to ban greyhound racing in Scotland.
  • Paul Sweeney MSP withdrew from a reception involving arms dealers after The Ferret highlighted it.
  • We hosted our first open house event in our community newsroom in Glasgow's Govanhill.

And what's more, all this impact is thanks to your support! So give yourself a pat on the back figuratively or physically (The Ferret is not liable for injuries caused by self-patting).

Remember! There's still time to come to our AGM on Saturday morning in Glasgow. All the juicy details are here.
Yours,
Ali
Story of the week
An in-depth look at a Ferret investigation
Scottish prisons have recorded nearly 100 allegations of “sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour” and 12,511 claims of physical assault in the last five years.

Glasgow’s Barlinnie Prison recorded the highest number of sexual assault claims from inmates with 33, followed by Edinburgh with 18, Addiewell, 9, and Perth Prison with 8.

The numbers were revealed by the Scottish Prison Service in a reply to a freedom of information request by The Ferret.
Read the full story
What did we dig up this week?
A round up of our investigations in the last seven days
Forever chemicals found in 55 per cent of Scottish drinking water
Potentially toxic ‘forever chemicals’ – including some linked to cancer – were found in more than half of samples of Scottish drinking water taken in 2023.
Claim Labour’s 2019 manifesto called for ‘abortion on demand to birth’ is False
In a post on X, Andrew Bridgen said he would “always stand up for the rights of the unborn”, and made a claim about the Labour Party’s policy on abortion.
Siberian gas project linked to Scotland blacklisted by UK Government
A US oil firm exported drilling equipment from Montrose to Russia three months after Scottish ministers called on businesses to cease trading with the country.
Question of the Week
Are you concerned about 'forever chemicals' in drinking water?
Yes
No
We now have a platform exclusive for Ferret Underground subscribers where you can share ideas about future investigations, answer polls and more!

Create an account here to get access.
Best of the rest
Investigations we've enjoyed from around the world
Tory peer pays damages after alleging University Challenge mascot was antisemitic
Jacqueline Foster apologises to Melika Gorgianeh after claiming octopus was chosen as hate symbol (Guardian)
The dark side of open source AI image generators
Open source tools allow anyone to make AI art. They have also been used to produce nonconsensual deepfake porn. (Wired)
Identifying the mystery vessel at the site of Trinidad & Tobago’s national emergency oil spill
On February 7th, 2024, a mystery vessel began leaking oil and ran aground on a reef off the coast of Tobago. (Bellingcat)
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Any comments? Have you seen something we could include? Email us at contact@theferret.scot.

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