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Mayor George Brown suggested that I read and review this book, and I am glad that I did. Paul Pringle is a native of Pennsylvania and a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner for breaking news, investigating reporting and public service. He is currently working at the Los Angeles Times and hence the driver of the book, Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels. It shows how a local newspaper can make positive change for the safety of the community, albeit in this case, it should have been a much faster process and without newspaper leadership challenges.

You will find this book reads like a traditional thriller except in this case, the villains are pretty well defined in the beginning and the mystery is how good investigative reporting can take a back seat within a prominent newspaper. This is not a fiction book.

“Pringle’s fast-paced book is a master class in investigative journalism… when institutions collude to protect one another, reporting may be our last best hope for accountability.” — The New York Times

It all starts with a young woman who overdoses in a Pasadena hotel room, booked by renowned doctor and Dean of the Keck School of Medicine for the University of Southern California, Dr. Carmen Puliafito. You’ll find his personal behavior throughout the book very unbecoming of anyone, let alone a physician, a respected medical leader in his field and in academia.

Luckily, the Pasadena hotel worker found the overdose and how it was handled, or not handled, a problem. Puliafito and the young woman, Sarah Warren, had a very unhealthy relationship that was maintained by manipulation and a lot of drug usage, for both parties. Thankfully, the tip found its way to an experienced investigative journalist at the L.A. Times, Paul Pringle.

From here, Paul spends years with his colleagues, uncovering the unsightly behaviors of Dr. Puliafito and then Dr. George Tyndall, a 30-year gynecologist serving the student population at the University of Southern California. Sounds intriguing right? Get the book and read all the details how Pringle and his team uncovered these two dark scandals and criminal activity in Los Angeles. It’s truly fascinating — as a newspaper leader myself, I am astounded on the challenges that this experienced, well-written journalist faced during his time spent on these news stories and reports.

Rest assured, the Times Leader will always have our community’s best interest at heart and will continue to expose unlawful behaviors of community members. None of our reporters would ever lose sleep at night wondering why their story was being detained or buried. Not here, folks. I would like to give credit to some of our own reporters here that cover our hard news beats on a daily basis:

Jennifer Learn Andes, who covers the county government beat, including county council, the election bureau and all of the other inner workings of Luzerne County government.

Ed Lewis, who spends much of his days at the Luzerne County courthouse covering trials and hearings, and also writes up a number of arrest reports and criminal complaints from around the area.

Mark Guydish, who keeps a close and careful eye on each of the school districts in our county as the Times Leader’s education and school reporter.

Jerry Lynott, our reporter covering City Hall here in Wilkes-Barre, reporting on all happenings in our county’s central hub.

Roger Dupuis and Joe Soprano, our News Editor and Executive Editor, respectively. In addition to doing some reporting of their own, Roger and Joe give each of these reporters the resources and guidance they need to get the job done, allowing everyone the freedom to work their beats and work every story the way it should be worked, without overreach.

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Times Leader Media Group Publisher Kerry Miscavage reviewed this book. She and her mother, Jacquie O’Neil, each contribute to this column.