Two years ago U.S. forces pushed across the Kuwait border into Iraq, starting the war that continues today. Since then, we've kept you posted about the best stories about the war at home and abroad in the pages of Uplink. We've also been trying to spotlight data you can use in your own reporting, and bring you tips from journalists who have already done so.
We have provided a comprehensive list of data resources (March-April 2003) and details about analyzing federal procurement data to find military contractors near you (May-June 2003).
You have responded by producing dozens of significant stories that look at war casualties, homeland security spending, border and airport vulnerability, terrorism prosecutions and immigration - all based on analysis of databases.
This issue of Uplink looks at some of those stories: the war burden in South Carolina, alleged charity-terrorist ties and noncombat deaths. I know there will be many more great stories.
On an unrelated note, in the coming months we are planning to link Uplink's printed edition more closely with NICAR's Web site (www.nicar.org). Stay tuned for further developments and be sure to send me a message if you have ideas of how we can better serve you with the newsletter and the Web.