Archive - Illinois
Whistleblower Sues to Stop Another BP Rig From Operating
A whistleblower has filed a lawsuit trying to halt operations at another BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, alleging that the company never reviewed critical engineering designs and is therefore risking another catastrophe.
Damaged Equipment, Feuding Between BP and Transocean in Lead-Up to Explosion
In the weeks before the Deepwater Horizon spill, a worker on the rig told "60 Minutes" that part of the blowout preventer's seal broke in an accident weeks before the explosion that caused the Gulf spill, and that a supervisor said it was "no big deal."
BP Turns Down Offers to Better Measure Gulf Disaster
Scientists believe there is much more oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico than the government estimates. But BP says that there is no way to measure the leak accurately, and that efforts to do so are "not relevant."
Despite Legislation, Misleading RNC 'Census' Mailers Continue
The Republican National Committee continues to exploit a loophole in the law with fundraising mailers sent under the guise of the census. Congress has passed another bill to stop the practice, but President Obama hasn't signed it yet.
ProPublica's Managing Editor Steve Engelberg
ProPublica's managing editor, Stephen Engelberg, discusses the collaborative process, what a story with "moral force" is, how we incorporate our Web development team into our work and the biggest challenges facing ProPublica.
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words ... and Millions of Barrels of Oil
Pictures of the Gulf oil spill can be more powerful than the words.
Gulf Oil Spill Update: Way Worse Than They Told Us
The estimates of the amount of oil spilling in the Gulf of Mexico keep going up, amid BP statements that the amount can't be measured easily, and aren't important, anyway.
Gov't Loan Mod Program Leaves Some Homeowners Worse Off
When some candidates are booted from a home loan modification trials, they discover they owe more than if they had never had a modification at all – even if they kept up with the payments.
Psychiatric Solutions' Executive Pay Probed by Justice Department
The Justice Department is investigating executive compensation at Psychiatric Solutions Inc., the inpatient mental health care company that has been the subject of several articles by ProPublica. The company substantially increased executives' salary and options about two weeks before reports surfaced that the company was in talks to be acquired.
Check Out Our Bank Investigations Cheat Sheet
Our cheat sheet will keep you updated on what agencies are investigating which banks and why.
Covering the Bank Investigations: A Cautionary Tale
Each announcement of another banking "investigation" can raise more questions than it answers: Is it preliminary? Fishing? Does it mean anything? Caution is needed when journalists report on them.
Does Inquiry into Morgan Stanley Implicate Citi and UBS?
The Justice Department is looking into some CDOs designed -- and then bet against -- by Morgan Stanley, a report says. Those CDOs were marketed by Citibank and UBS, raising the question of whether they'll come under scrutiny as well.
Does Administration's Proposed Break-up of Offshore Oil Regulator Go Far Enough?
The Minerals Management Service, the agency regulating offshore drilling, would be split, separating its safety responsibilities from its leasing and royalties responsibilities.
General Electric’s Comments to our Omniscan Stories -- and Our Response
GE Healthcare criticizes our stories about Omniscan, its MRI drug linked to a crippling disease, and we respond to the criticism.
After Spill, More Gulf Drilling Plans Got Environmental Exemptions
Even as oil was spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, companies were granted 27 exemptions from in-depth environmental analysis for proposed drilling, McClatchy reported. The exemptions don't mean the wells will be drilled, and there is a temporary moratorium on new wells.
