Archive
Congress to Investigate Pentagon Decision to Deny Coverage for Brain Injured Troops
Sen. Claire McCaskill's committee wants to examine a contract between Tricare, the Pentagon's health plan, and ECRI Institute, which found insufficient evidence to support cognitive rehabilitation therapy.
History Repeats Itself: Wall St. Wants a Part of Fannie and Freddie’s Gov’t-Guaranteed Deal
Wall Street, which took more risks than Fannie and Freddie did in the heyday of the mortgage boom, hope to cash in as the Obama administration looks to reform the mortgage giants.
General Electric Faces First Jury Test in Omniscan Litigation
An elderly Minnesota woman and her husband claim General Electric hid the risks of the company’s MRI drug Omniscan, causing her to contract a crippling disease.
Why the Massachusetts Supreme Court Voided Two Foreclosures and What It Could Mean for Banks
A court in Massachusetts found that banks couldn't prove their legal standing to foreclose. Here's a look at why--and what it could mean.
Guantanamo As Prison and Courtroom: Is a White House Policy Unraveling or Coming Together?
According to a story in the New York Times, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will authorize new military commission trials for detainees facing charges brought by the Obama administration. The question now is whether this signals a shift from the administration’s long-standing commitment to prosecutions in federal court.
Our Recovery Tracker Database Hits $430 Billion Mark
ProPublica’s Recovery Tracker database traces 320,000 federal stimulus contract, grants and loans by federal agency, state and county.
Goldman’s Self-Help: Eat, Pay, Trade
Looking inward in the grand tradition of American self-improvement, the investment bank promises to be nicer and more transparent, but ignores the structural problems that helped ignite the financial crisis.
Dollars for Docs Sparks Policy Rewrite at Colorado Teaching Hospitals
The University of Colorado Denver and its affiliated teaching hospitals have launched an overhaul of conflict of interest policies after a ProPublica database revealed extensive ties between its faculty and pharmaceutical companies.
As Citizens United Turns 1, U.S. Supreme Court Considers Corporate Personhood Again
The Supreme Court considers whether corporations can use "personal privacy" arguments in order to avoid embarrassing public disclosures.
Clinton-Era Policy Kept Tucson Gunman Out of FBI's Background-Check Database
Despite the passage of a 2007 law to improve the FBI's background-check database, a Clinton-era policy enabled the Tucson gunman to make his first gun purchase.
In Repeal Effort, Republicans Renew Dubious Claim That Health Care Law Kills Jobs
Dueling claims regarding the health care bill's effect on jobs come under closer scrutiny as Congress revisits the issue this week.
Chase Admits Overcharging Troops on Mortgages, Improperly Foreclosing
The bank violated federal law when it overcharged thousands of military famlies on their mortgages and wrongfully foreclosed on more than a dozen. Chase said it's fixing the problems.
Life Tenure for Federal Judges Raises Issues of Senility, Dementia
Issues related to aging and dementia increasingly plague the federal court system, where judges in their 80’s and 90’s are shouldering a larger portion of cases.
States Will Soon Have To Start Paying Interest on Their Massive Unemployment Borrowing
Many states have had to borrow billions from the federal government to maintain unemployment insurance payments. But the interest-free grace period on those loans that came with the stimulus bill is about to run out.
After 'Ad Hoc' Government Bailout, Citigroup Still Too Big to Fail, Watchdog Says
Citigroup, bailed out because of the government's "gut instinct," is strengthened as a result of the support--but still too big to fail, according to a TARP watchdog report.
Opponents to Fracking Disclosure Take Big Money From Industry
The Interior Department wades into controversy as it mulls whether to require drilling companies to disclose the chemicals they use to frack wells drilled on public lands.
Health Advocacy Groups Take Drug Company Cash—Often Without Full Disclosures, Report Says
An analysis of health advocacy groups listed in a drug company's donation registry has found that a vast majority of the non-profit organizations did not disclose their corporate funding source.
