Archive
Unions Take Fire at Bill to Revamp California Health Care Oversight
Labor unions representing California nurses are attacking key parts of a bill that would overhaul the state’s system for investigating and disciplining health workers accused of misconduct.
Cabot Oil & Gas's Marcellus Drilling to Slow After PA Environment Officials Order Wells Closed
Pennsylvania has come down hard on a natural gas company whose drilling contaminated drinking water. Houston-based Cabot Oil and Gas must close some wells, pay nearly a quarter million dollars in fines, and permanently provide drinking water to 14 families.
New March Mortgage Mod Data: Cancellations Jump, Logjam Continues
As expected, the number of homeowners being denied permanent mortgage modifications has increased sharply. And some 367,000 homeowners remain in limbo, stuck in trial modifications that have lasted longer than they are supposed to.
Lobbyists and Lawmakers Bond During Springsteen Concerts
At least 19 congressional fundraisers were held at Bruce Springsteen’s two Washington concerts last year, almost half of them in skyboxes rented from companies or organizations with business before the committees of the lawmakers who used them.
Senators Call for Changes to Troubled, Costly Afghan Police Training Program
Officials from the State and Defense Departments are questioned at a hearing about the disastrous effort to train Afghan police. The Defense Department's inspector general says, "Everything that could go wrong here, has gone wrong."
GE’s Own Safety Team Urged Company to Restrict MRI Drug
GE Healthcare ignored the advice of its own safety experts to “proactively” restrict the use of its imaging drug, Omniscan, after reports in Europe linked the drug to a potentially crippling disease, according to a newly unsealed order in a lawsuit against the company.
Inspectors Keep Up Pressure on Alhurra, Say Effectiveness Still in Question
Alhurra, a U.S.-run TV station that broadcasts news to the Middle East, still has management problems and can't measure its effectiveness, a new inspector general's review says. The station has come under scrutiny from the media and Congress.
U.S. Terror Targets Unprotected, According to Former CIA Official
In a new book, a former CIA counterterrorism operative says little has been done to make America safer since Sept. 11. Charles S. Faddis says that while observing potential U.S. targets, he encountered systemically outmoded defenses and poorly trained personnel.
Add-on to Health Care Bill Gives Feds More Power to Investigate Jail Conditions
A provision tucked away in the health care reform law will allow the Justice Department to compel publicly run prisons, jails, mental health facilities and nursing homes to open their doors and records for inspection.
How Senator Vitter Battled the EPA Over Formaldehyde's Link to Cancer
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter has battled an EPA assessment that could label formaldehyde a 'known' carcinogen. The formaldehyde industry has been a generous campaign donor to Vitter.
Contractor Deaths Accelerating in Afghanistan as They Outnumber Soldiers
Of the 289 civilian contractors killed since the war in Afghanistan started, 100 have died in just the last six months, a recent analysis shows. That's a reflection of both growing violence and the importance of the civilians flooding into the country.
Behind the Financial Reform Push, Worries of Warring Regulators
Recent reports and testimony suggest that a crucial ingredient is in short supply in financial regulation: cooperation among the watchdogs. The collapse of Lehman Brothers presents a case in point.
Send Us Your Questions About Our Magnetar Investigation
Using financial products called CDOs, a Chicago hedge fund got rich as it helped to make the financial crisis worse. As readers look for more answers about the complex arrangement, ProPublica follows up on its investigation.
