Archive
PR Firm Behind Propaganda Videos Wins Stimulus Contract
HHS has hired a PR firm to win consumer trust in the privacy of health information systems. But the tactics of the firm, Ketchum, have come under fire in the past.
'Black Liquor,' the Sequel
The presence of some biofuel language in the health care reconciliation bill has been explained -- sort of. It has to do with a tax credit that was intended to make the health care bill seem cheaper, but doesn't, really.
Two ProPublica Reporters Win IRE Awards
ProPublica reporters T. Christian Miller and A.C. Thompson have won best-of-category awards from the Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards. Miller won for his reporting on injured civilian contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Thompson won for reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Data Show Bank Regulator Goes Easy on Enforcement
A report on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency shows that the agency rarely takes formal enforcement action against banks. Its director is a former bank lobbyist.
Small County Jail in Upstate New York Has Big Problem With Suicides
Some smaller jails are struggling to meet the basic federal requirements for safeguarding mentally ill inmates. The Erie County Holding Facility, a 680-bed jail in Buffalo, N.Y., has a suicide rate five times the national average.
Treasury, Ahem, Clarifies Goals for the Mortgage Mod Program
The administration has been saying that the Making Home Affordable program “will help up to 3 to 4 million at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosure." But the number of expected loan modifications is actually much lower than that.
