Debbie Cenziper
I write about national issues, from housing to health care, and the agencies most responsible for the welfare of Americans.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I welcome tips from anyone familiar with the FDA and issues involving drug safety, medical device safety and health care.
What I Cover
I am interested in issues related to the Food and Drug Administration and spent 2023 investigating the massive recall of breathing machines by Philips Respironics. I have also written extensively about affordable housing programs. I’ve helped lead international projects and was one of the lead reporters at The Washington Post on the award-winning “Pandora Papers” investigation, a 2021 report about the secret movement of wealth around the world. In 2022, while at ProPublica, I co-authored “Shadow Diplomats,” an investigation about troubled volunteer diplomats that has spurred reforms in nine countries.
My Background
I am a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and nonfiction author who spent more than a decade at the Post. Over 30 years, my stories have changed laws, prompted congressional and FBI investigations, and helped secure more funding for affordable housing, mental health care and public schools. I’ve won dozens of journalism awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting about corrupt affordable housing developers in Miami. I am the author of “Citizen 865: The Hunt for Hitler’s Hidden Soldiers in America” and “Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality,” named one of the most notable books of the year by the Post. I am also a professor at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Philips Kept Complaints About Dangerous Breathing Machines Secret While Company Profits Soared
Tainted CPAP machines and ventilators went to children, the elderly and at least 700,000 veterans despite internal warnings. Company insiders said the devices posed an “unacceptable” risk.
The Global Threat of Rogue Diplomacy
Honorary consuls were meant to foster ties between countries. Accused terrorist financiers, arms traffickers and drug runners are among those who have wielded diplomatic protection, a global investigation finds.
FDA Repeatedly Rejected Safety Claims About Philips Breathing Machines, Emails Show
As Philips reassured patients that millions of recalled machines were safe, internal emails show federal regulators privately told the company its testing didn’t account for the impact of long-term harm from tainted devices.
Philips Recalled Breathing Machines in 2021. Chemicals of “Concern” Found in Replacement Machines Raised New Alarm.
Amid a massive recall in 2021, the medical device maker Philips raced to overcome troubling questions about its replacement machines as customers waited for help.
Unsanitary Practices Persist at Baby Formula Factory Whose Shutdown Led to Mass Shortages, Workers Say
“Persistent leaks” and “unaddressed contamination issues” are among the problems workers say they witnessed at one of the nation’s largest baby formula plants. “I can’t have this on my conscience,” one told ProPublica
The FDA Hasn’t Inspected This Drug Factory After 7 Recalls for the Same Flaw, 1 Potentially Deadly
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals issued seven recalls for pills that didn’t dissolve properly, records show. All were made at the same factory in India. But the FDA still hasn’t stopped the company from shipping other pills made there to the U.S.
Philips Agrees to Pay $1 Billion to Patients Who Say They Were Injured by Breathing Machines
The proposed settlement will effectively end more than 700 lawsuits filed after the 2021 recall of millions of the company’s widely used sleep apnea devices and ventilators.
Amid Recall Crisis, Philips Agrees to Stop Selling Sleep Apnea Machines in the United States
The breathing machine manufacturer has faced relentless criticism over its handling of the 2021 recall of millions of devices. Philips must meet the requirements outlined in an agreement with the Justice Department before it can resume sales.
Congressional Watchdog Will Launch Inquiry Into FDA Oversight of Medical Device Recalls
Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Blumenthal asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the regulatory agency, citing ProPublica and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on the 2021 recall of Philips breathing machines.
“With Every Breath” Captures the Human Toll of Philips’ Failure to Disclose Dangerous Defects of Its CPAP Devices
A new short documentary from ProPublica and the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette follows patients and a doctor navigating the fallout of the massive recall of Philips breathing machines.
“Unacceptable”: Senators Call on GAO to Probe FDA’s Oversight of Medical Devices, Citing Series on Philips CPAP Recall
Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter noting how the agency missed opportunities to protect the public from faulty medical devices, citing reporting by ProPublica and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Millions of People Used Tainted Breathing Machines. The FDA Failed to Use Its Power to Protect Them.
The FDA’s complaint-tracking system for medical devices allowed Philips to obscure when it knew about dangerous CPAPs. New reporting shows the regulatory lapses extend to many devices and companies.
Senator Calls for DOJ Action Against Philips for Keeping CPAP Machine Complaints Secret
The FDA also said it is “unsatisfied” with the company’s response to the crisis. Share prices dropped in early trading.
What You Need to Know About the Philips Respironics CPAP Recall
We found answers to some of the most critical questions about the ongoing recall of millions of CPAP machines, ventilators and other breathing devices.