FCC's Broadband Plan: Who's for It and Against It
Introducing the ProPublica Blog: Digging Past Headlines
The reason we’re starting this blog at ProPublica is because we’re most concerned with accountability reporting going forward.Stimulus Spending Cracks 40 Percent
The Obama administration has spent $317 billion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the latest numbers from Recovery.gov. The funds include $198 billion in spending and an estimated $119 billion in tax cuts.CIA Creates Transparency Page That Doesn’t Reveal Much
The CIA posted its open government page this week, following an order from the White House requiring agencies to create Web pages dedicated to transparency.
The move is overdue. Last month we reported that 27 of 64 independent agencies—agencies like the CIA, which are under the purview of the executive branch but function independently—had missed the Feb. 6 deadline for creating these transparency pages. The deadline was set by the White House Office of Management and Budget as part of a larger transparency to-do list. We are are tracking that larger to-do list too.
Reporting Recipe Conference Call Set for Thursday, March 25 at 2 p.m. EDT
Earlier this month, Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber took the unique step of publishing a reporting recipe to show people how they could do their own investigations of nursing boards and other state regulatory and licensing agencies. At the time, we said we would schedule a conference call so that the reporters could walk you through the reporting recipe and answer any questions you might have. Well, the cake has been baking long enough, and we've set the date for the call -- Thursday, March 25 at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PST. If you plan to participate in the call, please sign up here. Call-in information will be sent to those who want to participate.
Introducing the ProPublica Blog: Digging Past the Headlines
Conversations about the future of news often get stuck on a few main topics. The search for new funding streams. How to effectively use social media. Bickering between schools old and new. We’re not weighing in on those debates.
The reason we’re starting this blog at ProPublica is because we’re most concerned with accountability reporting going forward. People are not suffering from a lack of news. Morning to night, they’re barraged by information from tweets, radio, 24-hour cable news, blogs, aggregators, and traditional media. At any moment, there’s a tidal wave of information out there, constantly getting updated. What’s lacking is enough context to make sense of it all. To borrow a metaphor from this Poynter piece, it’s hard to drink from a firehose.
As Health Care Vote Nears, Another Troubling Insurance Story
Reuters filed a stunning report today about a health insurance company that targeted policyholders with HIV to drop their coverage. It opens with the case of Jerome Mitchell:
Previously undisclosed records from Mitchell’s case reveal that [health insurance company Fortis, now known as Assurant Health] had a company policy of targeting policyholders with HIV. A computer program and algorithm targeted every policyholder recently diagnosed with HIV for an automatic fraud investigation, as the company searched for any pretext to revoke their policy. As was the case with Mitchell, their insurance policies often were canceled on erroneous information, the flimsiest of evidence, or for no good reason at all, according to the court documents and interviews with state and federal investigators….
ProPublica’s A.C. Thompson Discusses NOPD Misconduct on Democracy Now!
This morning, ProPublica's A.C. Thompson was a guest on Democracy Now! to discuss our ongoing joint investigation of the New Orleans Police Department's use of deadly force in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Thompson spoke with Amy Goodman and Anjali Kamat about the NOPD's investigations of those shootings, what happened to Henry Glover and the Danziger Bridge incident.
FCC’s Broadband Plan: Who’s for It—and Against It
Since the FCC formally revealed its plan to expand broadband access yesterday, the idea has been generally well-received. And really, what’s there to protest so far? The plan’s stated goal is to connect “100 million households to affordable 100-megabits-per-second service, building the world’s largest market of high-speed broadband users and ensuring that new jobs and businesses are created in America.” It also stresses making broadband faster and more powerful.
So far the only group consistently cited as being the “loser” in all of this is the National Association of Broadcasters, which has expressed reservations about losing its portion of the airwaves to make room for the broadband providers. But which industry players stand to win big if the plan moves forward? Here’s what the Post reported on this point.
Investigations You Need to Read: Wednesday
Today’s accountability headlines:
- Reports of sexual assault in the military rose 11 percent last year, according to Defense Department numbers reported by McClatchy.
- Congress delays tough regulatory decisions on financial overhaul by continually launching dozens of studies, reports The New York Times.
- The Army refuses to end the practice of burning trash on bases, even though it appears to be sickening soldiers, reports Mother Jones.
- The House took steps to rein in earmarks, but some senators, unashamed of earmarks, aren’t so keen on the idea, according to Politico.
- One in four private colleges have business ties with companies affiliated with their own trustees, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Defense News reports that the U.S. gets the least output for every dollar it spends on combat equipment.
These stories are part of our ongoing roundup of investigations from other news outlets. For more, visit our Investigations Elsewhere page.
Stimulus Spending Cracks 40 Percent
The Obama administration has spent $317 billion of last February’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the latest numbers from Recovery.gov. The funds include $198 billion in spending and an estimated $119 billion in tax cuts, and represent just over 40 percent of the nearly $800 billion stimulus package.
You can track stimulus spending by agency on our interactive Stimulus Progress Bar. You can also see how fast that money is moving out the door, by checking out our Stimulus Speed Chart.
Federal Agencies: Stimulus Priorities Come At Expense of Non-Stimulus Work
With all the attention paid to the stimulus—to contractor waste and fraud, questionable job creation numbers, and inaccurate data—it’s easy to understand why federal agencies are feeling the pressure to get their act together when it comes to the handling and oversight of stimulus contracts.
According to a report by the Commerce Department’s inspector general, many agencies are now prioritizing Recovery Act work to such a point that non-stimulus operations are being compromised. Staff members work increased hours, non-stimulus contract awards suffer delays, and contracts receive less oversight.
Ongoing Investigations
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Strained by Katrina, Hospital Faced Deadly Choices
A two-year investigation reveals what happened to some patients who died at Memorial Medical Center after Katrina.
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Contractors in Iraq Are Hidden Casualties of War
Civilian contractors face costly and protracted battles to receive care from a federally supervised insurance system.
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New Orleans: Chaos in the Streets & in Police Ranks Too
After Katrina, New Orleans cops shot 10 civilians, at least four of whom died, according to interviews and documents.
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Buried Secrets: Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat
Staffing levels at agencies that police oil and gas wells have not kept pace with the rapid expansion of drilling in 22 states.
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When Caregivers Harm: Unwatched Nurses
Nurses with serious infractions can work in new locales because states fail to tell each other what they know about them.
- Most Power Plants Still Spewing Toxic Mercury, Report Says - McClatchy
- Wellpoint’s Giving for Uninsured Falls Short, Records Show - L.A. Times
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Set to Spend Record Campaign Cash - Wash. Post
- The Pay-Day Lender Lobby - TPMMuckraker
- Government Bank Auditors Got Big Bonuses - AP
- Foundation Promotes Art as Well as Sole Trustee - New York Times
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