January 2011 Archive
Behold: ProPublica's Android App
Readers with Android-based smartphones will be able to keep up on all of ProPublica's latest stories, long-term investigations, and even our daily links to the best investigative journalism from around the web
Homeowners Trying To Get Loan Mods: Where They Stand Now
We are checking back with some of the homeowners we’ve profiled over the past year. Some homeowners received modifications that prevented foreclosure, some are still in limbo and others have moved on. Now, we're checking back with some of the homeowners we've profiled over the past year.
Obama’s New Chief of Staff a Top Banker With Strong Chamber Ties
In the fight over financial reform, Bill Daley's ties to the Chamber of Commerce put him at odds with the reforms championed by the Obama administration. Now, he's been picked as chief of staff.
Bank Errors Cause Damage to Credit, Distress to Homeowners
Bank mistakes don't always have consequences as obvious as erroneous foreclosures. Some consumers reported seeing their credit scores plummet after requesting information from their bank.
Standard & Poor’s Triple A Ratings Collapse Again. The Question is Why?
Two weeks ago, Standard & Poor’s put out a press release: The credit rating agency warned it was poised to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-15/s-p-says-it-incorrectly-analyzed-re-remic-mortgage-bonds.html">downgrade</a> almost 1,200 complex mortgage securities.
American Legion Pushes For Coverage of Treatment for Troops With Brain Injuries
Citing an investigation by ProPublica and NPR, the nation’s largest veterans group is demanding that Tricare, the Pentagon’s health plan, pay for cognitive rehabilitation therapy
Scraping for Journalism: A Guide for Collecting Data
A series of technical and programming tutorials on how scraped, parsed, and organized data for "Dollars for Docs."
As Coal King Retires to $12 Million, Mine Safety Struggle Goes On
In the past two weeks, environmentalists lost an activist and the powerful CEO of a coal company stepped down. Longtime regulatory challenges nonetheless persist.
Pennsylvania's Drilling Wastewater Released to Streams, Some Unaccounted For
As gas-drilling operations proliferated in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale over the past couple of years, most of the hundreds of millions of gallons of briny wastewater they produced was eventually dumped into the state’s rivers. Much of the rest is unaccounted for.
Disclosure of Possible Gitmo Signing Statement Spurs Debate Inside and Outside Administration
Obama administration officials have drafted a signing statement that stops short of claiming that provisions in a spending bill on Guantanamo are unconstitutional. But debate continues within the administration and among constitutional experts as to how President Obama should react to legislation limiting where and how he can prosecute prisoners.
Why We’re Publishing Advertising, and Where We Stand on Funding
ProPublica will begin publishing advertising on its web site, and likely soon we’ll include it as well in our daily email, on our mobile site and in our iPad app.
GOP’s New Oversight Chair Asks Businesses Which Regulations Burden Them
A letter from Rep. Darrell Issa asks businesses and trade groups to help identify regulations his Oversight committee should target.
At Foreclosure Law Firms, Concerns About Novice Attorneys
In Florida, about half of attorneys at the state's four largest foreclosure law firms have practiced law for less than three years, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Funding for Federal and State Financial Regulators Still in Question As Roles Expand
Could Washington's power shift this week have implications for financial reform implementation? Here's a quick review of federal and state regulators' funding situations.
Administration Prepares to Defy Efforts to Limit Obama’s Options for Guantanamo
Senior officials are advising President Obama to reject provisions of a military spending bill that limits his handling of Guantanamo. Aides are urging him to sign the bill but issue a signing statement rejecting the Guantanamo provisions as unacceptable limits on his authority.
The Toppling: How the Media Inflated the Fall of Saddam's Statue in Firdos Square
How saturation media coverage of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Firdos Square fueled the perception that the war had been won and diverted attention from what in reality was just the start of a long and costly conflict.
