February 2011 Archive
A.C. Thompson Wins ASNE Batten Medal
ProPublica is proud to announce that A.C. Thompson is this year’s winner of the American Society of News Editors Batten Medal for individual achievement in public-service journalism.
Despite Finding Big Problems in Mortgage Industry, Regulators' Punishment Unclear
Federal regulators say they're going to crack down after finding "critical deficiencies" with how banks and mortgage servicers have been handling struggling homeowners. But it's an open question just what form a punishment will take.
Overview of Middle East Crackdowns and the (Varying) U.S. Responses to Each
Here’s a brief look at what’s happening in some key countries in the Middle East and how the U.S. has responded.
The Reform for Disabled Borrowers That the Education Dept. Refuses to Adopt
The Education Department has resisted a basic reform to its troubled disability review that its own ombudsman has recommended since 2008 -- shut the program down entirely and rely on Social Security to decide who is eligible.
Science Review Casts Doubt on Some Evidence in FBI's Anthrax Investigation
A National Academy of Sciences report says scientific evidence in the 2001 anthrax letter attacks, did not definitively show that spores originated in a flask controlled by Army microbiologist Bruce E. Ivins, whom the FBI identified as the perpetrator after his suicide in 2008.
Despite Drive to Cut Costs, Defense Programs Deemed Unnecessary May Prove Difficult to Kill
The president's proposed budget cuts several weapons programs deemed unnecessary by the Defense Department, but lawmakers have historically opposed efforts to end them.
Recruiter’s Experience at one For-Profit University Suggests Reform Efforts Will Face Hurdles
In four months as an enrollment counselor at Grand Canyon University, Ryan Richardson says he was instructed to sign up prospective students using practices criticized by regulators and lawmakers.
Regulators Warn that Trans-Alaska Pipeline Poses Safety Risk
The federal agency that regulates pipeline safety recommended a number of upgrades to the pipeline system, which it said had a history of corrosion problems.
Education Department Bureaucracy Keeps Disabled Borrowers in Debt
Borrowers who become severely disabled are entitled to get federal student loans forgiven. But the program for deciding whether they qualify is opaque, dysfunctional, and according to government reports, redundant.
