December 2011 Archive
Congress Moves Toward Tougher Stand on Pipeline Safety, But is it Enough?
A new bill takes a step towards addressing serious flaws in the nation’s oil and gas pipeline safety standards, in response to over a year of deadly accidents.
Fight Over Obama’s Recess Appointments Puts Stranglehold on Key FinReg, Labor Nominees
As winter recess approaches, Senate Republicans have been holding up certain uncontroversial appointments as a bargaining chip to prevent President Obama from other appointments in recess.
Adaptive Design, Fixed Widths and Tablets
If you're trying to make your fixed-width site adaptive, there are some things you need to know about the viewport tag.
Decoding the Payroll-Tax Cut: How Well Does It Work?
Extending the payroll-tax cut is the latest fight in Washington. But how much would it help the economy?
Sweating Bullets: Body Scanners Can See Perspiration as a Potential Weapon
One type of airport body scanner deployed by the Transportation Security Administration has raised health concerns, but a safer type has registered such high false-alarm rates that Germany and France have nixed it.
Perry More Generous With Pardons Than Romney
Mitt Romney has boasted about granting no pardons as Massachusetts governor from 2003-07, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry has pardoned 178 people in his nearly 11 years in office.
Top MuckReads: Dubious Medicine, Dirty Underwear and Gas Drillers
Our rundown of this week’s best investigative or accountability journalism.
Results of ProPublica’s 2011 Reader Survey
The results of our latest survey of ProPublica readers are in, and we wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about... well, you.
Drywall Manufacturer Agrees to Settlement
Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin is the first manufacturer to agree to settle defective drywall cases lodged in federal court. The settlement could pay to repair more than 5,000 homes, plaintiffs’ attorneys say.
Why Can’t Linda Carswell Get Her Husband’s Heart Back?
For almost eight years, Linda Carswell has been trying to find out how her husband died. Her quest has led to a fraud judgment against a hospital as well as autopsy reform in Texas. But she’s still seeking answers — and the return of his heart.
Without Autopsies, Hospitals Bury Their Mistakes
Hospital autopsies have become a rarity. As a result, experts say, diagnostic errors are missed, opportunities to improve medical treatment are lost, and health-care statistics are skewed.
U.S. Sues To Recover $446 Million From Hezbollah-Connected Firms
The Justice Department says U.S. car buyers were sent at least $329 million to purchase used vehicles shipped to Africa, where they were sold as part of a scheme to launder drug-trafficking profits through Lebanon using security provided by Hezbollah.
Government Runs Late With Rules For Disclosing Drug Company Payments to Doctors
The agency responsible for administering health care reform, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, published proposed rules last night, well after its Oct. 1 deadline.
Senator Wants Answers on Program to Test Soldiers for Brain Injuries
Sen. Claire McCaskill has requested a briefing from the military on its troubled neurological testing program.
Needed: A Cure for a Severe Case of Trialphobia
The Securities and Exchange Commission has been scared to bring big banks to trial for wrongdoing that helped cause the financial crisis. But that strategy fails to hold the big banks accountable and weakens the SEC's negotiating position.
