July 2012 Archive
Lobbyist-linked Group Footed Bill for Rep. Burton’s Bahrain Trip
The Indiana Republican and his wife traveled on the dime of a group with deep connections to a lobbying firm, despite a ban on travel financed by lobbyists.
Before Deadly Bulgaria Bombing, Tracks of a Resurgent Iran-Hezbollah Threat
Bent on avenging attacks on its nuclear program, Iran and Hezbollah have allegedly spun at least 10 terror plots in the past year, most of them failures. With this month's deadly bombing in the beach resort of Burgas, Western counterterror officials say, the Shiite alliance has crossed a dangerous line.
In Honor of the Olympics, the Best Investigative Reporting on Sports
From hockey to horse racing, steroids to Sandusky, we’ve rounded up some great sports reporting.
New Questions About Sheldon Adelson’s Casino Operations in Macau
Las Vegas Sands has insisted for more than a year that it needed approval from Macau authorities to turn over documents sought by federal investigators and a former employee suing the company for wrongful termination. Now, the company owned by the biggest single Republican donor acknowledges that many of the documents have been in the United States all along.
Adventure Awaits: Another ProPublica News Apps Fellowship
Starting later this year, ProPublica is going to be part of the Knight-Mozilla OpenNews Fellowship program. The OpenNews Fellow will work as a member of our news applications team on major journalism projects and will also get to travel the world attending hack days and conferences.
Key Senate Staffer on Military Issues Got Big Payout From Lockheed Martin
Ann Sauer went through the revolving door twice — from working as a Capitol Hill staffer to becoming a Lockheed Martin lobbyist to now returning to the Hill, just as the fight over defense cuts heats up.
Dark Money Political Groups Target Voters Based on Their Internet Habits
Dark money groups are using sophisticated online targeting tactics. Voters may never know they’re being targeted.
After Katrina, New Orleans Cops Were Told They Could Shoot Looters
After Katrina, New Orleans police officers circulated orders authorizing them to shoot looters and "take back the city," but it remains unclear who issued them.
Graphic: Who are the Super PACs' Biggest Donors?
An interactive chart showing the share of all contributions given by the top ten donors to each of the 12 largest super PACs.
Banks’ Lending Frenzy Left Borrowers Buried in Student Debt, Report Details
In the run-up to the financial crisis, banks and other lenders made risky private student loans. In the years since, default rates have soared and borrowers are still suffering.
HSBC’s Money Laundering Lapses, By the Numbers
A Senate investigation cited HSBC for failing to have adequate controls to prevent money-laundering. We break down their findings.
Why Can't Medicine Seem to Fix Simple Mistakes?
The death of 12-year-old Rory Staunton from septic shock prompted NYU's Langone Medical Center to revamp its emergency room procedures to address a startling lapse. History shows that the profession is unlikely to learn from this mistake.
Education Department Revamps Broken Disability Review Program
Despite the changes to its student loan program to help borrowers who've become disabled, the government declined to include a key reform.
The Magnetar Fallout: Who’s Been Charged, Has Settled, or is Now Being Investigated?
A rundown of the various investigations into the deals spawned by the hedge fund Magnetar that helped super charge the financial meltdown.
Obama Administration Wants Review of Prisoner’s Commutation Request
The Justice Department is reviewing the commutation request of a federal inmate while conducting its first-ever in-depth analysis of presidential pardons.
Like Rate-Fixing Scandals? You’ll Love the Credit Default Swap Market
A proper market would want an organization that was impartial, regulated, transparent and open to appeal, but with credit default swaps, there is no such luck.
