December 2012 Archive
Head of Pardons Office Withheld Facts From White House in Key Case
A Department of Justice Inspector General report concluded that the head of the pardons office may have mishandled the case of Clarence Aaron.
We've Nationalized the Home Mortgage Market. Now What?
The home loan market was nationalized in a slapdash fashion and is now riven by conflicts of interest and competing goals. To solve it, a consensus is forming to head down the path of the least resistance but greatest risk.
TSA to Commission Independent Study of X-Ray Body Scanners
The Transportation Security Administration will have the National Academy of Sciences study the health effects of X-ray body scanners used in airports. But how much will the study reveal?
Use Our Nursing Home Inspect Widget on Your Site
We made it easy to search nursing home inspection reports right from your own website.
Key Convictions Overturned in Killing by New Orleans Police
In a setback for federal prosecutors, an appellate court tosses the convictions of two former cops imprisoned in connection with the killing of Henry Glover.
Seven of the Most Striking Ways States Have Loosened Gun Laws
It’s only gotten easier to own and carry a gun nationwide in the last several years.
Two Deaths, Wildly Different Penalties: The Big Disparities in Nursing Home Oversight
ProPublica’s updated Nursing Home Inspect tool shows that government fails to ensure consistent penalties for nursing homes in different states.
Nursing Home Inspect
We've updated our app with new data and a new design, making it easier to find nursing home problems in your state.
Cheat Sheet: BofA Supplied Default Answers for 'Independent' Foreclosure Claims Reviewers
The Independent Foreclosure Review, the government's main effort to compensate homeowners for harm by banks, is supposed to be independent from the banks. But in Bank of America's case, it wasn't.
Karl Rove's Dark Money Group Promised IRS It Would Spend 'Limited' Money on Elections
Crossroads GPS, which has spent tens of millions from secret donors on elections, told the IRS in its 2010 application that its efforts would focus on education, policy-making and research.
Mexico’s Newspapers Shy From Covering the Drug Gangs Behind Continuing Violence
A new study shows that papers have stepped up reporting on murders but remain wary of covering the Zetas and other gangs responsible for the killings.
Are Voter ID Laws Here to Stay?
The elections saw a furor over voter ID laws. So what's next for the laws?
MuckReads, Meet RebelMouse
ProPublica readers can now find our crowd-powered collection of watchdog reporting on Facebook.
Iranian Sociologist’s Dying Wish to Join His Family—Rejected by the U.S.
ProPublica profiled Rahmatollah Sedigh Sarvestani, an Iranian sociologist dying of cancer who has been refused a visa on national security grounds. His last-ditch effort to obtain a humanitarian travel permit to come to the U.S. has been denied.
Why (and How) We Use Creative Commons for Our Stories
ProPublica has made important use of Creative Commons since our launch four and a half years ago.
From Bernie Madoff to Steven Cohen, Enabling Suspiciously High Returns
It looks more and more as if Steve Cohen's returns at the hedge fund SAC have been generated not only through his trading brilliance but also through a culture of cutting corners. So why do major institutional investors still have any money with him?
