July 2015 Archive
Agent Orange Act Was Supposed to Help Vietnam Veterans — But Many Still Don’t Qualify
The 1991 law presumes veterans were exposed to the defoliant if they have certain diseases and “set foot” in Vietnam, but Navy vets and Air Force vets in Thailand say they were also exposed. Here’s our guide to groups seeking Agent Orange benefits.
For a Surgeon With a History of Complications, a Felony Past
As a medical student, Florida spine surgeon Constantine Toumbis stabbed a friend outside a bar. Documents show he omitted or misrepresented his record in regulatory filings.
Less Than Zero
Despite decades of accepted science, California and Arizona are still miscounting their water supplies.
How Much Water Does the West Really Have?
As America’s west has waged its battle against water scarcity, some of its officials have been miscalculating to some degree just how much water is actually available. If states in the West keep managing water this way, we risk a water crisis even worse than we fear.
Less Than Zero
Despite decades of accepted science, California and Arizona are still miscounting their water supplies.
Surgeon Scorecard and Cancer Centers
The names of five cancer centers were missing from Surgeon Scorecard. We have updated the database so you can now find them.
How Much Acetaminophen a Day is Safe? Canada May Decide It’s Less
After an investigation by the Toronto Star, Canada’s top health agency considers whether to lower the maximum recommended daily dose of the active ingredient in Tylenol and other painkillers.
Surgeon Scorecard
We calculated complication rates for surgeons performing one of eight elective procedures under Medicare, carefully adjusting for differences in patient health, age and hospital quality. Use this database to know more about a surgeon before your operation.
How We Measured Surgical Complications
The methodology for our analysis of surgical complication rates.
Making the Cut: Why Choosing the Right Surgeon Matters Even More Than You Know
A ProPublica analysis of nearly 17,000 surgeons finds stark differences in complications rates for some of the most routine elective procedures.
Popular Blood Thinner Causing Deaths, Injuries at Nursing Homes
Some facilities fail to properly oversee Coumadin. Too much can cause bleeding; too little, clots. Nursing homes are “a perfect setup for bad things happening,” one expert says.
When Wall Street Offers Free Money, Watch Out
Bankers and new accounting rules are emboldening governments to borrow-and-bet their way out of pension problems, a strategy that’s backfired in the past.
Bet Big, Then Go Short
Governments that borrow money to fund their pensions often pay less into their pension funds in future years than they're supposed to. Here’s how the 20 biggest pension bonds deals since 1996 have worked out.
