GE’s Own Safety Team Urged Company to Restrict MRI Drug
GE Healthcare ignored the advice of its ownsafety experts to “proactively” restrict use of its imaging drug, Omniscan, after reports in Europe linked the drug to a potentially crippling disease, according to a newly unsealed order in a lawsuit against the company.
The recommendation came at a May 2006 meeting convened by the company's vice president for drug safety. But instead of immediately alerting doctors to stop using the drug in high-risk patients, GE spent the next year arguing that approach wasn't necessary, even as some government and radiological experts favored such a ban.
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How Sen. Vitter Battled the EPA Over Formaldehyde's Link to Cancer
Sen. David Vitter has persuaded the EPA to agree to yet another review of its long-delayed assessment of the health risks of formaldehyde. As long as the studies continue, the EPA will still list formaldehyde as a "probable" rather than a "known" carcinogen, even though three major scientific reviews now link it to leukemia and have strengthened its ties to other forms of cancer.
Senators Call for Changes to Troubled, Costly Afghan Police Training Program
State and Defense department officials took a tongue-lashing today, trying to explain to a Senate subcommittee how the government has poured $6 billion since 2002 into building an effective Afghan police force with disastrous results.
ProPublica and Newsweek examined the problems with police training in Afghanistan in a story published last month. The program, managed under a contract with DynCorp International, has faced challenges on every front, from recruitment to inadequate training periods to corruption to poor officer retention.
Add-on to Health Care Bill Gives Feds More Power to Investigate Jail Conditions
Among the many lesser-known provisions tucked into the lengthy health care reform bill passed last month is one that expands the U.S. attorney general's power to look into the abuse and neglect of those living in institutional settings.
The provision, first reported by the Web site Main Justice, amends the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) to allow the Justice Department to issue subpoenas compelling publicly run prisons, jails, mental health facilities and nursing homes to open their doors to inspectors and turn over records.
Most local and state officials cooperate with CRIPA probes, resolving disputes through settlement agreements. Occasionally, however, they refuse to participate in the process, forcing the federal government to take them to court.
Inspectors Keep Up Pressure on Alhurra, Say Effectiveness Still in Question
A U.S. government-run TV station that broadcasts news across the Middle East has made some positive organizational changes, but it still suffers from management problems and has been unable to measure its effectiveness, according to a new inspector general's review.
The review by the State Department's inspector general follows a succession of negative reports on the Alhurra satellite station and its affiliate, Radio Sawa, which have cost taxpayers more than $700 million since launching in 2004 to promote American viewpoints in the region.
Alhurra was the subject of a joint investigation in 2008 by ProPublica and CBS' "60 Minutes." The investigation and a series of ProPublica articles revealed staff problems, financial mismanagement and longstanding concerns inside the U.S. government and Congress regarding Alhurra's content, sparking inquiries in the House and Senate.
Investigations You Need to Read: Thursday
Today in accountability news:
- A friend and old fraternity brother of D.C.‘s mayor earned his company $4.2 million in management fees for overseeing a city project. The Washington Post reports that he might get an additional $700,000, which procurement experts are calling “unorthodox” and “generous.” The mayor’s aides call it “standard.”
- Former Long Island Congressman Rick Lazio, supposed Republican front-runner in the New York governor’s race, was a servant of Wall Street in the boom years, according to The Village Voice. The records from his 16 years in public life, which he donated to his alma mater, may now be coming back to haunt him.
- After the release of the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy report, all fingers were pointed at Lehman. But in parts of the report unsealed Wednesday, the bankruptcy examiner also saw possible grounds for a suit against Goldman Sachs and Barclays, reports The New York Times DealBook.
- The federal government is now looking at a director of Goldman Sachs in its investigation into insider trading, reports The Wall Street Journal.
- The Huffington Post reports that more than 75 percent of homeowners in the Obama administration’s loan mod program still owe more than what their homes are worth.
These stories are part of our ongoing roundup of investigations from other news outlets. For more, visit our Investigations Elsewhere page.
U.S. Terror Targets Unprotected, According to Former CIA Official
During the years he dueled terrorists overseas as a top operative for the CIA, Charles S. Faddis came to see the world through the eyes of the enemy.
Working in Iraq, South Asia and other hotspots, he cased streetscapes like a terrorist, identifying potential targets, probing for vulnerabilities. When he returned home he found himself looking through the same instinctive lens, whether riding Amtrak or attending a U.S. Marine Corps graduation.
What he saw -- despite a vast campaign to fortify the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks -- scared him. In fact, he says it scared him so much that he has written a new book, Willful Neglect: The Dangerous Illusion of Homeland Security.
How Senator Vitter Battled the EPA Over Formaldehyde’s Link to Cancer
When Sen. David Vitter persuaded the EPA to agree to yet another review of its long-delayed assessment of the health risks of formaldehyde, he was praised by companies that use or manufacture a chemical found in everything from plywood to carpet.
As long as the studies continue, the EPA will still list formaldehyde as a "probable" rather than a "known" carcinogen, even though three major scientific reviews now link it to leukemia and have strengthened its ties to other forms of cancer. The chemical industry is fighting to avoid that designation, because it could lead to tighter regulations and require costly pollution controls.
"Delay means money. The longer they can delay labeling something a known carcinogen, the more money they can make," said James Huff, associate director for chemical carcinogenesis at the National Institute for Environmental Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Contractor Deaths Accelerating in Afghanistan as They Outnumber Soldiers
A recent Congressional Research Service analysis obtained by ProPublica looked at the number of civilian contractors killed in Afghanistan in recent months. It's not pretty.
Of the 289 civilians killed since the war began more than eight years ago, 100 have died in just the last six months. That's a reflection of both growing violence and the importance of the civilians flooding into the country along with troops in response to President Obama's decision to boost the American presence in Afghanistan.
Watchdog Panel Slams Loan Mod Program: ‘Little More Than Window Dressing’
One of the government’s bailout watchdogs, the Congressional Oversight Panel, has some sharp words for the Obama administration’s programs to fight forclosures through loan modifications. In a report released today (PDF), the panel said the programs “have failed to provide meaningful relief” and appear to be “little more than window dressing” when it comes to helping desperate homeowners.
The report also raised concerns about the scope of the programs, pointing out that even though the Treasury’s stated goal was to offer three to four million loan modifications, the number of borrowers eligible for permanent modifications falls far short of that goal. (Homeowners in the program first get trial loan-mods designed to last three months, after which they’re which banks and mortgage servicers are supposed to either give homeowners a permanent modification or drop them from the program.)
As we’ve reported, the Treasury has hedged its statements, saying that the ‘three to four million’ figure was for trial modification offers, and not permanent loan modifications. Its latest estimates are that it will be able to offer permanent help to, at most, 1.7 million homeowners. The panel’s estimates are even lower.
Investigations You Need to Read: Wednesday
Today in accountability news:
- The revolving door between government and the financial companies pushing back against new regulation is hardly a new phenomenon, but The New York Times reports that the issue has grown in prominence in recent years. Data show that more than 125 former Congressional aides and lawmakers are now working for financial firms, and at least 56 are working specifically as lobbyists.
- Following a 2006 coal mine explosion that killed five people, internal reviews by the Mine Safety and Health Administration found flaws in its own inspection practices, reports The Washington Post. Now, to the dismay of former regulators and industry experts, the manager in charge of inspections at that mine will lead an investigation into what went wrong in an explosion that killed 29 miners last week.
- Long before the news broke about sexual harassment allegations against former Congressman Eric Massa, the New York Democrat’s senior staff members tried to “manage the problem internally,” according to The Washington Post. Some on the staff complained about inappropriate behavior by Massa for a year before senior staff members finally told Congressional leaders about the allegations.
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that from 2008 until March 2010, Georgia lawmakers billed the state for more than $3.5 million in per diem payments for expenditures incurred while the General Assembly was out of session.
- The Los Angeles Times reports that a Cal State foundation, accused of illegally shredding financial documents related to a Sarah Palin speaking event, is being investigated for its use of $20 million intended for educational purposes.
These stories are part of our ongoing roundup of investigations from other news outlets. For more, visit our Investigations Elsewhere page.
Ongoing Investigations
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Strained by Katrina, Hospital Faced Deadly Choices
A two-year investigation reveals what happened to some patients who died at Memorial Medical Center after Katrina.
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Buried Secrets: Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat
The Latest: A new EPA study of hydraulic fracturing is expected to provide a broad look at the natural gas drilling process.
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New Orleans: Chaos in the Streets & in Police Ranks Too
The Latest: A police report on the shooting of a man whose burned corpse was found after Katrina differs from the original report.
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Disposable Army: Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Latest: Contractors suffer the same trauma as soldiers but lack the safety net.
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When Caregivers Harm: Unwatched Nurses
Nurses with serious infractions can work in new locales because states fail to tell each other what they know about them.
- As a Congressman, NY’s Lazio Made Friendly with Wall St. - Village Voice
- Was Lack of Gov’t Transparency a Factor in Mine Deaths? - HuffPo
- Lehman Examiner Sees Possible Grounds for Suit - New York Times
- Goldman Director’s Dealings with Galleon Examined - WSJ ($)
- Contract Awarded to DC Mayor’s Friend May Include Extra $700K - Wash. Post
- 75% In Loan-Mod Plan Owe More Than Their Homes Are Worth - HuffPo
Latest: Abrahm Lustgarten and Joaquin Sapien take a close look at the EPA's decision to conduct a study on hydraulic fracturing.
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