Environment Topic Archive

Log in or Register to favorite

Cities Sue Manufacturer of Weed-Killer Found in Tap Water

A coalition of communities in six Midwestern states filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking to force the manufacturer of a widely-used herbicide to pay for its removal from drinking water.

By Danielle Ivory8 March 2010

Federal Regulator Gets Derivatives Advice From Industry Insiders

Like many federal agencies contemplating reform these days, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission is hearing a lot from the industry it regulates.

But executives and lobbyists don’t always have to knock on the commission’s door. Some are already inside.

By Keith Epstein and Ben Protess
18 November 2009

How Credit Raters Fended Off Oversight From Congress and SEC

For years, the nation's big three credit raters have said they are open to stronger supervision. But an investigation shows that behind the scenes, they have repeatedly quashed or watered down government rules.

By Ben Protess and Lagan Sebert
11 November 2009

Stimulus Fuels Gold Rush for Electronic Health Systems

The government’s $45 billion plan to jump-start a national shift to electronic medical records has touched off a gold rush among scores of technology firms – even as many experts question whether the benefits of the products are being oversold.

By Fred Schulte5 November 2009

Fuzzy Math? Rising Costs in Government's Digital Health Stimulus

Creating digital medical records for every American within the next five years – a key provision of President Obama’s stimulus package -- could cost more than twice the $19.5 billion figure that has been cited by federal officials.

By Fred Schulte15 October 2009

In Reversal of Bush Policy, EPA Launches New Study of Atrazine’s Health Effects

The Environmental Protection Agency today reversed its stance on the potential hazards of atrazine, one of the most commonly-used herbicides in the country, saying it will re-examine how the chemical affects human health.

EPA officials said in a statement that the agency will take a close look at the weed-killer’s potential to cause cancer, as well as birth defects, low birth weight, and premature births. Agency scientists also will conduct research for the first time examining whether atrazine interferes with the hormone and reproductive systems of humans and amphibians.

By Danielle Ivory7 October 2009

Anatomy of an Attack Ad

Standing in a medical exam room, a neurosurgeon in a white lab coat stares solemnly into the camera and warns that President Obama’s health care plan “will hurt our seniors.” This ad -- one of dozens of health care spots making the rounds -- provides a case study in modern American political advocacy.

By Ben Protess and Lagan Sebert
24 September 2009

Energy Projects Lag in Stimulus Spending

President Obama has pledged to transform the nation’s energy policy and has made renewable energy a cornerstone of the $787 billion stimulus package, but so far the money for energy-related projects has been slow to leave Washington.

By Gary Cohn10 September 2009

Water Utilities Lack Proper Filters for Weed-Killer

Results from a federal drinking water monitoring program show that many public water companies are ineffective at removing a widely used weed-killer from their water supplies. In many places, atrazine levels in untreated water sources such as rivers directly match the levels that come out of the tap.

By Danielle Ivory27 August 2009

Some Question Geithner's Former D.C. Digs

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has finally moved into a permanent home after eight months in Washington, leaving behind some lingering questions about the rent-free arrangement he enjoyed with a college friend who was a former Wall Street executive and now a top official at a major international lender.

By Philip Shenon26 August 2009

VIDEO: Weed-Killer in the Water: How Safe is Atrazine?

One of the nation's most widely-used herbicides has been found to exceed federal safety limits in drinking water in four states, but water customers have not been told and the Environmental Protection Agency has not published the results. American News Project producer Harry Hanbury contributed to this report.
» Related Story: EPA Fails to Inform Public About Weed-Killer in Drinking Water

By Lagan Sebert and Danielle Ivory
23 August 2009

EPA Fails to Inform Public About Atrazine

One of the nation’s most widely-used herbicides has been found to exceed federal safety limits in drinking water in four states, but water customers have not been told and the Environmental Protection Agency has not published the results.

By Danielle Ivory23 August 2009

Lobbying Showdown over the Future of Student Loans

When Sallie Mae, the nation's largest provider of student loans, saw the possibility of its own extinction in a plan advanced by the Obama administration, it did what just about any big corporation would do: It hired the best lobbyists money can buy.

That was standard procedure for Sallie Mae, which for two decades has almost single-handedly stymied attempts to reduce or eliminate federal subsidies to the multibillion-dollar private student loan industry.

By Danielle Knight29 July 2009

How do Health Care Lobby Dollars Match Influence in Congress?

This afternoon, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT: $1,892,999*) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-NY: $1,372,369) head to the White House for a potentially pivotal meeting with President Obama on health care reform. In an increasingly uphill battle these two key Democrat legislators have been struggling lately with the inevitable bottom line: How much is effective health care reform going to cost?

By Adam Clark Estes13 July 2009