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Black Lung Returns To Coal Country
Black Lung: Why Respirators Are Not A Solution
July 9, 2012 Breathing devices may seem useful for protecting coal miners from the toxic dust that causes black lung. But federal law does not permit using respirators as a way of complying with dust exposure limits.
Black Lung Returns To Coal Country
Surface Coal Miners At Risk For Black Lung
July 9, 2012 The deadly disease is no longer just a concern for underground miners. A new study documents severe cases among surface miners, too
The Two-Way
Mine Safety Questions Linger, One Year After Takeover Of Massey Energy
June 1, 2012 Citations issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) say managers at one mine failed to evacuate a section that was enveloped in thick smoke generated by a malfunctioning conveyor belt. The company disputes that finding.
The Two-Way
Survey Shows Uncertainty In Reporting Suspicious Activity
April 25, 2012 Some respondents said they didn't trust the government, others feared ensnaring an innocent person.
Planet Money
Should We Kill The Dollar Bill?
April 19, 2012 Last month, a Washington, D.C. subway station was plastered with posters of giant dollar bills. One of them said: "Tell Congress to stop wasting time trying to eliminate the dollar bill." The $70,000 ad blitz was part of a small lobbying war over the fate of the dollar bill.
The Two-Way
Prosecutors Knew Of FBI's Forensics Flaws For Years, The Washington Post Reports
April 17, 2012 The Justice Department has long known that flawed forensic work by FBI experts may have helped convict innocent people, but prosecutors rarely told defendants' attorneys, according to The Washington Post. Problems were seen in analyses of fingerprints, hair and fibers, bullets, polygraphs and other areas.
The Two-Way
Grandmother In High-Profile Shaken Baby Case Has Sentence Commuted
April 6, 2012 The California governor commuted the sentence of Shirley Ree Smith, who already served nearly a decade in prison, citing "significant doubts" that she killed her 7-week-old grandson.
Post Mortem: Death Investigation In America
New Evidence In High-Profile Shaken Baby Case
March 29, 2012 Shirley Ree Smith, who was convicted of killing her 7-week-old grandson, faces a return to prison. But an investigation by NPR, ProPublica and PBS Frontline has found documents that raise new questions about the autopsy that sent her there.
Post Mortem: Death Investigation In America
Free, But Not Cleared: Ernie Lopez Comes Home
March 5, 2012 After nine years in prison for sexual assault of a baby girl, Lopez has been reunited with his family in Texas. An investigation by NPR, Frontline and ProPublica showed that the baby had a disorder that mimicked the signs of physical abuse. And now, Lopez awaits a new trial.
The Two-Way
Massey Mine Boss Charged In Deadly Coal Mine Explosion
February 22, 2012 Federal prosecutors in Charleston, W.Va., have filed the most serious criminal charges yet in the investigation of the April, 2010, coal mine explosion that left 29 mine workers dead.
Post Mortem: Death Investigation In America
Fewer Autopsies Mean Crucial Info Goes To The Grave
February 5, 2012 Autopsies are conducted on just 5 percent of patients who die in hospitals, and experts say that is a troubling trend that has broad implications for public health in America: Death certificates aren't as accurate as they could be, and that information drives research dollars and public health spending.
Shots - Health News
Computerized Tests For Concussions May Be Unreliable
February 2, 2012 Computerized testing of athletes for concussion isn't a reliable gauge of their brain health or fitness to return to play, according to new research. The computerized tests are used in the NFL and NHL, and in many colleges and high schools.
The Two-Way
One Soldier's Progress Against Traumatic Brain Injury
January 30, 2012 Sgt. Victor Medina couldn't think straight or speak clearly after suffering a concussion in a 2009 roadside blast in Iraq. Now, after being treated at a new state-of-the-art center for brain-injured soldiers, "it's like night and day," his wife says.
Shots - Health News
Once Routine, Autopsies Now Scarce At U.S. Hospitals
December 15, 2011 Hospitals have financial incentives to avoid autopsies. And a decline in the number of postmortem examinations performed means lost opportunities for improving medical care and distortions in health care statistics.
Planet Money
White House Kills Dollar Coin Program
December 14, 2011 More than 1 billion coins are sitting unwanted in government vaults. Ending the program will save an estimated $50 million a year.
