The New York Times’ Nina Bernstein reports that the Dept. of Homeland Security is promising to provide better information about immigrants that die while detained. A Dept. inspector general report finds bad information sharing between federal agencies about the deaths of undocumented immigrants languishing in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. The report recommends that ICE be required to tell state medical investigators about detainee deaths.

The lack of medical care for these detainees was part of a blockbuster investigative series this spring by the Post. DHS may be taking key steps to better report detainee deaths. But it doesn’t seem the Dept. is questioning the practice of hauling away hundreds of immigrants and not giving them health care.-MB

The New York Times’ James A. Glanz and Richard A. Oppel look at a Congressional committee report released yesterday that concludes the Bush administration knew about a deal between the Hunt Oil Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government. This contradicts a statement by President Bush when the deal was made — in September 2007 — saying that the White House knew nothing of the contract.

In fact, it looks like Ray Hunt, head of the company, wrote letters to a President’s advisory board and consulted State Dept. officials. In addition to the Kurdistan contract, Congress is now investigating the real role played by the Bush administration in the Iraqi oil ministry’s rewarding of no-bid contracts to Exxon Mobile and other Western oil giants.

There are many less than flattering conclusions to draw about the Bush administration and their investment in Iraq’s huge oil reserves. The Times piece does a good job of reporting out the facts, including truly mixed signals from the State Dept. about whether Hunt Oil should have proceeded with the deal. Stay tuned.-MB

In not-late-breaking news, the Centers for Disease Control has issued a report that trailers issued by FEMA to Hurricane Katrina victims contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde. The Washington Post’s Spencer S. Hsu reports that bad manufacturing and poor Federal Emergency Management Agency oversight of that manufacturing led to wood with formaldehyde levels that can cause serious respiratory damage.

An entire not-to-be-widely-read book could be written about the numerous reports released since 2006 showing toxicity in FEMA trailers. The problem is the federal government itself waited until this February to release their own report, confirming the need to evacuate all the trailers, fast (about 19,000 trailers remain occupied).

This follow-up report coincides with a Congressional hearing on the issue next week. But is there anything more for FEMA, the Centers for Disease Control and their legion of critics to say?-MB