Headlines

Time to Repeal ALEC/NRA Stand Your Ground Laws

The acquittal of George Zimmerman for killing unarmed high-schooler Trayvon Martin serves as a reminder of the continuing inequities in America's criminal justice system -- and might be the impetus to repeal a law like "Stand Your Ground," which was adopted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and subsequently spread across the country. Stand Your Ground was part of the jury instructions in Zimmerman's criminal trial, and it could again come into play if Trayvon's family brings a civil suit.

The "Koch Club": New Report Details How the Brothers Spend the Big Bucks

The Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University recently released a special report, "The Koch Club," that details how David and Charles Koch are using their millions to spread influence through "what may be the best funded, multifaceted, public policy, political and educational presence in the nation today."

The Supreme Court Has Severely Limited Workers’ Ability to Sue Employers for Discrimination

-- by Seep Paliwal

In the midst of landmark opinions on the Voting Rights Act, affirmative action, and marriage equality, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a pair of barely-noticed decisions that will severely limit workers' ability to seek justice if they are victims of discrimination at work.

Justice Denied: 71 ALEC Bills in 2013 Make It Harder to Hold Corporations Accountable for Causing Injury or Death

At least 71 bills introduced in 2013 that make it harder for average Americans to access the civil justice system resemble "models" from the American Legislative Exchange Council, or "ALEC," according to an analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy, publishers of ALECexposed.org.

EPA Pulls Its Punches When It Comes to Issuing Findings on Fracking

When the Environmental Protection Agency abandoned its multimillion-dollar investigation, which found strong evidence of fracking contamination of water resources in Wyoming in June, industry groups cheered, and environmentalists fumed.

America's Most Dynamic (Yet Under-Covered) Movement: Overturning Citizens United

-- by John Nichols, The Nation

The most under-covered political movement in the United States -- and there are a lot of under-covered political movements in the United States -- is the broad-based national campaign to enact a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court rulings that ushered in a new era of big-money politics.

Time to Celebrate! Pete Peterson’s “Fix the Debt” Flunkies Blow Their July 4 Deadline for Austerity

  • Topics: Economy
  • Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson's "astroturf supergroup," the Campaign to Fix the Debt, won't have much to celebrate this Independence Day weekend after missing its goal of achieving a "Grand Bargain" on austerity by July 4, 2013.

    Group Launches "Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda" to Reclaim Public Control over Public Assets and Destructive Outsourcing

    As cities and states struggle to raise revenue in a sagging economy, they have increasingly turned control of public services and assets over to for-profit corporations. But these short-term efforts to close budget gaps can have a disastrous long-term impact.

    CMD Calls for Nebraska Ethics Investigation over ALEC Keystone “Academy” Junket

    -- by Nick Surgey and Brendan Fischer

    The Center for Media and Democracy filed a complaint yesterday with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission alleging that Nebraska Senator Jim Smith, a major proponent of the Keystone XL pipeline, failed to disclose significant travel expenses paid for by the Government of Alberta, Canada during Smith's participation in an "Oil Sands Academy" organized by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The trip was sponsored by the operator of the Keystone XL pipeline, TransCanada, which may raise additional concerns under the ethics and lobbying code.

    John Nichols, Bob McChesney Book Event for “Dollarocracy” in Madison July 24th

  • Topics: Democracy, Media
  • The Center for Media and Democracy will be hosting the inaugural event celebrating the publication of Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America, the new book from acclaimed authors John Nichols and Robert McChesney.

    Syndicate content