Political Corruption Is Responsible for $3 ATM Fees
How much does corruption cost you? When you use a non-network ATM, it’s usually a $3 fee, just for accessing your own money. The cost to the bank charging you that money, however, is just 37 cents. That’s price gouging, and when you add it all up, it’s a total of $7 billion annually that goes from those
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Just Who Are The Students For-Profits Lobbying Group APSCU Is Committed To Putting First?
The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities is the primary lobbying group for the for-profit college industry. As we’ve reported before on Republic Report, some APSCU member schools have a record of fraudulent practices: targeting veterans and low-income people for recruitment while maintaing atrocious drop-out and loan default rates. APSCU and its members spend thousands of
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Koch Operative Steered $55 Million To Front Groups Airing Ads Against Democrats; Ads Assailed Candidates Over Abortion, 9/11, Medicare
Charles and David Koch, the billionaire owners of of Koch Industries, are known as big spenders when it comes to lobbying and influencing public policy. Now, a new document filed with the IRS reveals how the Koch political machine funneled over $54.5 million in previously undisclosed funds to a litany of front groups designed to
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Crime Pays: Walmart Outperforms Dow by 4% Since Bribery Scandal Broke
On April 21, the New York Times’s David Barstow broke a major story about Walmart’s alleged extensive bribery in Mexico to expand its presence there. Yet, as you can see from the chart above, Walmart’s stock has recovered all of its value since the story, and it has outperformed the Dow by 4%. The threat
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AIPAC’s Lobbyists Pushing Bill Today That Could Make U.S. War With Iran More Likely
Today, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on House Resolution 568. At first glance, the bill seems to be fairly routine, in that it says it is to express “the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the importance of preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.” But dig a
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GRAPHIC: How The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Uses Its “Spooky PAC” To Funnel Corporate Cash Into Secret Attack Ads
As Stephen Colbert rightfully pointed out earlier this week, a 501(c) organizations — which he termed “Spooky PACs” — operate like Super PACs, except that they are completely secret organizations that do no reveal any of their donors. Like Super PACs, 501(c) groups can raise unlimited corporate and union donations, and can spend that cash
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Wall Street Doesn’t Think Michele Bachmann Is Fringe: Big Banks Like J.P. Morgan Support Her Bill To Repeal Financial Regulations
What do Jamie Dimon, chief executive of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and Michele Bachmann, a conspiracy-obsessed representative from Minnesota, have in common? Both support H.R. 87, Bachmman’s legislation that would repeal all major Wall Stret reforms passed in the wake of the financial crisis. Though Bachmann has been cast as a fringe figure over
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What Do UFO Sightings And Super PACs Have In Common?
Just as many Americans who have personally witnessed a UFO think super PACs don’t corrupt democracy. I know, I know…it’s hard to believe anyone believes super PACs aren’t hurting our democracy, as they enable the mega-rich, corporations, and unions to pour unlimited amounts of money anonymously into our elections. And the vast majority of Americans do agree
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