April 9, 2012

For-Profit Colleges: Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old

Since former Congressman Steve Gunderson (R-WI) was named in January as the new head of the largest for-profit college association, APSCU, there has been talk that he might take a “kinder, gentler” approach to leading the troubled industry, which has pursued a take-no-prisoners lobbying approach in Washington. But having read Gunderson’s pronouncements in recent months, and
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April 6, 2012

Big Super PAC Donor Harold Simmons Pays Government To Make His Dump Profitable

Harold Simmons has spent $16 million so far this election season, making him one of the biggest presidential super PAC sugar daddies. Simmons recently said he was prepared to spend at least $36 million to beat President Obama, “for the good of the country.” But Simmons isn’t just spreading his wealth to help others. He’s hoping
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April 5, 2012

Kraft Foods Joins Coca-Cola and Pepsi In Leaving Corporate Front Group ALEC

Earlier today, we reported that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo said they would leave the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the corporate front group that pushes controversial laws like Stand Your Ground and disenfranchising Voter ID laws in state legislatures across the country.  Citizen groups, led by Color of Change, have pressured the corporations that fund ALEC
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April 5, 2012

INFOGRAPHIC: Million Dollar Gifts Accounted For Half Of Super PACs’ Money In 2011

Got a million bucks lying around? How about 100 grand? If so, you’re in good company…of the 714 super PAC donors in 2011, who gave an average of $88,000 to the nine biggest non-campaign organizations supporting (or, in many cases, opposing) candidates for president in 2012. With total outside spending on elections now in excess
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April 3, 2012

Congressman Jared Polis Tells Us Why He Opposes The Koch Takeover Of Cato

Last month, the Koch Brothers ramped up their efforts to take control of the right-libertarian Cato Institute. Cato has long been a beacon of independent thought, not tied to one political party or another. The Kochs are apparently trying to push the think tank in a more blatantly pro-corporate direction. Last week, we talked to
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April 3, 2012

U.S. Flunks Corruption Index’s Money In Politics Test — We’re Tied With Tajikistan

What do Germany, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Georgia, Indonesia, Macedonia, and Serbia have in common? According to the nonprofit global governance watchdog Global Integrity, they all beat out the United States on regulating money in politics. The United States tied with Tajikistan scoring 29 out of a 100-point scale measuring the effectiveness of legislation regulating individual
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April 2, 2012

4-Year Students At For-Profit Colleges Graduate Less Than Half As Often As Other Students, But Their Schools Do Create Jobs — For Lobbyists

A brand-new report from the National Center for Education Statistics confirms once again that for-profit colleges are failing to help many of their students.  These schools, many marked by deceptive recruiting, low-quality programs, and sky-high prices, have 13 percent of U.S. students but nearly 50 percent of student loan defaults.  The for-profit college industry gets most of its
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March 26, 2012

Another Young Man’s Shooter Apparently Protected by ‘Ghostwritten’ ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law

In the wake of the terrible tragedy of 17-year-old Trayvon Marton’s death, journalists, activists, politicians, and other concerned citizens have focused on the “Stand Your Ground” law (also known as the “Castle Doctrine“), which Florida police have claimed they are following in declining to arrest George Zimmerman, Martin’s killer. This law was pushed by the
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