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Dark Money, Not Russia, Best Explains Trump’s Win
“In the final weeks of the campaign, a giant wave of dark money flowed into the campaign. Because it was dark the identity of the donors is shrouded. But our scrutiny of past cases where court litigation brought to light the true contributors suggests that most of this money probably came from the same types of firms that show up in the published listings. In our data, the sudden influx of money from private equity and hedge funds clearly began with the Convention but turned into a torrent only after [Steve] Bannon and [Kellyanne] Conway took over. We are interested…
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Toxic Oilfield Wastewater Used to Grow California Food, Including Organics
“‘This practice is more deceptive than even pink slime,’ said Food & Water Watch California’s director, Adam Scow, referring to the controversial industry practice of mixing heavily processed, disinfected beef scraps into hamburger. ‘So-called healthy brands grown in these districts are using toxic waste to grow crops and then labeling them as pure goodness.'”
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Davos: Richest 1% Got 82% of Wealth Last Year
“Eighty two percent of the wealth generated last year went to the richest one percent of the global population, while the 3.7 billion people who make up the poorest half of the world saw no increase in their wealth, according to a new Oxfam report released today. The report is being released as political and business elites, including President Trump, are heading to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.”
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Kozol: Inequality, “Virtually Total Segregation” in Schools Breeding Rage
“This is a disturbing pattern everywhere in the United States today. Don’t give poor kids the most experienced and best compensated teachers. Don’t give them small classes or the three full years of preschool that the children of the privileged enjoy.”
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Is Brazil’s Popular Former President Being Railroaded?
“Lula, who remains one of the most popular politicians in Brazil, is planning on launching his campaign for reelection to the presidency on January 25, the day after the appeals hearing.”
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Ryan Got $500,000 In Koch Money Days After House Passed Tax Law
“Koch Industries, one of the largest private corporations in the nation, operates refineries and manufactures a variety of products. The new tax law — which slices corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 21 percent, slashes estate taxes and includes a special deduction for oil and gas investors — is expected to save the Koch brothers and their businesses billions of dollars in taxes.”
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Is Amazon Ripping Off Taxpayers?
“Amazon is merely the latest company to exploit America’s 80-year old site location system that has evolved to give companies all the power and ensure that public officials are helpless to protect taxpayer interests. The problem is especially acute for ‘megadeals,’ where we estimate the average cost per job at $658,000, a level at which taxpayers will never break even. As we have twice written, there is a real risk that Amazon could obtain a negative income tax rate while also avoiding sales and property taxes.”
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Women’s March and Mexican Indigenous Activists in U.S.
They can also address how trade, drug and other policies drive desperate migration and how those impact “community dignity, autonomy, and justice” — the themes of their speaking tour. Indigenous groups are routinely marginalized in Mexico, which is scheduled to have general elections on July 1.
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Shutdown and Military Budget; Tillerson Calls for Perennial War on Syria
“The idea is preposterous that a country which alone accounts for about half the world’s defense budget needs more money to keep the readiness of its forces high and to rebuild a military that has been depleted by long, senseless wars in the Middle East and South Asia. The Defense Department is already slathered with over $600 billion a year and just needs to reallocate some of its funds to improve readiness and conduct rebuilding.”
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How to Reduce Threat of Nuclear War with North Korea
“People should know that North Korea was the only nuclear weapons state to vote FOR negotiations to go forward on the recent nuclear ban treaty at the UN last fall.” The U.S. government lead the effort, that also consisted of other nuclear weapons states and NATO members, to try to stop the ban.”
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“With a tiny staff, it has managed to place on the air and in newspapers, points of view otherwise excluded from the national debate.”
Howard Zinn