The Supreme Court Just Legalized Bribery
The Supreme Court just gutted a key federal bribery statute this week, handing down a ruling that allows powerful interests to give gifts to politicians as rewards for favors.
54 Articles by: Katya Schwenk
Katya Schwenk is a journalist based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Private Prisons Are Profiting From Harsher Sentencing Laws
Private prisons across the US are lobbying lawmakers for stricter sentencing laws. Benefiting from increased occupancy rates, these corporations are filling their pockets and enriching their shareholders.
Boeing Has Allies in the Biden Justice Department
Boeing is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department that could lead to criminal charges. But a department official involved in the case formerly consulted on behalf of the company — just one among many such officials with close corporate connections.
The Rail Industry Is Still Lobbying Against Safety Rules
Since the 2023 East Palestine derailment disaster, the railroad industry has continued to lobby against federal safety regulations, even as new data suggests that recent increases in train length have made derailments more likely.
“Banking-as-a-Service” Firms Can Evaporate Your Life Savings
On the rise in the banking sector, “banking-as-a-service” companies operate outside purview of banking regulators. With lax oversight and heavy industry lobbying, these firms are misleading consumers about the safety of their savings.
Why NY Governor Kathy Hochul Killed Congestion Pricing
A historic congestion pricing plan for New York City was slated to go into effect this month. NY governor Kathy Hochul suddenly blocked it this week — and has taken tens of thousand of dollars in campaign funding from auto groups opposed to the plan.
SCOTUS Is Helping Corporations Dodge Consumer Liability
In 2017, Georgia-Pacific invented a legal scheme to skirt liability for serious consumer harms. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed the move to stay in place, giving the company more time to avoid paying up for its asbestos poisoning.
The Law May Be Coming for Boeing’s Fraud
At the end of the Trump administration, Boeing cut a sweetheart deal to avoid prosecution for deceiving regulators about a faulty flight system that caused crashes. New allegations of greed and negligence may finally bring the company to justice.
Wall Street Is Buying Up Entire Neighborhoods
Policymakers in states across the country are finally pushing back on Wall Street firms buying up swathes of single-family homes to rent out at high prices. But they’re facing the might of a powerful new single-family rental lobby.
The Airline Industry Is Set to Lose Its Refund Racket
Airlines have made considerable money holding on to consumer refunds for canceled or delayed flights. New language including a refund guarantee in a must-pass Federal Aviation Administration funding bill could change that.
Congress Wants You to Be Uncomfortable on Flights
Taking cues from airline industry lobbyists, US lawmakers are keeping an aviation bill free from clauses that would require free water for flight passengers and set minimum dimensions for seats. Why do our representatives want airline travel to be torture?
Congress Is Trying to Stop Automatic Flight Refunds
Days after the Biden administration announced a rule mandating flight cancelation automatic refunds, four lawmakers overseeing aviation policy in Congress began pushing legislation to reverse it. All of them take substantial airline industry donations.
Undisclosed Gifts May Influence Arizona’s Abortion Ban
A deciding vote to repeal Arizona’s draconian abortion ban could fall to a lawmaker who is heavily influenced by a deep-pocketed anti-choice group — one instance of many conflicts of interest in state supreme courts.
Kathy Hochul Is Leaving a Climate Law Off the NY Budget
Last year, New York State legislators passed the Climate Change Superfund Act, which would require major emitters to help the state pay for the impacts of climate change. Governor Kathy Hochul has so far kept the legislation from the final state budget.
A US Rep Is Trying to Undo Clean Water Laws That He Violated
In 2017, before he was a lawmaker, John Duarte was fined $1.1 million by federal regulators for disturbing wetlands on land owned by his business. Now, as a US representative, he is pushing legislation that would roll back the law he broke.
The Supreme Court May Give Us Another 2008 Financial Crisis
The Supreme Court will soon decide on a case that could invalidate a host of state laws that protect consumers from abusive banking practices — which were originally put in place to prevent the kind of predatory lending that led to the 2008 financial crisis.
Key Bridge Collapse Shipowner Could Legally Skirt Liability
Big Oil and shipping interests have lobbied for years to keep a law on the books that caps their liability following deadly disasters. The company linked to the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse aims to use it to avoid paying damages and compensation.
Dark Money Is Paying for the Police’s High-Tech Weapons
Corporate donors are funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into police foundations without public oversight, allowing for the police to buy specialized surveillance technology and high-tech weapons that they might otherwise struggle to justify.
Cargo Giant in Baltimore Crash Silenced Whistleblowers
The company responsible for the Baltimore bridge collapse blocked its employees from reporting safety concerns to the US Coast Guard. It is now being sanctioned by federal regulators for violating a whistleblower protection law.
The Supreme Court Is Chipping Away at Anti-Corruption Law
The US Supreme Court will soon hear a case that could make it legal for corporations to enrich politicians in exchange for lucrative favors — establishing a far-reaching precedent that further limits the scope of anti-corruption law.