Big-Money Forces Want Antitrust Regulators’ Budget Slashed
Funded by corporations seeking to suppress antitrust scrutiny, Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen has put forth new legislation that would cut the budget of federal antitrust enforcers.
97 Article(s) by: Freddy Brewster
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Freddy Brewster is a reporter with the Lever. He has been published in the Los Angeles Times, NBC News, CalMatters, the Lost Coast Outpost, and more.
The Koch Network Is Lobbying Against Rail Safety
In the wake of last year’s toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, new legislation was proposed with the aim of making railways safer. But thanks to incessant lobbying from the Koch network and its web of conservative operatives, the bill has been all but killed.
The Pentagon Is Missing Comprehensive War-Crime Reports
A government report found that a year’s worth of records that could include war-crime allegations is missing from the US military’s Middle East operations command center — a period that coincides with an independent watchdog group’s claims of war crimes.
The Pentagon Has Decided to Battle Chinese Film Censorship
A new Pentagon policy bars the US Defense Department from working on films that cooperate with Chinese censorship demands. It’s a new front in the economic battle with China — and it ignores the Defense Department’s own influence over film content at home.
Boeing’s Self-Inspection Program Is Deeply Flawed
The Federal Aviation Administration has long allowed Boeing to conduct its own aircraft safety inspections. A new government investigation suggests that the self-inspection program could have played a role in multiple plane crashes.
Arbitrating Against Corporate Power Just Got More Expensive
In contracts ranging from credit cards to employment terms, arbitration agreements force consumers and workers to pursue corporate accountability via private arbitration rather than the court system. That arbitration process just got way more expensive.
Airlines Filed 1,800 Reports Warning About Boeing’s 737 Max
Since 2020, airlines have filed more than 1,800 safety concerns over the Boeing 737 Max to federal regulators. Safety advocates assert that understaffed airline regulators have failed to acknowledge or address the problems.
Boeing’s Profit Seeking Puts Passengers in Danger
Earlier this month, a gaping hole opened in the side of a Boeing airplane with hundreds of passengers on board. If Boeing had prioritized safety upgrades over lavish executive salaries and stock buybacks, this disaster might not have happened.
Before the Boeing Disaster, the Company Lobbied Lawmakers to Deregulate Airplane Safety
Despite allegations of “excessive” defects ahead of the recent Boeing disaster, the company and its parts supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, used their deep pockets to lobby Washington to reduce safety regulations.
Crypto Swindler Sam Bankman-Fried Has Scored a Big Win From Behind Bars
Years of efforts by crypto interests — most prominently, Sam Bankman-Fried — to deregulate the industry have finally paid off. Last month regulators at a small federal agency allowed a cryptocurrency firm to vertically integrate, endangering customer assets.
Clarence Thomas Is Committing Tax Fraud
For years, conservative billionaires have treated Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas to opulent vacations and trips on their private jets. If these were anything other than disinterested gifts, then they’re taxable — and Thomas owes the IRS a huge bill.
Big Tech Is Lobbying Hard to Keep Copyright Law Favorable to AI
Big Tech is pushing back hard against federal efforts to apply copyright law to AI systems. It’s a bid to avoid protection for the human creators that ChatGPT and similar programs get their material from.
Joe Biden’s Arms Deal With Israel Violates His Own Administration’s Policy
Months ago, the Biden administration issued a directive prohibiting arms transfer deals to countries that would likely use the weapons to target civilians. Yet the White House is still approving military aid for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
Private Banks Are Trapping Their Customers, and They Want to Keep It That Way
A new federal rule would make it easier for consumers to shop around at different banks to look for better interest rates. Financial institutions are fighting the agency behind it tooth and nail.
The Robotruck Industry Is Lobbying Against Road Safety
On Friday, California governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have banned self-driving trucks from being on the road without a safety operator aboard. This move followed a six-figure lobbying effort from the autonomous vehicle industry.
After a Big Lobbying Push, Robotaxi Companies Are Wreaking Havoc on San Francisco’s Streets
Driverless taxi companies Waymo and Cruise have long track records of crashes, near misses, and interfering with emergency personnel. But after spending nearly $2 million on lobbying in California, the robotaxis have been given free rein in San Francisco.
California Governor Gavin Newsom Is Giving the Crypto Industry Free Rein
Last September, California governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have imposed rules and transparency on the state’s largely unregulated cryptocurrency industry. The move came after the crypto industry spent more than $400,000 on lobbying Newsom.