Harvey Weinstein's Lawyer Gave $10,000 To Manhattan DA After He Declined To File Sexual Assault Charges
David Boies made a $10,000 donation to the campaign coffers of Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. right after Vance's office declined to pursue sexual assault charges against Weinstein.
Before Vegas Shooting, Donald Trump Jr. Wanted Silencers. Where Congress Stands
A bill before Congress would make silencers easier to purchase, even as critics warn that it could make mass shootings more lethal. The largest manufacturer of silencers in the U.S. donated heavily to the Republican Party in 2016.
Did Saudi Arabia Pay A PR Firm $1 Million For 55 Tweets?
Targeted Victory, a Washington D.C. communications firm founded by a former digital strategist for Mitt Romney, is raking in money from Saudi Arabia to write a smattering of paid social media content.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia's Public Relations War Heats Up During UN General Assembly
Qatar and Saudi Arabia have both poured money into influential D.C. lobbying and public relations firms to promote their competing positions.
Texas Chemical Plant Sued For Millions, First Responders Charge Gross Negligence
Seven members of local law enforcement and the fire department who responded to explosions at an Arkema chemical plant in the Houston area are suing the company, alleging that it failed to properly inform them of the dangers of toxic fumes they faced.
Oil Companies Leaking Benzene Lobbied Against Pollution Rules
Owners of refineries that reported leaking a cancer-causing compound into Houston's air lobbied against the EPA's refinery rule.
While Lobbying Against Safety Rules, Arkema Warned Its Investors Of Chemical Storage Explosion Risks
Arkema's own annual report to investors and risk management plan submitted to the EPA both warned of the exact scenario that has lead to multiple explosions at its Crosby, Texas facility that resulted in noxious smoke billowing over the area.
Texas Republicans Helped Chemical Plant That Exploded Lobby Against Safety Rules
Arkema, the company that owns a Texas chemical plant that spewed “noxious” smoke Thursday, successfully lobbied to delay the enactment of plant safety rules — regulations that would've gone into effect five months ago.
How Texas Lawmakers Failed To Plan For Climate Change And Harvey Floods
Dominated by oil and gas interests, the legislature rejected multiple attempts to confront climate change over the past decade, ultimately making Harvey floods more destructive. A former Texas rep explains what happened.
If Trump Wants To Start Nuclear War, Can Anyone Stop Him?
Within four minutes, the president can launch nuclear weapons from a “Denny’s menu of nuclear war” and there are no checks on that authority.
Police Body Camera Company, Axon, Is Vacuuming In Data, Stoking Privacy Concerns
Axon is using body cameras to build an artificial intelligence system that raises big civil liberties questions.
Shareholders Can’t Force Pharmaceutical Company To Prove Drugs Aren’t Used For Executions
New York’s $192 billion pension fund put forward a shareholder resolution that would’ve forced Cardinal Health to demonstrate that its products weren’t being used in lethal injections. Regulators stood in the way.
What’s Not To Like About The Foxconn Deal? Criticism From Both Sides
Corporate handout? Government interference in the market? As Wisconsin holds its first public hearing on the $3 billion Foxconn deal, both liberal and conservative analysts expressed objections.
Foxconn Deal Lets Company Ignore Wisconsin Environmental Protection Laws
Gov. Scott Walker’s deal gives Foxconn — which admitted dumping chemicals in a Chinese river — an exemption from statutes that protect Wisconsin wetlands.
New York Subsidy To Lure Aetna Benefits A Cuomo Donor
New York Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio are giving the insurance giant millions in tax breaks to persuade the company to move its headquarters. Does this kind of deal benefit taxpayers?
New York Mayor De Blasio’s Fundraisers Benefit From Rezoning
The Midtown East proposal will allow higher skyscrapers — which means higher revenue for the New York real estate developers who collected donations for the mayor in the names of their wives and other family members.
Lockheed-Saudi Arabia Arms Deal Pushed By Republican Former Lawmaker Who Represents Both Sides
Buck McKeon, a former GOP lawmaker who represents both Saudi Arabia and Lockheed Martin, also pushed through last month's sale of $500 million worth of precision-guided munitions to the Kingdom.
California Privacy Bill Opposed By Tech Companies Who Want To Sell Personal Data
President Donald Trump and Congress repealed Obama-era online privacy rules. A California bill would protect the state's users — but tech companies who want to sell browsing histories are lobbying against it.
Antitrust Worries? Amazon Hires Former Justice Department Experts For Whole Foods Deal
Jeff Bezos assembled a team with ties to Obama and Bush Justice department antitrust chiefs — and likely Trump’s as well.
Major Defense Contractors On Panel That Will Direct Billion-Dollar Defense Decisions
Employees of Lockheed, GE and Boeing — which have given $2.2 million to members of the House Armed Services Committee — now sit on a panel tasked with rewriting how the Defense Department purchases military equipment and services.
Federal Money For Police Gear Goes To A Company With A Reputation For Fraud
Safariland, which paid a $30 million settlement for selling defective bulletproof vests, spends $80,000 a year lobbying for federal funding and receives a third of the federal dollars spent on body armor.
