Media

Judging by press reporting, the bogus tweet from the Associated Press Twitter account of White House bombs was primarily about the hacking of the news agency. Who did it, when was it Tweeted and retracted, where are the perpetrators from and how the hell did a major news organization fall for what looks like a pretty basic phishing scam.

As we struggle to fully recover from the Great Recession, it has become increasingly clear that the wealthy not only recovered much more quickly than the rest of the country, they managed to increase their wealth even though most households saw a net loss. A new Pew report finds that during the first two years of the economic recovery, the mean net worth of households in the top 7 percent of wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28 percent, as shown in the graph below.

As New York policymakers, led by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, consider a comprehensive package of campaign finance reform, they should look at Connecticut to see just how much a strong small-donor public financing program can improve the legislative process and relieve lawmakers of the burdens of high-donor, special-interest fundraising.

As some New York state lawmakers consider publicly financed campaigns to thwart public corruption in state politics, a liberal-leaning public policy think tank has released a report showing how a voluntary public financing system in Connecticut has contributed to a more "representative and responsive" Legislature there since its implementation in 2008.

Martin Smith, an Emmy-winning correspondent for PBS’Frontline, is worried about his retirement — and yours.
 

We were deeply saddened to learn today of the sudden passing of our friend and ally in the fight for a more inclusive democracy Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause. Our hearts go out to his family and friends as well as the board and staff at Common Cause.

As some New York state lawmakers consider publicly financed campaigns to thwart public corruption in state politics, a liberal-leaning public policy think tank has released a report showing how a voluntary public financing system in Connecticut has contributed to a more "representative and responsive" Legislature there since its implementation in 2008.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- There's nothing Deidre Duffy would rather do than host a backyard barbecue for a few friends.

"I don't want anything fancy," Duffy, 53, said in an interview next to her black Weber grill. "Give me some charcoal and I'm going to shoot those flames about six feet high, and when they come down -- it's my favorite thing."

A longstanding gripe of conservatives is that big government has muscled aside civil society, taking on jobs -- like providing a safety net -- that are better left to charity.