Media

WHAT: Telephone press conference to demand an end to the growing threat to our democracy posed by voter suppression and unlimited corporate and special interest spending in elections. Momentum is growing nationwide, with more organizations, policymakers and citizens calling for change. On the call, groups will preview rallies and demonstrations being held nationwide on or around Saturday, Jan. 19, to coincide with the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision (Jan. 21), Martin Luther King Jr.

Tonight on NBC Nightly News, Chris Jansing reports on a new study that shows Americans age 50 and older are carrying an average of $8278 in credit card debt, thousands more than younger people. In addition, nearly 18 percent of those nearing retirement said they are using their retirement funds to pay down credit card debt.

AARP announced a major policy and research initiative Tuesday drawing attention to the economic decline of the American middle class. In the run-up to what will surely be a bruising Congressional battle over Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other federal benefit programs, the powerful seniors' group said it would push for strengthened supports for all generations.

This is not a good idea. The New York Times is shutting down its environment desk. The justification for closing the desk is that the environmental beat is no longer siloed.

The United States isn't the only country that has a problem with giant banks that take too many risks, are not transparent, and are effectively above democratic oversight. The U.K. has the same problem, and in fact, that country's economy is even more financialized than the U.S.'s -- with all the attendant problems: banks helped inflate the U.K.'s huge real estate bubble in the early 2000s, inequality has risen amid outsized pay for bankers and traders, and the U.K.'s economy has become less stable as it has leaned more heavily on a sector addicted to risk-taking. 

This wasn’t a good week for Walmart. The business model of the nation’s largest private employer is built on a lack of accountability.

A New York Times article yesterday reported that Fix the Debt, the deficit hawk group which positions itself as a neutral body of wisemen, includes a number of corporate lobbyists and board members.

In his State of the State yesterday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out his plan to make the state a clean tech leader. Cuomo proposed extending a program to increase solar panel installations for homes and businesses and investing in an electric car network with statewide charging stations and incentives to build charging infrastructure.

The new film, Promised Land, focuses on an energy company’s attempt to secure leases for fracking operations in a small rural community. The gas industry reacted stronglyto the film distributing counter fact-sheets and considering leafleting movie viewings or setting up “truth squads” on Twitter.