Media

Albany, NY – Today, top civil rights organizations filed a motion in New York Supreme Court asking to intervene to help defend New York's new law allocating people in prison to their home communities for redistricting and reapportionment.  

New York, NY – 'Shadow Market' investment products have come under scrutiny following the banking meltdown, but they continue to be aggressively marketed to clients who can least afford the potentially catastrophic losses. Millions of American seniors could see their golden years turn bleak if the poorly regulated derivatives underpinning their investment plans implode, according to "How Safe Are Your Savings? How Complex Derivative Products Imperil Seniors' Retirement Security."

Rob Brunhild trusted his broker when he was sold principal-protected notes underwritten by Lehman Brothers, noting that the broker implied that the notes were like Treasuries. His expectations for a solid return were dashed when Lehman went under, wiping out his investment. He said his family lost $275,000 on the notes.

“I had to tell my mother,” Brunhild said. “Mom lived off of this money.”

New York, NY – Demos, a national research and policy center, announced today that Michael Winship has become a new Senior Writing Fellow. Mr. Winship is President of the AFL-CIO-affiliated Writers Guild of America, East, a former senior writer of “Bill Moyers Journal” on PBS, and co-editor of the upcoming book "Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues" (New Press June 2011).

Washington DC – In an important hearing today on the future of America’s middle class, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee made the case for greater public investment, fairer tax policy, and better job creation to stimulate economic growth and support working Americans. Demos, a national public policy research and advocacy center, supports the effort, as families continue to reel from the recession and high unemployment.

New York – This week, the growing practice of employers screening the credit scores of job applicants was dealt a legal blow after the Court of Common Council of Hartford, Connecticut, passed an ordinance prohibiting the practice as part of the city's employment application and promotion process. The legislation is the first municipal ordinance of its kind in the country. 

Demos, a national public policy research and advocacy center that supports fair employment and publishes research hiring practices, celebrates the decision.

The low-key approach has some safety experts and political leaders worried that America is poised for an epic, yet preventable, nuclear disaster.

In an e-mail exchange following my visit to the neighborhood nuclear reactors, at Indian Point, Richard Brodsky, a longtime politician from the lower Hudson Valley who is now 

A left-leaning policy group concerned about economic fairness has released a report card on various budget proposals – and, perhaps not surprisingly, the House GOP fiscal 2012 plan doesn’t fare so well.