“In the 2022 midterms, the 100 largest donors collectively spent 60 percent more than every small donor in the United States combined, according to a Brennan Center analysis of publicly available data. (Small donors are those who give $200 or less.) The wealthy have always wielded disproportionate power over American government. In 1895, GOP strategist… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Private groups swaying SCOTUS litigation
Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson sent a letter to Chief Justice Roberts on September 7, 2022.”We write as Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Federal Courts Subcommittees to request information regarding another allegation of potentially unethical conduct at the Supreme Court of the United States…“One of the nation’s most important institutions … has been… Continue Reading
Senators to FTC: Twitter’s willful disregard for the safety and security of its users
Six Senator’s wrote to FTC Chair Khan: “We write regarding Twitter’s serious, willful disregard for the safety and security of its users, and encourage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate any breach of Twitter’s consent decree or other violations of our consumer protection laws. In recent weeks, Twitter’s new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk,… Continue Reading
No, an indictment wouldn’t end Trump’s run for the presidency – he could even campaign or serve from a jail cell
Via LLRX – No, an indictment wouldn’t end Trump’s run for the presidency – he could even campaign or serve from a jail cell – Donald Trump announced his 2024 run for the presidency on Nov. 15. In his address he railed against what he perceived as the “persecution” of himself and his family, but made… Continue Reading
What Is the Filibuster and How Can the Senate Reform It?
Democracy Docket: “In June, Senate Republicans blocked a landmark piece of voting rights legislation, the For the People Act. In October, they blocked a revised, compromised version, the Freedom to Vote Act. In November, it was the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that failed. If Democrats hold a slim majority in the U.S. Senate,… Continue Reading
The Constitution’s Disqualification Clause Can Be Enforced Today
POGO: “The attack on the United States Capitol complex to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021, led to the first application of the disqualification clause contained in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in more than a century. Section 3 prohibits public office holders who have taken an oath… Continue Reading
How Oil & Gas Funding Distorts Energy Research
Gizmodo: “Prominent energy centers at MIT, Stanford, and Columbia may be biased toward natural gas because of funding, a new study says Journalists like me often seek out academics for comment and insight on stories related to the energy transition, since these professors have often done in-depth research into various fuel sources and their impacts.… Continue Reading
Digital Security and Reproductive Rights: Lessons for Feminist Cyberlaw
Meister, Michela and Levy, Karen, Digital Security and Reproductive Rights: Lessons for Feminist Cyberlaw (October 31, 2022). Feminist Cyberlaw (Meg Leta Jones and Amanda Levendowski, eds.), University of California Press, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4262774 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4262774 – “Reproductive rights in the United States are under threat, and the threat is growing more serious by… Continue Reading
Let’s Vote – Same Day Voter Registration
NCSL: “As of 2022, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have implemented same-day registration (SDR), which allows any qualified resident of the state to register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time. Of those states, 20 and Washington, D.C., offer Election Day registration, which means voters can both register and vote on Election… Continue Reading
Fed Up With Political Text Messages?
The New York Times – “In this polarized climate, hundreds of Americans told us they agree on one thing: Campaigns must stop spamming voters’ phones with unwanted political texts…The campaign messages not only capture some voters’ deep frustrations with unwanted political texts. They also document how political texting is becoming a go-to method for spreading… Continue Reading
How to Inoculate against Midterm Misinformation Campaigns
Scientific American: “A New York University professor advocates “prebunking”—sounding the alarm before a conspiracy theory spreads too widely.“We the People,” as we self-identify in the preamble to the Constitution, are more polarized than ever in these ostensibly United States. When it is misinformation that fosters this polarization, all eyes immediately turn to social media. Research… Continue Reading
Online Consumer Data Collection
CRS Report – Online Consumer Data Collection, October 31, 2022 – “Large amounts of consumer data can be collected, processed, and analyzedby operators of websites and mobile applications (apps) and third parties, which are entities otherthan the website or appprimary operator (e.g., data brokers). Operators collect data for multiple purposes, including providing services, selling user… Continue Reading
