The Far Right Is Funding Evangelical Super Bowl Sunday Ads
Upcoming Christian Super Bowl ads are framed as diverse and inclusive. But the money behind them comes from a rabidly antiabortion and antigay organization.
239 Articles by: Andrew Perez
Andrew Perez is senior editor and a reporter at the Lever covering money and influence.
Why Is Pete Buttigieg Refusing to Crack Down on Airlines’ Scams?
The CEO of United Airlines has stated publicly that airlines are selling more flight tickets than they can actually staff, causing chaos for customers. Yet Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg all but refuses to do anything about it.
Pfizer Is Raising Drug Prices and Paying for Good PR
Corporate news outlets like Semafor are running sponsored posts from Pfizer bragging about how the pharma manufacturer is altruistically working to expand access to its products overseas — the same month Pfizer raised prices on 99 of its drugs in the US.
Health Care Giants Are Making Millions off of Unfair Medicare Overpayments
Health insurers have made millions of dollars off of overpayments from Medicare. The industry is gearing up to fight any effort for the government to demand that money back.
State Officials Have Been Begging Pete Buttigieg to Crack Down on Airlines. He Hasn’t.
Southwest Airlines’ flight cancellations are stranding thousands. Attorneys general have been sounding the alarm about lax airlines oversight, begging transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg and Congress to crack down — to no avail.
Democrats Have Given Up on Fighting Dark Money
With Republicans taking over the House in January, Democratic lawmakers have given up on efforts to end the political dark money era. Congress’s year-end omnibus spending bill will once again help dark money donors hide their identities from the public.
How the Supreme Court’s Agenda Is Being Shaped by Right-Wing Billionaire Money
Conservative activist Leonard Leo is spending millions to shape the Supreme Court’s agenda. On his docket: ending affirmative action, rolling back antidiscrimination protections, and giving state legislatures unreviewable oversight of federal elections.
Railroad Workers’ Lives Revolve Entirely Around Their Jobs
We spoke with a longtime BNSF conductor about the labor agreement recently imposed on railroad workers by President Biden. He says he feels betrayed by a president he thought was pro-labor and explains how his job has gotten worse over time.
By Siding Against Railworkers, Biden Is Breaking His Promise of Paid Sick Leave for All
Joe Biden is standing with railroad barons to force a deal on workers who are demanding a reasonable amount of paid sick leave. It’s the latest and possibly starkest example of the chasm between his pro-worker rhetoric during his campaign and his presidency.
Crypto Champion Sam Bankman-Fried’s Road to Ruin Leads Straight to Capitol Hill
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX cryptocurrency exchange, rose swiftly as a Democratic mega-donor, rubbing shoulders with elites as he lobbied for crypto-friendly regulation. With FTX collapsing now, it’s clear his politicking demanded scrutiny long ago.
8 Lessons From the Midterm Elections
Progressive and leftist voters are always told we’re too extreme. The midterm results should quash that narrative.
Leonard Leo’s Dark Money Against Consumer Protection
Leonard Leo, a Trump adviser behind the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, has long sought to shape policy through state attorney general offices. His dark money network is now working to bring a Republican attorney general to power in Iowa.
As the Fed Raises Interest Rates, People Will Lose Jobs and Democrats Will Lose Elections
The Federal Reserve has signaled that it will further raise interest rates this month, increasing the chances of a recession that will hurt average people. In response, most of the Democratic Party establishment are twiddling their thumbs.
Democrats Are Not Talking About the Economic Issues That Most Americans Care About
In the lead-up to the midterms, Americans’ number-one issue is the economy and the squeeze they’re feeling thanks to inflation. Republicans get this and are making that squeeze their top-line message. Why aren’t Democrats?
Ahead of an Abortion Rights State Ballot Measure, Anti-Choice Cash Is Flooding Michigan
Pro-choice groups are being outspent almost two to one in Michigan’s abortion rights ballot initiative. Yet polls show abortion rights proponents are far ahead anyway — suggesting that the Right’s antiabortion stance is not popular in much of the country.
A Congressman Openly Admitted to Corrupt, Revolving-Door Hiring During a Televised Hearing
How comfortable are sitting members of Congress with broadcasting brazen corruption to the world? Well, during a televised hearing, Indiana representative Trey Hollingsworth gushed thanks to Bank of America’s CEO for hiring his top aide.
Fossil Fuel–Backed “Clean Power” Advocates Are Greenwashing Democrats’ Pipeline Deal
A “clean power” group with ties to the fossil fuel industry is touting a new bill, backed by senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin, that will accelerate oil and gas pipeline construction — and claiming it as a climate victory.
Democrats Can’t Stop Dark Money Without Ending the Filibuster
Today, Senate Democrats vote on the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that would force nonprofits spending on elections and judicial nominations to publicly name their donors. Lawmakers should pass this bill — but without ending the filibuster, they probably can’t.
How a Secretive Electronics Magnate Became a Libertarian “Attack Philanthropist”
Billionaire electronics magnate Barre Seid has secretly used his wealth to influence the lives of millions, funding climate denialism as well as a national network of state-level think tanks that promote business deregulation and fight Medicaid expansion.
The American Right’s Slush Fund Just Received a $1.6 Billion Infusion
A billionaire just gave the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in US history — to fund the architect of the Right’s Supreme Court takeover to carry out more right-wing attacks on democracy, workers, and the planet.