Today, however, I want to hear from you. What's on your mind? What topics should be on Popular Information's radar? You can leave your thoughts in the discussion thread linked below, starting now. I’ll be dropping by later today to answer any questions.
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I really appreciate the depth and breadth of your reporting. Thank you for shedding light on the vast workings of far-right propaganda efforts. It's as if we are seeing the real time work similar to what was described in Rachel Maddow's book, Prequel. I'm glad you are there to show the public what is really going on. Keep up the good work.
Everyone needs to read Prequel!! I’m reading it now and every page I think if the names were changed, it would describe EXACTLY what is happening now. We beat them back then — we can beat them now if we are informed and vigilant!
I agree. I was trained as an attorney, and as time has gone by in this case, I've reflected on how, if a judge scripted a plan to slow down a case, the specific things she's done have been brilliant in effecting that end. And I just don't think she's that crafty on her own.
I woild like to see more coverage of Glenn Youngkin, the wolf in sheeps clothing Governor of critical swing state Virginia. He is not a moderate and his executive and legislative actions are in fact similar to those of right wing governors in states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi.
Also, i would like to see continued intensive coverage of the Supreme Court and its ties to right wing organizations and the GOP.
Along those same lines, let’s dig into Larry Hogan’s real record in Maryland. He gets a pass from a lot of Dems and moderates because he “seems reasonable” but MD does not need to replace a D with an R in Congress!
This is why I would like to see analysis and coverage of his candidacy. He talks a good anti-Trump game but I have no faith that he would get into the Senate and cross the aisle to vote with Dems. On the contrary, his mere party affiliation could tip the balance of power in the Senate to the MAGAs.
The American Friends Service Committee, a major peace arm of us Quakers, has identified over 50 corporations making gazillions in profits through continuing the 30:1 slaughter in Gaza.
Wait. Your problem is not enough Israelis are dying? There were other ways to express your concern for Gaza deaths, like asking why Gaza civilians aren’t allowed to use the Hamas tunnels, but you gave away the game by making it clear that not enough Israelis are dying. You apparently also don’t know that Hamas has said publicly that the more Gazans that die, the better it is because of no nothings like you.
Thank you Judd for your reporting. Glancing at the list of your June work, all of which I read, the importance of the issues, the solid reporting and the reactions they elicited show the quality of your reporting. I am so glad you are here.
I would love to see you do some digging into Eric Hovde, the California millionaire who wants to be elected senator from Wisconsin. He has Wisconsin roots and knows that California doesn't send Republicans to the senate these days, so he came back "home". There is something not right about him.
I Googled out of curiosity and have the same impression, especially his stance on abortions ("let the voters decide") when that healthcare choice should be up to the woman and her doctor.
It's not as if Jamaal Bowman was above reproach, but the amount of money spent by pro-Israel interests to unseat him is disconcerting, to say the least. I'm of the belief that no one is above primarying, but this hits different for me.
Still mind-boggling that one group alone (AIPAC) put in $14.5M for TV ads.. how much good could that money have done for the local communities instead? smh.
How about cataloging all the threats to prosecutors, witnesses, etc. who have been involved in criminal cases against Trump. It seems to go way beyond anything we've seen with mob boss cases, etc. We also hear about people in Congress needing to get body guards. All the talk about gag orders, etc. really doesn't expose what is really going on. You'll hear passing references to bomb threats, etc. Is law enforcement finding the people responsible? Are there any charges? I think it is being downplayed because people don't want to rock the boat with Trump and his followers -- it should be out in public so people can see what he is instigating.
The economy is going to be a major issue in this election. I want to know what the truth is. A recent OMB report showed that groceries were 8% of the average family budget today. That is down from 11% in 2022. There was a basket of goods report which I can’t find which said that same basket cost more in 2019.
However many reputable reporters such as Reich say corporate monopolies are driving up costs and using inflation as a cover. People complain about the costs of gas, housing, and food. I’m sure wages are figured into these reports which have risen. So what is the truth?
Sally: You will find a wealth of information addressing your concerns by reading Hopium Chronicles by Simon Rosenberg. I am a passionate promoter of both Popular Information and Simon's work!
1. USPS fails to deliver more than half of the mail sent to me by charities. Since the cost of a stamp is money you pay for delivery, I think this amounts to defrauding the charities. I also fail to get some 5 to 10% of the mail from non charities. I would think that these businesses are being cheated as well. Every article I've seen about the problems with USPS delivery has focused on the impact on on the recipients. I'd like to see someone looking at whether the senders are receiving what they paid for. I use informed delivery and so I am giving USPS data about the problems with delivery at my house, but I am fairly sure that they do not use it for anything and I don't know if it's publicly available or how long it's retained.
2. When my mother reached the age of 95, I took over management of her finances and her mail. At that time, she was receiving mail from more than 200 organizations. During the following year, I repeatedly sent notices to all charities that we no longer wish to receive mail from them and the ones that were slowest to do anything about it received written notes that we would never donate to them. Many of them continued to solicit my mother and some of them still solicit her 5 years after her death. I know that there are organizations that handle the solicitations for many charities. I wonder if these organizations are cheating the charities by ignoring people like us who asked them to stop or whether the charities wish to continue soliciting people even when they say that they won't contribute anymore. Are these organizations paid by the piece? If so they might have a motivation to ignore requests to stop.
USPS follow up on Informed Delivery is dismal. I do get the vast majority of scanned mail plus some that don’t get scanned. Once, when what I suspected was an important document from my medical insurance provider went missing, I followed the USPS instructions for filing a search for a lost piece of mail not received. The process was frustrating. The instructions assume the filer is the sender, not the recipient. When I finally found a submission method for recipient and sent the inquiry to the local post office as instructed, after two weeks I received a form letter from the regional post office stating the scans are made at the regional postal center while sorting by nine digit zip prior to mail being sent out to my local post office for delivery. They apologized for my missing mail and suggested that I contact my local post office using online submission for scanned Informed Delivery lost mail. Circular non-action. They further stated that I should contact the sender and tell them I had not received the missing information contained within the envelope, as if I knew the detailed contents of a scanned sealed envelope. Totally useless and unhelpful.
I also found that removing my elderly mother’s name from non-profit mailing lists and lists used by unsolicited mail order companies takes about two years with about eighty percent success rate. The attempts continued for another year after her death for a total of three years. The mailing labels just changed from her name only to her name “or current occupant”. A donation request still shows up eight years later a few times per year. I believe mail order companies and charities dusted off old mailing lists when donations slowed and online shopping increased during the pandemic
We receive solicitations for my husband's father, who resided in Florida for many years; until his death. He'd never lived at our Georgia address, but my husband had his mail forwarded to his Florida address at one point, until he moved here. Stopped most, but the hardest to stop were Catholic charity organizations & Hillsdale college. I had to call a few times to end their solicitations for donations & he'd been gone for years.
Please keep shining a light on the very highly organized and very well coordinated and very well funded radical far right anti democratic campaigns to create their own agenda . Progressives are many in their opinions and their priorities and they don’t seem to be coordinated in these things. Diversity is a central premise of progressive thinking but that very diversity fragments the opposition to the radical right.
Agree about SCOTUS. Also wondering how many examples of accepting lavish gifts from people with a direct financial and otherwise interest in legislation/rulings may be inhibiting congressfolks' addressing these examples of blatant SCOTUS corruption. If there were examples of similar acts by folks on the judicial committee that became public, that would explain their recalcitrance in addressing this crucial problem and also perhaps get them moving.
OpenSecrets tracks a good list of who donates money to candidates. The real problem is untraceable dark money and so-called unaffiliated PACs that still communicate with politicians, all behind the curtain. To my surprise, after large money donations from corporations and organizations to a favorable politician, the donations lists show a lot of token $100 to $250 donations from what would be opposing view companies. Thus, the company can claim unbiased nonpartisanship and opposing candidates can dig up dirt on “candidate So-and-so received money from Evil Corporations”.
Thank you for this invitation to present topics for reporting! I would be forever grateful if you were to report on #StopTheShock, most specifically, the draft bill that if passed would prevent the FDA from banning devices made to use shocks as punishment on developmentally disabled children. The FDA has been on the verge of banning this for a long time, but there are people in Congress trying to prevent them from doing that.
First, great newsletter. Happy to be a paid subscriber.
Two, why did Kathy Hochul kill congestion pricing in NYC? I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest, but for some Upstater whom I bet has never been on the subway to do this at the last minute for no reason (at least Christie gave a stupid reason for killing ARC stupidly), smacks of her being paid off. And she and her husband are definitely not clean, being beholden to various upstate business interests. Please look into it.
Three, it infuriate me that blue state residents are paying red state taxes, effectively, because they won't take care of themselves. I'd be interested to know how red states rig their budgets to suck in federal largesse, but use it to pay for things they shouldn't. For example, a town that gets money for a library from the federal govt, cuts the local budget of the library by that amount, then puts that money towards, say, giving toddlers machine guns. Call it the Communicative Theory of Corruption.
What is the status of militant organizations in US? I haven't heard much about the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Oathkeepers, Boogaloo Boys, etc. Much of the media seems to have forgotten them for now. Have they grown, dismantled, reorganized? Are they more or less dangerous? What is their level of support among the right wing political class?
A weaponized First Amendment has become an instrument of destruction for the republic. If European countries can have robust hate speech laws, why not America?
OK, then , Bob. I could publish that you, Bob, are a pedophile. No problem with that lie about you? How about, Hillary Clinton kills children and drinks their blood. No problem with that? Or how about, President Biden shat himself at the D-Day ceremony this year. You OK with that? Being "offended" is quite different from being libeled or slandered. Seriously, Bob, you don't see the difference?
You can publish at will, and as long as you do not advocate actually harming another person or for that matter the violent over-throw of the American government. . . . say whatever you please, and if I’m offended, so be it and truly, at least at the moment, its a free nation here.
Thank you for your due diligence. Your articles are well written and more informative than more mainstream media. I wish I had deep pockets to advance your work. Thank you.
Keep up the good work on highlighting the Republican nonsense. After the election i can suggest more topics, but until Joe is re-elected that is #1 on my radar
I just want to say how much I admire you and I post nearly every story everywhere I can. You are doing the work I wish I could do.. I aggregate great journalism so I am doing what I can.. thank you..
Where did your reporting on senator commitments to Adeel Mangi's nomination to the Third Circuit court land? Any planned updates? I heard back from my senator Tammy Duckworth (she is for his nomination) and sent it along, but don't recall seeing any formal update.
It would be great to see a list of what Biden and Trump have accomplished and where they failed or were weak while in office. And the lies each have made
Interesting that you end with the lies "each have made." I think it would be great to lay out each one's track record....Biden's will be much longer in the accomplishment column, by far, particularly for how he has helped the middle class and the working poor and repaired our relationships on the global stage. But, if Biden has told lies, I haven't heard about them (other than on right wing media) and if there are a few, they would not begin to compare with Trump's constant lying and cheating and stealing (and criminal activity). I don't think there is a two-sides argument here.
Biden recently said that Israel has not attacked Rafah. He does not make up total falsehoods like Trump does, but he is implicated in the lies that maintain U.S. imperialism around the world.
This week, I sure do have questions! Mine center around that $3.2 million of campaign funds sent to a sketchy LLC.
I did some poking around and sent you some notes via email. This kind of thing simply cannot continue, and independent journalists such as yourself are our only bulwark against this level of corruption.
Saw a guy named Yuval Levin on C-SPAN the other day talking about the constitution and political civility in America. I'd love for Popular Information to dig into root causes of malfunctioning US political machinery. Secret ballot on congress, campaign finance, etc. Such unnatural processes must require a lot of care and feeding.
Just did a local paper op ed addressing these sinister Sinclair tactics in our region Encourage others to do the same. List of Sinclair’s 296 stations available on Wiki or their own site. Are you a victim?
My Turn | Viewers beware: Local TV news in central Illinois not so local anymorehttps://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/my-turn-viewers-beware-local-tv-news-in-central-illinois-not-so-local-anymore/article_772a283c-de2a-50ae-a8c9-1b17da3e68b2.html
I think we need more investigation into how private equity firms and corporate monopolies are eating the world. What are the effects and what more can we do to break them up.
Would appreciate the thorough reporting you deliver on the Project 2025 document. Topline reports fail to uncover the many many ways this document could forever alter everything.
I’m still waiting on more coverage of industrial policy, the economy, and climate change. Perhaps try following up on the FTC bust of the OPEC-Marathon Petroleum collusion case? You could also contact Jordan Zakaria or Les Leopold or Hamilton Nolan for ideas
Any investigations into Justice system - ProPublica seems to have SCOTUS well covered - from slow Justice Dept to Appeals and Circuit courts needs to be looked into.
State and local races that funnel up to Congress worth your time, I see lots of people asking for coverage of various state actors running.
Big items you've covered, hope you'll continue:
Public schools, vouchers, religion, prayer - all the anti-constitutional crap of mixing religion and state that's NOT allowed.
Book banning, how it's being squashed by sentient people, not religious nuts
It's great that you go into stuff that doesn't get national coverage, or is under covered by press - keep up great work - PI and ProPublica are 2 underrated and overworked powers for decency and justice!
George Conway is feted as a voice of reason by progressive media. Please research his past as a radical agent of the Federalist Society and similar anti-Constitutional projects.
Please provide a balanced and fact based article on Biden, age and the next election. Obviously I am feeling demoralized after the debate.
As an aside, I believe Biden's political ego is risking everything he says he stands for. Is it too late to pivot. Do we have a dark horse that could beat Trump?
1) Feinstein died in office because her ego could not acknowledge her infirmity
2) RGB was asked to step down while a Dem President could appoint here replacement. She didn't and died during the Trump administration. Gorsuch was her replacement. Roe V Wade then died. 3) Biden is old. Objectively old. (yes, so is Trump) But in the interests of democracy and progress, shouldn't Biden step aside? It appears he is falling into the same ego trap; believing only he can "save" us. Instead it feels like he is risking it all, by (potentially) losing to Trump or dieing himself. His ego is superseding the interests of democracy.
I just read that the Georgia case has been “put on ice.” Apparently, PROSECUTORS are put on trial, and Scott McAfee turned his courtroom into a circus, using trump’s complaints (who is a RAPIST) of a sexual relationship (a CONSENSUAL, ADULT relationship) involving Fanni Willis to dismiss the entire proceeding. WTF? An organized crime syndicate headed by trump is now off the hook because a Libertarian judge has “iced” the case.
Meanwhile, another Libertarian judge, Aileen Cannon, is working overtime to “ice” a case of espionage for trump’s benefit.
Frankly, I’m all for rounding up the Libertarian and MAGAt criminals undermining this democracy—pack them all on a prison ship and let them await trial for treason. We’ll see how “delay and deny” works for them on a prison ship without parole.
The MAGA's have been trump-eting the news about how much they have received in campaign donations, not emphasizing the fact the Melon gave $50M and some Las Vegas type gave 20. It would be interesting to know what the average size of contributions is, and how many contributors added to the recent haul. Notwithstanding Bloomberg's contribution, I bet the per capita contribution to Biden was much smaller, with a much larger contributing base.
I would like to know what can be done and what is being done to slow global warming. Is there hope? And if there is a lack of hope, is that going to determine the outcomes of the November election? We need to separate myth from reality. We need a new Age Of Reason. Because without that, it's bugger all down here on earth.
I always enjoy your reporting on economic topics. One area I would love to know more is the economics behind the taxpayer funded private school "scholarships" that multiple states have now enacted. Here in Ohio it's very hard to find any information about the fair school funding plan that will add $2 billion to state expenditures in 2025: how and why different public school districts receive varying amounts of money from the state, how local support helps or hurt a school district (it seems those who tax themselves more via property tax get less from the state, potentially creating a disincentive to support school levies), do private schools in a district get full funding even if public schools face a short-fall from a levy failure, and how funding will be affected by economic slowdowns (will the state favor private schools by giving them full funding if a recession occurs, while cutting payments to local district since they conceptually can raise their own taxes?).
In this day and age of the information superhighway, what has happened to this country?
I have never seen so much division from the government to the people. Don't we need to get along?
Politics is the art of compromise, that was lost years ago. Look at what we have now.
A country that is divided and will remain that way until we get someone in to actually run this country.
That will never happen as far as I can see. Inflation running wild, Wages that can't keep up. Prices skyrocketing everywhere. Who can afford this country anymore? There is no such thing as the middle class any longer. Rich vs Poor that is the game now we know who wins that one.
We give away countless money to countries that are fighting wars in the name of democracy, please cut that in half and use some of that money for here. How can we say we live in a democracy, when homelessness and hunger persist. We neglect our own people.
If you want to live in a real democracy, get rid of the DNC and RNC, toss the Lobbyists to the curb, and get money out of politics. Easier said then done. Keep up the great work Judd, great information every time.
This isn't quite the expose that you focus on, but give some time to discuss a potential solution. TERM LIMITS is the only real solution to the mess we're in, although it's still working the long game.
There are some things happening but it needs more visibility and support.
There has been much news about DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion),and getting rid of it; in education and in investment of companies who are committed to working towards equality. it would be interesting to see what is the racial makeup of the DC and home staffs of those US Congress reps and senators that are in the forefront of attacking DEI.
I’m a huge fan of yours and especially appreciate the political timing of your articles. Please research more into why housing prices are rising so quickly. I understand that corporations are buying rental properties in big lots, and feel this is a large voting issue. Also reasons behind higher food prices - the major issue in my experience.
I'm going to ask you to criticize the Left a bit. While it is OK for people to not like Israel or its government. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But why is much of the left wing media I.e. TYT pro Hamas? Surely we all know what Hamas is. How can Americans support a terrorist organization?
I see many people posting pro-Palestine information but I’ve not heard or seen anyone say they are pro-Hamas. If you’ve seen this, could you please provide some examples? Over and over, I see mentions of people being pro-Hamas, but I have yet to see a legit quote or video clip.
I really appreciate the depth and breadth of your reporting. Thank you for shedding light on the vast workings of far-right propaganda efforts. It's as if we are seeing the real time work similar to what was described in Rachel Maddow's book, Prequel. I'm glad you are there to show the public what is really going on. Keep up the good work.
Everyone needs to read Prequel!! I’m reading it now and every page I think if the names were changed, it would describe EXACTLY what is happening now. We beat them back then — we can beat them now if we are informed and vigilant!
How about who is coaching Aileen Cannon? Amazing behavior that can't be just inexperience.
And, is there any way to find out if there has been communication from the Trump team to her or donations
I agree. I was trained as an attorney, and as time has gone by in this case, I've reflected on how, if a judge scripted a plan to slow down a case, the specific things she's done have been brilliant in effecting that end. And I just don't think she's that crafty on her own.
Has she pronised her a seat on the supremes... OMG awful thought
I woild like to see more coverage of Glenn Youngkin, the wolf in sheeps clothing Governor of critical swing state Virginia. He is not a moderate and his executive and legislative actions are in fact similar to those of right wing governors in states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi.
Also, i would like to see continued intensive coverage of the Supreme Court and its ties to right wing organizations and the GOP.
Along those same lines, let’s dig into Larry Hogan’s real record in Maryland. He gets a pass from a lot of Dems and moderates because he “seems reasonable” but MD does not need to replace a D with an R in Congress!
Larry Hogan would vote with MAGA 100% of the time.
Exactly.
Really? (Not snark, I am really asking.)
Hogan would empower a right wing senate majority that is primed to implement Project 2025 in all its extremism.
This is why I would like to see analysis and coverage of his candidacy. He talks a good anti-Trump game but I have no faith that he would get into the Senate and cross the aisle to vote with Dems. On the contrary, his mere party affiliation could tip the balance of power in the Senate to the MAGAs.
Absolutely! Hogan is a Republican through and through.
Yep, youngkin is a wolf in wolf’s clothing. Especially when it comes to voting and abortion.
The American Friends Service Committee, a major peace arm of us Quakers, has identified over 50 corporations making gazillions in profits through continuing the 30:1 slaughter in Gaza.
https://afsc.org/divest
What is keeping this huge financial motive so invisible in the public discourse?
Wait. Your problem is not enough Israelis are dying? There were other ways to express your concern for Gaza deaths, like asking why Gaza civilians aren’t allowed to use the Hamas tunnels, but you gave away the game by making it clear that not enough Israelis are dying. You apparently also don’t know that Hamas has said publicly that the more Gazans that die, the better it is because of no nothings like you.
I’m thinking, “you reap what you sow”.
Oh? An eye for an eye is one thing, but 30 eyes for one eye is Genocide.
Thank you Judd for your reporting. Glancing at the list of your June work, all of which I read, the importance of the issues, the solid reporting and the reactions they elicited show the quality of your reporting. I am so glad you are here.
I would love to see you do some digging into Eric Hovde, the California millionaire who wants to be elected senator from Wisconsin. He has Wisconsin roots and knows that California doesn't send Republicans to the senate these days, so he came back "home". There is something not right about him.
I Googled out of curiosity and have the same impression, especially his stance on abortions ("let the voters decide") when that healthcare choice should be up to the woman and her doctor.
It's not as if Jamaal Bowman was above reproach, but the amount of money spent by pro-Israel interests to unseat him is disconcerting, to say the least. I'm of the belief that no one is above primarying, but this hits different for me.
Agreed. I don't like that in our political system at all.
Still mind-boggling that one group alone (AIPAC) put in $14.5M for TV ads.. how much good could that money have done for the local communities instead? smh.
They don't care about the local communities
How about cataloging all the threats to prosecutors, witnesses, etc. who have been involved in criminal cases against Trump. It seems to go way beyond anything we've seen with mob boss cases, etc. We also hear about people in Congress needing to get body guards. All the talk about gag orders, etc. really doesn't expose what is really going on. You'll hear passing references to bomb threats, etc. Is law enforcement finding the people responsible? Are there any charges? I think it is being downplayed because people don't want to rock the boat with Trump and his followers -- it should be out in public so people can see what he is instigating.
The economy is going to be a major issue in this election. I want to know what the truth is. A recent OMB report showed that groceries were 8% of the average family budget today. That is down from 11% in 2022. There was a basket of goods report which I can’t find which said that same basket cost more in 2019.
However many reputable reporters such as Reich say corporate monopolies are driving up costs and using inflation as a cover. People complain about the costs of gas, housing, and food. I’m sure wages are figured into these reports which have risen. So what is the truth?
Sally: You will find a wealth of information addressing your concerns by reading Hopium Chronicles by Simon Rosenberg. I am a passionate promoter of both Popular Information and Simon's work!
Just a note to say thank you for all your hard work. Keep it up! I learn something every day from your reporting
1. USPS fails to deliver more than half of the mail sent to me by charities. Since the cost of a stamp is money you pay for delivery, I think this amounts to defrauding the charities. I also fail to get some 5 to 10% of the mail from non charities. I would think that these businesses are being cheated as well. Every article I've seen about the problems with USPS delivery has focused on the impact on on the recipients. I'd like to see someone looking at whether the senders are receiving what they paid for. I use informed delivery and so I am giving USPS data about the problems with delivery at my house, but I am fairly sure that they do not use it for anything and I don't know if it's publicly available or how long it's retained.
2. When my mother reached the age of 95, I took over management of her finances and her mail. At that time, she was receiving mail from more than 200 organizations. During the following year, I repeatedly sent notices to all charities that we no longer wish to receive mail from them and the ones that were slowest to do anything about it received written notes that we would never donate to them. Many of them continued to solicit my mother and some of them still solicit her 5 years after her death. I know that there are organizations that handle the solicitations for many charities. I wonder if these organizations are cheating the charities by ignoring people like us who asked them to stop or whether the charities wish to continue soliciting people even when they say that they won't contribute anymore. Are these organizations paid by the piece? If so they might have a motivation to ignore requests to stop.
USPS follow up on Informed Delivery is dismal. I do get the vast majority of scanned mail plus some that don’t get scanned. Once, when what I suspected was an important document from my medical insurance provider went missing, I followed the USPS instructions for filing a search for a lost piece of mail not received. The process was frustrating. The instructions assume the filer is the sender, not the recipient. When I finally found a submission method for recipient and sent the inquiry to the local post office as instructed, after two weeks I received a form letter from the regional post office stating the scans are made at the regional postal center while sorting by nine digit zip prior to mail being sent out to my local post office for delivery. They apologized for my missing mail and suggested that I contact my local post office using online submission for scanned Informed Delivery lost mail. Circular non-action. They further stated that I should contact the sender and tell them I had not received the missing information contained within the envelope, as if I knew the detailed contents of a scanned sealed envelope. Totally useless and unhelpful.
I also found that removing my elderly mother’s name from non-profit mailing lists and lists used by unsolicited mail order companies takes about two years with about eighty percent success rate. The attempts continued for another year after her death for a total of three years. The mailing labels just changed from her name only to her name “or current occupant”. A donation request still shows up eight years later a few times per year. I believe mail order companies and charities dusted off old mailing lists when donations slowed and online shopping increased during the pandemic
My mother has been dead for over 15 years, and I still get occasional solicitations for her. 🙄
Once had a neighbor who thought he had beaten the junk mail system by selectively putting it back in the corner mailbox marked "deceased".
He had to stop when the local post office branch tried to accommodate his demise by returning ALL his mail, stamping it 'deceased."
Research worth noting.
Oh no! Good to know -- I won't do that.
We receive solicitations for my husband's father, who resided in Florida for many years; until his death. He'd never lived at our Georgia address, but my husband had his mail forwarded to his Florida address at one point, until he moved here. Stopped most, but the hardest to stop were Catholic charity organizations & Hillsdale college. I had to call a few times to end their solicitations for donations & he'd been gone for years.
Please keep shining a light on the very highly organized and very well coordinated and very well funded radical far right anti democratic campaigns to create their own agenda . Progressives are many in their opinions and their priorities and they don’t seem to be coordinated in these things. Diversity is a central premise of progressive thinking but that very diversity fragments the opposition to the radical right.
Agree about SCOTUS. Also wondering how many examples of accepting lavish gifts from people with a direct financial and otherwise interest in legislation/rulings may be inhibiting congressfolks' addressing these examples of blatant SCOTUS corruption. If there were examples of similar acts by folks on the judicial committee that became public, that would explain their recalcitrance in addressing this crucial problem and also perhaps get them moving.
OpenSecrets tracks a good list of who donates money to candidates. The real problem is untraceable dark money and so-called unaffiliated PACs that still communicate with politicians, all behind the curtain. To my surprise, after large money donations from corporations and organizations to a favorable politician, the donations lists show a lot of token $100 to $250 donations from what would be opposing view companies. Thus, the company can claim unbiased nonpartisanship and opposing candidates can dig up dirt on “candidate So-and-so received money from Evil Corporations”.
Thank you for this invitation to present topics for reporting! I would be forever grateful if you were to report on #StopTheShock, most specifically, the draft bill that if passed would prevent the FDA from banning devices made to use shocks as punishment on developmentally disabled children. The FDA has been on the verge of banning this for a long time, but there are people in Congress trying to prevent them from doing that.
https://autisticadvocacy.org/2024/06/action-alert-urgent-stoptheshock-phone-action-call-now/
Corporations and individuals funding AIPAC and why. Also, Miriam Adelson and other billionaires backing Trump.
Yes - Miriam Adelson is supposedly committing $100M to elect Trump according to the NYT. Yikes!
Your invaluable reporting is what keeps me sane! Thank you for all of it. 🙏💕
First, great newsletter. Happy to be a paid subscriber.
Two, why did Kathy Hochul kill congestion pricing in NYC? I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest, but for some Upstater whom I bet has never been on the subway to do this at the last minute for no reason (at least Christie gave a stupid reason for killing ARC stupidly), smacks of her being paid off. And she and her husband are definitely not clean, being beholden to various upstate business interests. Please look into it.
Three, it infuriate me that blue state residents are paying red state taxes, effectively, because they won't take care of themselves. I'd be interested to know how red states rig their budgets to suck in federal largesse, but use it to pay for things they shouldn't. For example, a town that gets money for a library from the federal govt, cuts the local budget of the library by that amount, then puts that money towards, say, giving toddlers machine guns. Call it the Communicative Theory of Corruption.
Judd,
Thank you.
Katy
What is the status of militant organizations in US? I haven't heard much about the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Oathkeepers, Boogaloo Boys, etc. Much of the media seems to have forgotten them for now. Have they grown, dismantled, reorganized? Are they more or less dangerous? What is their level of support among the right wing political class?
A weaponized First Amendment has become an instrument of destruction for the republic. If European countries can have robust hate speech laws, why not America?
Just because someone may be offended by something published, is NOT a reason to limit FREEDOM of Expression . . .
OK, then , Bob. I could publish that you, Bob, are a pedophile. No problem with that lie about you? How about, Hillary Clinton kills children and drinks their blood. No problem with that? Or how about, President Biden shat himself at the D-Day ceremony this year. You OK with that? Being "offended" is quite different from being libeled or slandered. Seriously, Bob, you don't see the difference?
You can publish at will, and as long as you do not advocate actually harming another person or for that matter the violent over-throw of the American government. . . . say whatever you please, and if I’m offended, so be it and truly, at least at the moment, its a free nation here.
Thank you for your due diligence. Your articles are well written and more informative than more mainstream media. I wish I had deep pockets to advance your work. Thank you.
Keep up the good work on highlighting the Republican nonsense. After the election i can suggest more topics, but until Joe is re-elected that is #1 on my radar
I just want to say how much I admire you and I post nearly every story everywhere I can. You are doing the work I wish I could do.. I aggregate great journalism so I am doing what I can.. thank you..
Where did your reporting on senator commitments to Adeel Mangi's nomination to the Third Circuit court land? Any planned updates? I heard back from my senator Tammy Duckworth (she is for his nomination) and sent it along, but don't recall seeing any formal update.
Thank you for being about what is good and right in America. Keep bringing us the truth Judd, we need it in this world.
It would be great to see a list of what Biden and Trump have accomplished and where they failed or were weak while in office. And the lies each have made
Interesting that you end with the lies "each have made." I think it would be great to lay out each one's track record....Biden's will be much longer in the accomplishment column, by far, particularly for how he has helped the middle class and the working poor and repaired our relationships on the global stage. But, if Biden has told lies, I haven't heard about them (other than on right wing media) and if there are a few, they would not begin to compare with Trump's constant lying and cheating and stealing (and criminal activity). I don't think there is a two-sides argument here.
Biden recently said that Israel has not attacked Rafah. He does not make up total falsehoods like Trump does, but he is implicated in the lies that maintain U.S. imperialism around the world.
I’d like to find out who’s helping Aileen Cannon? Love to see her phone records and is her hubby still working with Trump’s campaign?
Thank you for all the hard work you do!
This week, I sure do have questions! Mine center around that $3.2 million of campaign funds sent to a sketchy LLC.
I did some poking around and sent you some notes via email. This kind of thing simply cannot continue, and independent journalists such as yourself are our only bulwark against this level of corruption.
Saw a guy named Yuval Levin on C-SPAN the other day talking about the constitution and political civility in America. I'd love for Popular Information to dig into root causes of malfunctioning US political machinery. Secret ballot on congress, campaign finance, etc. Such unnatural processes must require a lot of care and feeding.
Just did a local paper op ed addressing these sinister Sinclair tactics in our region Encourage others to do the same. List of Sinclair’s 296 stations available on Wiki or their own site. Are you a victim?
My Turn | Viewers beware: Local TV news in central Illinois not so local anymorehttps://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/my-turn-viewers-beware-local-tv-news-in-central-illinois-not-so-local-anymore/article_772a283c-de2a-50ae-a8c9-1b17da3e68b2.html
I think we need more investigation into how private equity firms and corporate monopolies are eating the world. What are the effects and what more can we do to break them up.
Would appreciate the thorough reporting you deliver on the Project 2025 document. Topline reports fail to uncover the many many ways this document could forever alter everything.
I’m still waiting on more coverage of industrial policy, the economy, and climate change. Perhaps try following up on the FTC bust of the OPEC-Marathon Petroleum collusion case? You could also contact Jordan Zakaria or Les Leopold or Hamilton Nolan for ideas
Any investigations into Justice system - ProPublica seems to have SCOTUS well covered - from slow Justice Dept to Appeals and Circuit courts needs to be looked into.
State and local races that funnel up to Congress worth your time, I see lots of people asking for coverage of various state actors running.
Big items you've covered, hope you'll continue:
Public schools, vouchers, religion, prayer - all the anti-constitutional crap of mixing religion and state that's NOT allowed.
Book banning, how it's being squashed by sentient people, not religious nuts
It's great that you go into stuff that doesn't get national coverage, or is under covered by press - keep up great work - PI and ProPublica are 2 underrated and overworked powers for decency and justice!
George Conway is feted as a voice of reason by progressive media. Please research his past as a radical agent of the Federalist Society and similar anti-Constitutional projects.
Can we have more about this please
(I’m a paid subscriber)
https://x.com/TizzyEnt/status/1811141130735735296
Please provide a balanced and fact based article on Biden, age and the next election. Obviously I am feeling demoralized after the debate.
As an aside, I believe Biden's political ego is risking everything he says he stands for. Is it too late to pivot. Do we have a dark horse that could beat Trump?
1) Feinstein died in office because her ego could not acknowledge her infirmity
2) RGB was asked to step down while a Dem President could appoint here replacement. She didn't and died during the Trump administration. Gorsuch was her replacement. Roe V Wade then died. 3) Biden is old. Objectively old. (yes, so is Trump) But in the interests of democracy and progress, shouldn't Biden step aside? It appears he is falling into the same ego trap; believing only he can "save" us. Instead it feels like he is risking it all, by (potentially) losing to Trump or dieing himself. His ego is superseding the interests of democracy.
I just read that the Georgia case has been “put on ice.” Apparently, PROSECUTORS are put on trial, and Scott McAfee turned his courtroom into a circus, using trump’s complaints (who is a RAPIST) of a sexual relationship (a CONSENSUAL, ADULT relationship) involving Fanni Willis to dismiss the entire proceeding. WTF? An organized crime syndicate headed by trump is now off the hook because a Libertarian judge has “iced” the case.
Meanwhile, another Libertarian judge, Aileen Cannon, is working overtime to “ice” a case of espionage for trump’s benefit.
Frankly, I’m all for rounding up the Libertarian and MAGAt criminals undermining this democracy—pack them all on a prison ship and let them await trial for treason. We’ll see how “delay and deny” works for them on a prison ship without parole.
Thank-you doesn’t do gratitude justice. Journalism is deadly.
RESPECT ✊
The MAGA's have been trump-eting the news about how much they have received in campaign donations, not emphasizing the fact the Melon gave $50M and some Las Vegas type gave 20. It would be interesting to know what the average size of contributions is, and how many contributors added to the recent haul. Notwithstanding Bloomberg's contribution, I bet the per capita contribution to Biden was much smaller, with a much larger contributing base.
I would like to know what can be done and what is being done to slow global warming. Is there hope? And if there is a lack of hope, is that going to determine the outcomes of the November election? We need to separate myth from reality. We need a new Age Of Reason. Because without that, it's bugger all down here on earth.
Obviously it's a self fulfilling prophecy, so to speak.
I always enjoy your reporting on economic topics. One area I would love to know more is the economics behind the taxpayer funded private school "scholarships" that multiple states have now enacted. Here in Ohio it's very hard to find any information about the fair school funding plan that will add $2 billion to state expenditures in 2025: how and why different public school districts receive varying amounts of money from the state, how local support helps or hurt a school district (it seems those who tax themselves more via property tax get less from the state, potentially creating a disincentive to support school levies), do private schools in a district get full funding even if public schools face a short-fall from a levy failure, and how funding will be affected by economic slowdowns (will the state favor private schools by giving them full funding if a recession occurs, while cutting payments to local district since they conceptually can raise their own taxes?).
In this day and age of the information superhighway, what has happened to this country?
I have never seen so much division from the government to the people. Don't we need to get along?
Politics is the art of compromise, that was lost years ago. Look at what we have now.
A country that is divided and will remain that way until we get someone in to actually run this country.
That will never happen as far as I can see. Inflation running wild, Wages that can't keep up. Prices skyrocketing everywhere. Who can afford this country anymore? There is no such thing as the middle class any longer. Rich vs Poor that is the game now we know who wins that one.
We give away countless money to countries that are fighting wars in the name of democracy, please cut that in half and use some of that money for here. How can we say we live in a democracy, when homelessness and hunger persist. We neglect our own people.
If you want to live in a real democracy, get rid of the DNC and RNC, toss the Lobbyists to the curb, and get money out of politics. Easier said then done. Keep up the great work Judd, great information every time.
Thank you, Wishing everyone the best always.
TERM LIMITS
This isn't quite the expose that you focus on, but give some time to discuss a potential solution. TERM LIMITS is the only real solution to the mess we're in, although it's still working the long game.
There are some things happening but it needs more visibility and support.
There has been much news about DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion),and getting rid of it; in education and in investment of companies who are committed to working towards equality. it would be interesting to see what is the racial makeup of the DC and home staffs of those US Congress reps and senators that are in the forefront of attacking DEI.
The right wing push for a constitutional convention to rewrite the Constitution.
Something about the states that are busy passing restrictions on healthcare for women and children turning down federal money for groceries for lower income families this summer and blaming the feds for attaching strings—people are suffering and they meed to know who to blame! https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2024-06-21/very-difficult-florida-opts-out-of-federal-grocery-subsidy-for-2-million-low-income-children
I'm open to a debate as to WHY is it ( do you think . . ) that the 4th Amendment is routinely violated at every airport in the U.S.A. ?
I’m a huge fan of yours and especially appreciate the political timing of your articles. Please research more into why housing prices are rising so quickly. I understand that corporations are buying rental properties in big lots, and feel this is a large voting issue. Also reasons behind higher food prices - the major issue in my experience.
I'm going to ask you to criticize the Left a bit. While it is OK for people to not like Israel or its government. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But why is much of the left wing media I.e. TYT pro Hamas? Surely we all know what Hamas is. How can Americans support a terrorist organization?
How do we get people to read the Hamas charter? They claim Israel because they conquered it, not because they were indigenous. Check section 11. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp
I see many people posting pro-Palestine information but I’ve not heard or seen anyone say they are pro-Hamas. If you’ve seen this, could you please provide some examples? Over and over, I see mentions of people being pro-Hamas, but I have yet to see a legit quote or video clip.