In the last month, Popular Information revealed that United for Clean Power, a group pushing progressives to kill the Inflation Reduction Act, has extensive connections to notorious GOP operatives (prompting the group to pull the plug on its six-figure national advertising campaign), broke the news, in partnership with Rolling Stone, that Coachella's parent company had donated major cash to anti-abortion political organizations (prompting significantnationalmediacoverage), and exposed American Express for breaking its word and resuming donations to Republican objectors (a story that quickly generated widespread attention to the company's duplicity online).
Today, however, I want to hear from you. What's on your mind? What topics would you like Popular Information to take on during the rest of 2022?
You can leave your thoughts in the discussion thread linked below, starting now. I’ll be dropping by later today to answer as many of your questions as I can.
Just want to thank you and your team for the so-very-important work that you are doing. Sunlight is the best disinfectant! May you all have a great restful vacation.
Many of us in #NY21 are fans. We would so appreciate getting your wise eyes on our rep Elise Stefanik. There is so much there that keeps seeming to fly under the radar...
Awesome work y’all. I’d like to see more in-depth coverage of statehouse gerrymandering and REDMAP. How extreme right wingers are running rough shod over the popular will of the electorate. Super majorities allow for terrible policy and little oversight.
Judd, I hope your "hiatus" takes the form of a vacation. You richly deserve one!
For when you return: Story #1 is the accelerating disintegration -- on so many fronts, for so many reasons -- of what remains of our democracy.
What's the best way to expose this infernally complex story? To convey its urgency? To narrate it coherently over time -- beyond episodic posts that readers are left to synthesize for themselves, best they can?
I am curious as to how you feel about whether or not the execution of the search warrant on The Former Guy's residence will increase the prospects for political violence by the on the right? It is an increasing fear on my part, as we watch the Republican political leaders scream about "Nazi-like" tactics by the Democrats and issuing thinly-veiled threats about what will happen if/when they take over the House after the November election.
Thank you for helping us see how business is corrupting the political process (and which ones are the biggest offenders). Keep shining that sunlight! We need you!
You deserve a restful, peaceful vacation.... two thoughts for me I would love exposed.... Louis DeJoy & Facebook easily giving Nebraska police the chats between a mother & daughter dealing with abortion.. reprehensible
-private prison industry, looking at nutrition, hiring of guards and their previous employment/professional records, deaths
-where do police officers with records of discrimination or hate groups go after they have been fired; is there anyone keeping these records so these officers won't be hired again as officers of the law
-is there anyone/organization keeping track of the fortunes/futures of Trump-endorsed candidates
NFL season kicks off soon, the great American spectacle. Just wondering how many of those billionaire owners give (individually or thru their companies) to Big Lie and Big Abortion Ban supporters?
The need to bring light-rail transit back into our minds to replace the personal car paradigm.
Electric cars are nice -- we have one. Few moving parts require almost no service, maintenance or oil change.
But the long-term sustainable discourse needs to be around European-style light-rail networks across city, state and region.
I think Vermont's late Marty Jezer wrote the best history of how GM systemically purchased and destroyed city trolley systems back in the 40s and 50s. (The Dark Ages: Life in the United States 1945-1960).
Here in Burlington, Vermont, the last trolley car was ceremoniously set on fire in August of 1929 in the center of downtown to celebrate the end of an era....
We need to make a modern version of that era, starting with how it is kept out of mind and off the discussion table.
Proud to support this work. It's interesting though that other outlets with more resources are not doing this same work, isn't it? Curious why that is.
Thanks for your excellent work and all you do. You are my go to morning muckraker. I continue to be amazed and disheartened and intrigued by the police and the lack of accountability, ethics or Anything resembling decent public service. I’m disheartened by the number of police and military involved in the insurrection and hope that the light can be shined on this it will get peoples attention. Thank you
Kudos for continued quality journalism. Have written before about Alachua County FL and the DeSatan foibles. The latest is his autocratic removal (for a values statement) of a 2x elected State Attorney (Andrew Warren, Hillsborough FL), who grew up in Gainesville: www.andrewwarrenfl.com Now we have to worry about unfettered thought police? How can we have a United States of America with such varying State policies?
Thank you for your excellent work. It would really help many of your stories if you added an address or contact point where you followers could most effectively reach out to make a difference. For example, if we are shareholders in American Express, where is the most effective place at the company to write to express our disapproval? If we oppose the influence of some PAC or the Chamber of Commerce, is there a regulatory agency where we might file a complaint, or a funder that a consumer movement might deter?
I watched a video essay about the various abuses of the private prison industry recently, so this topic is fresh on my mind and worth repeated visits, IMHO. For all the "law and order" types among us, the "crimes" of the for-profit carceral state should be a challenge to the notion that all this is being done for the public good.
It would be cool to get comps on our election spending (per capita or % of GDP) versus in Canada to shed light on how much influence buying could pay for such things as universal health care. It also sheds light on USA’s uniquely profit over people mentality that really ramped up in the 80s. Thanks for all you guys do!
I am a native Californian, still resident here. One of our worst "open secrets" is the deplorable state of drinking water for our poorest laborers' families in our "Great Valley". What is keeping my state from devoting serious money, time and consideration to ameliorating and eventually fixing this condition? Would it require higher taxation on the mega corporations that farm the state? Does it lack the political "oomph" of high speed rail? We deserve to be embarrassed about this. I hope you can take a look at this. Thanks!
Hello. The protection of the environment is topmost on my mind. What we can do to save the planet.
Second most important is to save our democracy from the Republicans. It seems they really are trying to take it away. I'm not sure why. I imagine money is behind it. But I don't now why anyone would want a dictator in charge of the U.S. It looks like that is just what the Republican project is: installing a dictator.
Wowza- great story leads, keep ‘em coming. It’s a bit daunting how far/deep/wide the wake of insanity & privilege casts but would rather know than be washed away in tsunami of undisclosed corruption.
I am so grateful that you ll follow the money. It is astonishing to me that money flows so freely into campaigns these days. Is the FEC functioning? We need more regulation around campaign finance reform. I know Representative Sarbanes has worked har don this issue in the past but ran up against the Republicans. We literally have a system of legalized corruption.
With this system, members of congress, are obligated to spend too much time dialing for dollars, and not enough time crafting best practice legislation with people they should be having lunch with - the other side of the aisle.
thank you for all you do! Would love to see reporting on federal responses to forever chemicals and heavy metals in our food, water, and soil; also very interested in policy on private prisons/detention centers. Thanks!
Thanks for all you do, Judd. I know I've asked about Matt Gaetz numerous times and there's not much to go on if nothing new has happened. But how did this story just fade into nothing? He's supposedly hooking up with underage girls and transporting them across state lines and coverage on him and that story has completely disappeared. If the roles were reversed and he were a democrat, we'd be hearing from the right every day about how there's a pedophile in their ranks and blah, blah, blah. Why have the democrats gone completely silent on this? Hammer this loser in the media until something happens. Why is alright for republicans to abuse children? Why don't they care when their own side abuses kids? They only have an issue if a democrat does it? That should tell the world everything they need to know about republicans.
Can you write about financial aid and merit aid for college? I know of deserving kids who didn’t get any and wealthy families who got a lot. It all seems strange and veiled to me.
Enjoy the break - even though the news cycle never stops. Suggested topic: The growing presence of private equity into hospital/nursing home management. Perhaps this has been covered and it may be time for a visit. As background, there's the book "The Hospital" by Brian Alexander.
Sunlight works wonders but it has to be more widely disseminated. Too many people still support trumps' big lie that he won...no the BIG LIE is that Biden lost. The mid-west and southern states are not hearing that. They think that trump still runs the country and the military. Then why do they blame Joe Biden for inflation, high gas prices, etc.? Shouldn't they be blaming trump? The news networks are doing a disservice to us all in not reporting more of this. I am tired of hearing about trumps's rallies and seeing his picture. It was bad enough when he was president. He rates nothing as far as news goes. Send him to jail already.
I used your reporting about United Healthcare and United Healthgroup to chance my insurance away from them. But I have discovered that my new insurance offers all sorts of perks and benefits that are only available when shopping at CVS or Walmart. I don’t know if this is because the insurance company (Aetna) has partnered with them or if it is because they have achieved some sort of government approval. This insurance in one of the bewildering array of plans available to people on Medicare. But your reporting on both CVS and Walmart makes me want to know exactly what is going on.
As deepthroat to famously said, "Follow the money." This is what makes you so effective Judd. (Not a newsflash for you I know.) Shine the light on the money and you will unearth the very bright, but very bad men that provide the Magats fuel.
Our disbelief that this is really happening is our biggest foe. Our inability to wrap our heads around this happening in America is killing us! We have been two steps behind the orange oaf for 6 years! There is a significant slice of America that has no love for democracy. And the people prompting, prodding and goading these numnuts are Not stupid!!
So compounding our disbelief is our underestimation of this movement. We have Got to get tougher. Yes, this is happening. Yes, the people running their show are very bright. It's time to wake up America! Hard work is ahead for all of us. If we all step up, we can win. Thanks for your good work Judd. You have a gift for this work we desperately need now!
Enjoy the well-earned time off and can't wait to have you back in a few weeks, Judd!
I'm not sure whether this would be possible or be a big lift on top of the enormous work you already do, but if Action Steps to help make change as your readers were something possible to include, I think that could motivate more of us to really drive change around the issues you cover...
I value your efforts to track down who's giving to GOP insurrection caucus, and wondering if it might be useful context to see which companies are giving equally to Dem-oriented groups as a sort of "faux balance." Is their (bogus) explanation that they are evening it out and giving equally?
Judd, Suppose the DISCLOSE Act is passed. How would it affect your research into money in politics and how do you think it would benefit the voting public?
Congratulations on your fourth anniversary, and thank you so much for your invaluable work exposing the corporate funding of authoritarian pols.
Please keep your focus on the corporations who are keeping anti-democracy politicians in power — and by anti-democracy I mean those who support voter suppression, forced-birth policies, and climate denial/delay in particular. These pols couldn’t run roughshod over the people’s will without the funding of household-name corporations.
We the people can’t reclaim our democracy without clear-eyed information about this connection, and your publication is the ONLY one I’ve seen that provides it. Thank you, and please keep showing us what we are up against.
Hi Judd. I’m am a huge fan of your ‘accountability journalism’ newsletter — and I’m a Canadian (Alberta). I am in awe of your research and productivity, I smile when I see how you methodically expose corporate hypocrisy, and I am delighted about all the positive change and justice you have brought to the US. When I read your work, I’m reminded that real Americans will never surrender democracy to Trumpers and GOP elitists. Keep. Pressing. Forward.
I would be interested to know if there is a difference in the average sentencing length for participants of the Jan 6th insurrection when compared by race?
Anecdotally, I feel like white people have had lighter sentences…
I have written in the past asking for more follow ups on the stories you post, and you have done that, thank you! I think it really helps to show the results of the stories you publish, and that by publishing those stories, change can and does occur.
I have a new request. This one is bigger, but I'll ask … would it be possible for subscribers to enter their zip code and get a 'Report Card' or 'where they stand' on our Congressional Representatives? I understand this is a big ask, and it may not be possible for every member of congress, but in the course of Popular Information's work, it already does gather some of this info for some members of congress. Perhaps if subscribers request info on their representative(s) and Popular Information does not have any, it's an opportunity to request a they become a subscriber? Just a thought …
In liberal states, there are so many more benefits for those in need, supported by higher taxes. So more people in need tend to gather there, now including the bus loads of asylum seekers from Arizona and Texas. To take care of them, the liberal states may raise taxes. Then wealthier people and businesses may relocate to places like Arizona and Texas to lessen their burden. It’s a conundrum.
Everyone is taking about this but it’s feeling like superficial bs. What’s the real scoop on DT fbi raid? Who authorized it? Who appointed those folks? Is this legit or is it political persecution of opposition?
Outstanding work every week. Thank-you for all you and your team does. I would like to see more on gerrymandering and the Republican effort to take over state offices that manage election results.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
Just want to thank you and your team for the so-very-important work that you are doing. Sunlight is the best disinfectant! May you all have a great restful vacation.
Many of us in #NY21 are fans. We would so appreciate getting your wise eyes on our rep Elise Stefanik. There is so much there that keeps seeming to fly under the radar...
Awesome work y’all. I’d like to see more in-depth coverage of statehouse gerrymandering and REDMAP. How extreme right wingers are running rough shod over the popular will of the electorate. Super majorities allow for terrible policy and little oversight.
Judd, I hope your "hiatus" takes the form of a vacation. You richly deserve one!
For when you return: Story #1 is the accelerating disintegration -- on so many fronts, for so many reasons -- of what remains of our democracy.
What's the best way to expose this infernally complex story? To convey its urgency? To narrate it coherently over time -- beyond episodic posts that readers are left to synthesize for themselves, best they can?
Dunno. Hope you do.
Great work. Glad to say your 4 years has kept me informed when MSM has caved to the 1% ownership.
Enjoy your two week hiatus. No doubt you will have plenty to report when you come back.
I am curious as to how you feel about whether or not the execution of the search warrant on The Former Guy's residence will increase the prospects for political violence by the on the right? It is an increasing fear on my part, as we watch the Republican political leaders scream about "Nazi-like" tactics by the Democrats and issuing thinly-veiled threats about what will happen if/when they take over the House after the November election.
And, enjoy your time off, Judd!
Thank you for helping us see how business is corrupting the political process (and which ones are the biggest offenders). Keep shining that sunlight! We need you!
Why isn’t more done to overturn Citizens United
Dark money is behind 90% of the corruption in our politics
Look how things have changed since 2010
Starting with the Tea Party
The rich corporations and billionaires run and owe the US now.
All of our politicians good or corrupt spend all their time campaigning, it is Alll about who has the most money
You deserve a restful, peaceful vacation.... two thoughts for me I would love exposed.... Louis DeJoy & Facebook easily giving Nebraska police the chats between a mother & daughter dealing with abortion.. reprehensible
Would love to hear more about to resist facism and how individual politicians leave office as millionaires.
Thanks for your hard work!
Possible topics:
-private prison industry, looking at nutrition, hiring of guards and their previous employment/professional records, deaths
-where do police officers with records of discrimination or hate groups go after they have been fired; is there anyone keeping these records so these officers won't be hired again as officers of the law
-is there anyone/organization keeping track of the fortunes/futures of Trump-endorsed candidates
NFL season kicks off soon, the great American spectacle. Just wondering how many of those billionaire owners give (individually or thru their companies) to Big Lie and Big Abortion Ban supporters?
The need to bring light-rail transit back into our minds to replace the personal car paradigm.
Electric cars are nice -- we have one. Few moving parts require almost no service, maintenance or oil change.
But the long-term sustainable discourse needs to be around European-style light-rail networks across city, state and region.
I think Vermont's late Marty Jezer wrote the best history of how GM systemically purchased and destroyed city trolley systems back in the 40s and 50s. (The Dark Ages: Life in the United States 1945-1960).
Here in Burlington, Vermont, the last trolley car was ceremoniously set on fire in August of 1929 in the center of downtown to celebrate the end of an era....
We need to make a modern version of that era, starting with how it is kept out of mind and off the discussion table.
Proud to support this work. It's interesting though that other outlets with more resources are not doing this same work, isn't it? Curious why that is.
Thanks for your excellent work and all you do. You are my go to morning muckraker. I continue to be amazed and disheartened and intrigued by the police and the lack of accountability, ethics or Anything resembling decent public service. I’m disheartened by the number of police and military involved in the insurrection and hope that the light can be shined on this it will get peoples attention. Thank you
Kudos for continued quality journalism. Have written before about Alachua County FL and the DeSatan foibles. The latest is his autocratic removal (for a values statement) of a 2x elected State Attorney (Andrew Warren, Hillsborough FL), who grew up in Gainesville: www.andrewwarrenfl.com Now we have to worry about unfettered thought police? How can we have a United States of America with such varying State policies?
The GOP/Fox news love affair w/Orban & Hungary. Is this true fascism rising (or just a side show) and what is their plan?
Happy Vacation!
Thank you for your excellent work. It would really help many of your stories if you added an address or contact point where you followers could most effectively reach out to make a difference. For example, if we are shareholders in American Express, where is the most effective place at the company to write to express our disapproval? If we oppose the influence of some PAC or the Chamber of Commerce, is there a regulatory agency where we might file a complaint, or a funder that a consumer movement might deter?
I watched a video essay about the various abuses of the private prison industry recently, so this topic is fresh on my mind and worth repeated visits, IMHO. For all the "law and order" types among us, the "crimes" of the for-profit carceral state should be a challenge to the notion that all this is being done for the public good.
It would be cool to get comps on our election spending (per capita or % of GDP) versus in Canada to shed light on how much influence buying could pay for such things as universal health care. It also sheds light on USA’s uniquely profit over people mentality that really ramped up in the 80s. Thanks for all you guys do!
I appreciate the work you do!
Keep the pedal down, Judd. They cannot withstand the scrutiny your team provides. The cracks in the GQP are widening every day. Thanks.
I am a native Californian, still resident here. One of our worst "open secrets" is the deplorable state of drinking water for our poorest laborers' families in our "Great Valley". What is keeping my state from devoting serious money, time and consideration to ameliorating and eventually fixing this condition? Would it require higher taxation on the mega corporations that farm the state? Does it lack the political "oomph" of high speed rail? We deserve to be embarrassed about this. I hope you can take a look at this. Thanks!
Hello. The protection of the environment is topmost on my mind. What we can do to save the planet.
Second most important is to save our democracy from the Republicans. It seems they really are trying to take it away. I'm not sure why. I imagine money is behind it. But I don't now why anyone would want a dictator in charge of the U.S. It looks like that is just what the Republican project is: installing a dictator.
Rest well and, to quote Red Green, "Keep your stick on the ice!"
Wowza- great story leads, keep ‘em coming. It’s a bit daunting how far/deep/wide the wake of insanity & privilege casts but would rather know than be washed away in tsunami of undisclosed corruption.
I am so grateful that you ll follow the money. It is astonishing to me that money flows so freely into campaigns these days. Is the FEC functioning? We need more regulation around campaign finance reform. I know Representative Sarbanes has worked har don this issue in the past but ran up against the Republicans. We literally have a system of legalized corruption.
With this system, members of congress, are obligated to spend too much time dialing for dollars, and not enough time crafting best practice legislation with people they should be having lunch with - the other side of the aisle.
thank you for all you do! Would love to see reporting on federal responses to forever chemicals and heavy metals in our food, water, and soil; also very interested in policy on private prisons/detention centers. Thanks!
Matt Gaetz court case. Hunter Biden’s bs. MTG 1/6 shenanigans. Andrew Yang’s forward tripe. Pelosi’s insider trading, etc.
What you do is fantastic & am glad that I donated.
You are so darn good at this; thank you Judd and team.
Thanks for all you do, Judd. I know I've asked about Matt Gaetz numerous times and there's not much to go on if nothing new has happened. But how did this story just fade into nothing? He's supposedly hooking up with underage girls and transporting them across state lines and coverage on him and that story has completely disappeared. If the roles were reversed and he were a democrat, we'd be hearing from the right every day about how there's a pedophile in their ranks and blah, blah, blah. Why have the democrats gone completely silent on this? Hammer this loser in the media until something happens. Why is alright for republicans to abuse children? Why don't they care when their own side abuses kids? They only have an issue if a democrat does it? That should tell the world everything they need to know about republicans.
Can you write about financial aid and merit aid for college? I know of deserving kids who didn’t get any and wealthy families who got a lot. It all seems strange and veiled to me.
Thank you for your valuable information and revelations.
Have a great vacation
Love everything you do!
Maybe talk about monopolies.
Thank you for all your work. Enjoy the break
Enjoy the break - even though the news cycle never stops. Suggested topic: The growing presence of private equity into hospital/nursing home management. Perhaps this has been covered and it may be time for a visit. As background, there's the book "The Hospital" by Brian Alexander.
Sunlight works wonders but it has to be more widely disseminated. Too many people still support trumps' big lie that he won...no the BIG LIE is that Biden lost. The mid-west and southern states are not hearing that. They think that trump still runs the country and the military. Then why do they blame Joe Biden for inflation, high gas prices, etc.? Shouldn't they be blaming trump? The news networks are doing a disservice to us all in not reporting more of this. I am tired of hearing about trumps's rallies and seeing his picture. It was bad enough when he was president. He rates nothing as far as news goes. Send him to jail already.
I used your reporting about United Healthcare and United Healthgroup to chance my insurance away from them. But I have discovered that my new insurance offers all sorts of perks and benefits that are only available when shopping at CVS or Walmart. I don’t know if this is because the insurance company (Aetna) has partnered with them or if it is because they have achieved some sort of government approval. This insurance in one of the bewildering array of plans available to people on Medicare. But your reporting on both CVS and Walmart makes me want to know exactly what is going on.
As deepthroat to famously said, "Follow the money." This is what makes you so effective Judd. (Not a newsflash for you I know.) Shine the light on the money and you will unearth the very bright, but very bad men that provide the Magats fuel.
Our disbelief that this is really happening is our biggest foe. Our inability to wrap our heads around this happening in America is killing us! We have been two steps behind the orange oaf for 6 years! There is a significant slice of America that has no love for democracy. And the people prompting, prodding and goading these numnuts are Not stupid!!
So compounding our disbelief is our underestimation of this movement. We have Got to get tougher. Yes, this is happening. Yes, the people running their show are very bright. It's time to wake up America! Hard work is ahead for all of us. If we all step up, we can win. Thanks for your good work Judd. You have a gift for this work we desperately need now!
Enjoy the well-earned time off and can't wait to have you back in a few weeks, Judd!
I'm not sure whether this would be possible or be a big lift on top of the enormous work you already do, but if Action Steps to help make change as your readers were something possible to include, I think that could motivate more of us to really drive change around the issues you cover...
Congratulations on your anniversary and thank you so much for your thorough and insightful investigative journalism.
It would be nice if MSM could follow your example! Enjoy your much deserved vacation too!
I’m curious, how can we get your work included in MSM? So many local and regional papers pull from AP, Reuters etc? How do we get the truth out there?
I value your efforts to track down who's giving to GOP insurrection caucus, and wondering if it might be useful context to see which companies are giving equally to Dem-oriented groups as a sort of "faux balance." Is their (bogus) explanation that they are evening it out and giving equally?
Judd, Suppose the DISCLOSE Act is passed. How would it affect your research into money in politics and how do you think it would benefit the voting public?
Congratulations on your fourth anniversary, and thank you so much for your invaluable work exposing the corporate funding of authoritarian pols.
Please keep your focus on the corporations who are keeping anti-democracy politicians in power — and by anti-democracy I mean those who support voter suppression, forced-birth policies, and climate denial/delay in particular. These pols couldn’t run roughshod over the people’s will without the funding of household-name corporations.
We the people can’t reclaim our democracy without clear-eyed information about this connection, and your publication is the ONLY one I’ve seen that provides it. Thank you, and please keep showing us what we are up against.
Hi Judd. I’m am a huge fan of your ‘accountability journalism’ newsletter — and I’m a Canadian (Alberta). I am in awe of your research and productivity, I smile when I see how you methodically expose corporate hypocrisy, and I am delighted about all the positive change and justice you have brought to the US. When I read your work, I’m reminded that real Americans will never surrender democracy to Trumpers and GOP elitists. Keep. Pressing. Forward.
Love the work and am a supporter.
I would be interested to know if there is a difference in the average sentencing length for participants of the Jan 6th insurrection when compared by race?
Anecdotally, I feel like white people have had lighter sentences…
I have written in the past asking for more follow ups on the stories you post, and you have done that, thank you! I think it really helps to show the results of the stories you publish, and that by publishing those stories, change can and does occur.
I have a new request. This one is bigger, but I'll ask … would it be possible for subscribers to enter their zip code and get a 'Report Card' or 'where they stand' on our Congressional Representatives? I understand this is a big ask, and it may not be possible for every member of congress, but in the course of Popular Information's work, it already does gather some of this info for some members of congress. Perhaps if subscribers request info on their representative(s) and Popular Information does not have any, it's an opportunity to request a they become a subscriber? Just a thought …
In liberal states, there are so many more benefits for those in need, supported by higher taxes. So more people in need tend to gather there, now including the bus loads of asylum seekers from Arizona and Texas. To take care of them, the liberal states may raise taxes. Then wealthier people and businesses may relocate to places like Arizona and Texas to lessen their burden. It’s a conundrum.
Everyone is taking about this but it’s feeling like superficial bs. What’s the real scoop on DT fbi raid? Who authorized it? Who appointed those folks? Is this legit or is it political persecution of opposition?
Outstanding work every week. Thank-you for all you and your team does. I would like to see more on gerrymandering and the Republican effort to take over state offices that manage election results.