Wisconsin Lawmakers Exploit Loophole to Hide ALEC Ties
Wisconsin
state legislators are routinely deleting emails concerning their
involvement with the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council
(ALEC), exploiting a loophole that exempts the Legislature from records
retention rules that apply to all other state and local government
officials.
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Chicago Teachers "On Strike for Better Schools"
Negotiations
between the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) and Chicago Public Schools
(CPS) failed to result in a contract before Sunday, September 9, 2012 at
midnight, sparking the first teacher’s strike in Chicago in 25 years.
The strike is now in its second day.
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"Citizens for Fire Safety" Smoked Out: Front Group Folds After Exposé
Manufacturers
of flame retardant chemicals, an industry that got a boost from Big
Tobacco's shadow money decades ago, are being exposed to increased
public scrutiny. In the fallout, a front group formed by the three
biggest manufacturers, calling itself "Citizens for Fire Safety," has
been shuttered.
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Walker's New Capitol Police Chief Cracks Down on the First Amendment
On
September 5, 2012, eight people were arrested, handcuffed, and
ultimately given citations for simply holding signs in the Wisconsin
State Capitol. This may come as a surprise to the hundreds of thousands
of people who marched through the Capitol in February and March of 2011
proudly holding home-made signs that denounced Governor Scott Walker’s
attack on collective bargaining rights, but there’s a new sheriff in
town -- a new Capitol Police chief to be exact.
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ALEC Member "American Chemistry Council" Drops $649K on WI Senate Race
The
chemical industry trade group American Chemistry Council, a member of
the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), has spent $648,600 on
ads supporting Tommy Thompson, a former ALEC member and the Republican
candidate for Wisconsin's open U.S. Senate seat.
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Echoing ALEC's Playbook, the Real Story of Walker's Tort "Reform"
On
New Year's weekend in 2011, many Wisconsinites were focused on the
Badgers' return to the Rose Bowl or whether the Green Bay Packers would
beat the Detroit Lions and get another shot to win the Super Bowl, but
the incoming administration of Governor Scott Walker had other, bigger
contests on its agenda. In mid-winter, while many in the state were
worried about who would win or lose the big games, Walker's team was
preparing to change state law in numerous ways, including making it
easier for corporations to win big cases and limit the damages paid if
their products or practices kill or injure people in Wisconsin.
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Club for Growth Flexing Muscle in Races Across the Country
The
Washington DC-based Club for Growth has racked up a winning record in
its well-funded, $10.8 million effort to influence GOP Senate primaries
across the country, and with help from some deep-pocketed donors, will
continue throwing its weight around as November approaches.
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Adidas Tells WI Court It Has No Obligation to Help Exploited Workers
Despite
promising U.S. universities that it would help ensure fair labor
practices, Adidas, the world's second largest athletic shoe and apparel
company, has told a Wisconsin court that it can't be required to "stand
in the shoes" of its global suppliers who owe millions of dollars to
workers, according to a court document reviewed by the Center for Media
and Democracy.
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New Yorkers Rally to Urge Gov. Cuomo to Reject Fracking
The
future of New York's water supplies and the health of its millions of
citizens hang in the balance as Governor Andrew Cuomo decides whether to
end the state's moratorium on new wells to drill for "natural" gas
through the controversial industrial process of hydraulic fracturing or
"fracking." Activists estimated that over two thousand concerned
citizens joined the march in Albany Monday to try to persuade Cuomo not
to lift the moratorium -- statewide or in some counties -- a decision
expected to be announced some time after Labor Day.
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Marco Rubio, Geo Group, and a Legacy of Corruption
U.S.
Senator Marco Rubio's unsettling history of extremely close ties to
private prison operator Geo Group and the possible federal investigation
into Florida's private prison giveaway of more than $120 million.
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"Raise less corn and more hell!" We print shotgun journalism, use "bad grammar" whenever possible and write with a short fuse from our farm in North Jefferson County, Kansas. Our slogan: "Hayseeds and bovines, unite! Stampede the clutterfreaks! Life is short!" Email us at: bluebarnnewscentral@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Independent News from the Center for Media & Democracy
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