The director of national intelligence appears to be withholding an explosive court opinion that could give lawmakers all the more reason to meaningfully reform surveillance law.
James Baratta
James Baratta is a writing fellow at The American Prospect. He previously worked as a reporter at MandateWire from the Financial Times. His work has appeared in Truthout, Politico, and The Progressive. James is a graduate of Ithaca College and a life-long member of the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. He is currently based in New York City.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Can the States Stop the Corporate Domination of Our Politics?
States giveth corporations the right to exist, so the states can taketh away their political spending power—or at least, Hawaii and Montana are trying.
Posted inPolitics
NY-17: Who’s Afraid of Mike Lawler?
Cait Conley is leading the two-term incumbent in the polls, but on the airwaves, Lawler dominates. Why have Democrats been reluctant to spend as much as in other swing districts?
Posted inLaw and Justice
Rogue Sheriffs Revolt Against New York Law Ending ICE Partnerships
State lawmakers have forbidden local police from participating in mass deportation. Some sheriffs think they are above the law.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
California Wildfire Package Preserves Survivors’ Legal Rights UPDATED
SB 492 stops short of a Marshall Plan for fire survivors, but it averts the harms of Gavin Newsom’s now-collapsed wildfire utility bailout.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
Wildfire Survivors Push Back Against Newsom-Led Utility Bailout
At the end of the legislative session, the Democratic governor and presidential hopeful wants to cap liability for power companies that start deadly fires.
Posted inTAP
Trump Makes Crime Legal
If you’re a liberal activist or union member, the Trump administration wants to know everything about you. But if you’re a foreign oligarch laundering money, you can count on it looking the other way.
Posted inTransportation
Regulators Finally Poised to Review America’s Biggest Rail Merger
The $85 billion proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. Workers, shippers, and even business rivals are against it.
Posted inTAP
The Great ‘Made in the USA’ Gambit
Amazon and Walmart are well equipped to detect deceptive claims about where products are made. Their own AI chatbots describe the choice not to act as a business decision.
Posted inPolitics
Jay Clayton’s Subpoena Slop Job
The Justice Department is dropping its subpoenas of New York Times journalists. The episode may make it impossible to extend the government’s warrantless spying program.