When it comes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Tom Perez is stuck between a rock and a hard place-or rather, between his current boss, President Barack Obama, and his potential future boss, Hillary Clinton. In his role as the U.S. labor secretary, Perez has gone to the mat for Obama as a prominent supporter of […]
Justin Miller
Justin Miller covers politics and state government for the Texas Observer. He is a former Prospect writing fellow, and has also written for The Intercept, The New Republic, and In These Times. Follow @by_jmiller
Posted inCivil Rights in America
Court Deals Blow to Advocates Fighting Voter Registration Obstacles
Voting rights advocates trying to rein in the head of the beleaguered federal Election Assistance Commission are getting no favors from the courts. Last week, a D.C. Circuit Court judge declined to issue a preliminary injunction blocking what critics say are voter-registration barriers that violate federal law. Back in January, Brian Newby, the commission’s executive […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Democrats Fight Trump and One Another Over Trade
As Donald Trump ramps up his anti-trade rhetoric, progressives have stepped up pressure on the Democratic Party’s platform committee to decisively reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Posted inWorking in America
Supreme Court Offers Undocumented Workers No Relief from Fear and Danger
The Court’s deadlock on DAPA puts many promising organizing efforts in jeopardy.
Posted inLaw and Justice
Reformers Sound Alarm: McDonnell Ruling Invites Corruption
Good-government advocates voiced alarm Monday that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling to overturn former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s 11-count corruption conviction will pave the way for the wealthy and powerful to more brazenly wield influence in government. “By saying that politicians can receive gifts in exchange for political favors, the Supreme Court has enshrined bribery […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Have New York’s Leaders Doomed Major Ethics Reform?
In the wee hours of Saturday, June 18, the New York legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo passed a reform deal that strengthens the ban on coordination between super PACs and campaigns, and strips pensions from public officials who are convicted of felonies related to their office. But instead of cheering, government reform advocates are livid. […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Foreign Contributions Risk Unites Liberals, Conservatives
Campaign-finance deregulation has elevated the risk that foreign money will make its way into American elections, and this danger is emerging as a rare point of bipartisan agreement between liberals and conservatives. The threat of foreign campaign contributions and how to stop it was the topic of a bipartisan forum at the Federal Election Commission […]
Posted inWorking in America
Underneath Five-Star Veneer, High-End Restaurant Employees Get Worked Over
In an industry where exploitation is business-as-usual, workers have won some important victories—but still have a long way to go.
Posted inWorking in America
The Subtle Force of Tom Perez
The labor secretary, a son of Dominican immigrants, has used his power to make real gains for workers—so successfully that he’s become a vice presidential prospect.
Posted inWorking in America
Can Big Business Dismantle the Joint Employer Standard?
Nearly one year after the NLRB’s landmark Browning-Ferris decision, the business lobby is fighting back.
