OPINION: Steve Mnuchin Wants More Power — to Save the Rich, and Screw the Rest
Reading Time: 5 minutes Much of the 2008 bailout rescued the wealthy and the banks. This one should focus on ordinary people.
Banking on the Public Option: Will LA Lead the Way for People-Owned Banks?
Reading Time: 9 minutes Private banks are driven to increase profits for their shareholders. But what if banks were publicly owned and made their business decisions with the good of the local community in mind? Los Angelenos may put this notion to the test come November.
Consumer Protection Czar’s Confession Exposes Banks’ Political Grip
Reading Time: 2 minutes Mick Mulvaney’s confession to bank executives, along with his efforts to thwart the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, shows that the revolving door between Washington and Wall Street is operating as busily as it ever has.
The Deep State and the Bias of Official History
Reading Time: 7 minutes How do Wall Street, oil companies and shadow government agencies like the CIA shape the order of global politics together? Author Peter Dale Scott examines that question in his forthcoming book “The American Deep State: Wall Street, Big Oil and the Attack on U.S. Democracy.” Here, in an exclusive excerpt, Scott looks at how official history ignores the real dynamics in play.
The Subprime Economy is Back—But It Never Really Left
Reading Time: 5 minutes Who can forget the subprime economy that launched the Great Recession? Don’t worry if you have—it’s back again, with a different face. Wall Street has found rich pickings in the financial ruins from the last crash. Here’s how the new subprime economy is growing from the struggle to make ends meet and the mountain of debt affecting more than one in three Americans
Corporate Personhood in the Fast Lane: Jonathan Frieman, Citizen, Takes a Stand
Reading Time: 6 minutes Russ Baker interviews Jonathan Frieman, who took an unusual stand against corporate personhood. Frieman was stopped in October by a sheriff in Marin County (a San Francisco suburb)—for driving solo in the lane for high-occupancy vehicles. He then pulled out corporate papers and argued that he was traveling with another person—since corporations count as persons. In January, he got his day in court. He didn’t win, but he did show how creative approaches can make people pay attention. His action drew local and national media coverage.
TvWHO: Russ on Election Reform and Having Real Choices
Reading Time: < 1 minute RT’s Abby Martin interviews Russ about a recent WhoWhatWhy article on the incredible shrinking choices in national politics—and what can be done to reverse the trend.
The GOP slice of the One Percenter Pie
Reading Time: < 1 minute This pie chart really tells us a lot. As sympathetic to Wall Street as the Obama administration has been, the money managers and handlers still consider the GOP a much better bet.
The Jeb Scenario: Can You Say “President Bush” again?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Could we see a third Bush in the White House? You betcha—and soon. This is not just of casual interest—there’s a lot more than meets the eye. And it explains a lot about the death of democracy.
Subprime (Editorial) Real Estate: Why greed stories are for everyone
Reading Time: 2 minutes What happened to the guys who ruined our economy, making a huge profit by betting mortgages would tank? They’re making another huge profit, betting mortgages soar. But only other investors are supposed to be interested in this little non-morality play?