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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Hedge-Fund Billionaires Invest in Politics from Two Perspectives

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Monday, February 24, 2014   

Two hedge-fund billionaires with opposite political leanings have just organized themselves and their wealthy friends to inject more than $100 million into this year's electoral campaigns.

Their efforts continue the pattern made possible by judicial rulings that have opened the floodgates to unlimited spending by individuals, corporations and unions, said Robert Maguire, an analyst for the Center for Responsive Politics.

"At least three of the most politically active nonprofits got more than 90 percent of their money from one or two donors," he said.

Democrat Tom Steyer's "NextGen Climate Action" Super-PAC has said it will work to defeat politicians who don't support action on climate change, while Paul Singer's "American Opportunity Alliance" will promote candidates who support his conservative business agenda.

A growing number of organizations oppose this unlimited spending and are working for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision. In that case, the court ruled that corporations are people and donations are a form of free speech that can't be regulated.

"It's only going get worse until we change the court or change the Constitution," said Nick Nyhart, president of Public Campaign, "and in addition to that, set up a small-donor-based public financing system."

Nyhart said bills to enable people to give small contributions to candidates and have them matched 6-to-1 by public money have just been introduced into both houses of Congress. That would enable candidates to hold their own in challenges from wealthy donors such as Steyer and Singer, Nyhart said, adding that the alternative is what politics looks like now.

"We've seen tens of millions of dollars come into the race - not from thousands and tens of thousands of people, but from two people, pledging to run huge political operations."

Many Democrats are delighted that Steyer is in the game, and hope he'll be a counterweight to the fossil-fuel-funded Koch brothers, who support the candidates opposing action on climate change.


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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

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Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

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Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

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Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

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Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

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New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Social Issues

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Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

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Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

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