Research Cited

The Soda Industry’s War on the Soda Tax

Source: Citizen Truth | Published: 5/15/2018

Recently, the number of studies suggesting that sugar has negative effects on the body have grown exponentially. Obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis are just a few of the negative consequences that arise from consuming too much sugar. As a result of increasing evidence against the sweet substance, soda tax bans are finding growing acceptance in the public. A new report on PRWatch.org found that the beverage industry is aggressively fighting back with moves learned from big tobacco.

Gehrke: Once Again, We See Ambition and Politics Drive Decisions at the AG’s Office; Maybe It’s Time for a Change

Democracy

Source: Salt Lake Tribune | Published: 5/8/2018

What these documents — a group of several dozen emails obtained by the progressive watchdog group, Center for Media and Democracy — show is that, when ambition reared its ugly head, Reyes put political calculations ahead of the interests of the agency heads his office is supposed to represent.

The Obscure Tax Rule That’s Stopping US States from Paying Teachers More

Economy, Education

Source: Quartz | Published: 5/5/2018

One way to invest more in books, schools and teachers would be to raise taxes. But most of the states with striking teachers face a special obstacle that makes that nearly impossible: “Supermajority” tax measures, which require a wider-than-normal margin of legislators to vote for tax increases. Cutting taxes in these states is easy, but reversing those cuts to fix problems like underfunded schools, is tough.

The EPA’s Ethics Controversies Keep Growing. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Environment

Source: BuzzFeed News | Published: 5/4/2018

As Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt used multiple email accounts, including his personal one, for official business. The Center for Media and Democracy is in an ongoing legal battle with the Oklahoma attorney general’s office to release thousands of Pruitt’s emails with fossil fuel companies and others in response to their open records request.

‘Poison Papers’: Us and Canadian Regulators Colluded with Manufacturers of Highly Toxic

Environment

Source: The Real News Network | Published: 5/3/2018

The poison papers were analyzed and published by the Center for Media and Democracy and Dr. Jonathan Latham. They are a compilation of over 20000 documents obtained from federal agencies and chemical manufacturers via open records requests and public interest litigation. They include internal scientific studies and summaries of studies, internal memos and reports, meeting minutes, strategic discussions, and sworn testimonies.

His Deputy Called a Pro-Fracking Letter ‘Political, Plain and Simple.’ Why Utah A.G. Sean Reyes Signed It Anyway.

Climate, Democracy, Environment

Source: Salt Lake Tribune | Published: 5/2/2018

The emails were obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy, or CMD, a progressive watchdog group that sued to force Pruitt to release thousands of similar emails that outlined his close ties with the oil industry.

Patience and Secrecy in the Kochs’ Complex Conspiracy

Koch

Source: Common Dreams | Published: 5/2/2018

To learn more about the Koch agenda, check out the Center for Media and Democracy’s work at www.exposedbycmd.org/Koch

Michigan Conservatives Hope to Make Inroads on Clean Energy with ALEC

ALEC, Koch

Source: Energy News Network | Published: 4/26/2018

The progressive Center for Media and Democracy watchdog group started tracking ALEC activities in 2011, noting prominent members like Exxon Mobil, the American Gas Association, the Heritage Foundation and multiple Koch brothers-related companies.

A Quiet Conspiracy of Billionaires

Koch

Source: NationofChange | Published: 4/26/2018

To learn more, check out the extensive Koch web files at the Center for Media and Democracy: www.exposedbycmd.org/koch/

The Koch Brothers’ Plutocracy

Democracy, Koch

Source: Colorado Springs Independent | Published: 4/25/2018

The Koch conspiracy’s attack on our democratic rights has already rigged our country’s economic and political rules so the richest of the rich can now grab even more of society’s wealth and power, thus shattering America’s commitment to the Common Good and creating a savage level of inequality. To learn more, go to the watchdog group, Center for Media and Democracy.