Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the redesign of our online news site, Eyes on the Ties. We accompanied the revamp with a new description of the site:
Eyes on the Ties is the online news site of Public Accountability Initiative & LittleSis. We publish material that relates to our mission of bringing more transparency to the role that corporate power plays in shaping public policy. In addition to a steady stream of our latest findings on corruption and cronyism at the intersection of business and politics, we also post material that connects broadly to the topic of power research: interviews with muckrakers and organizers, reports on actions and trainings, and sketches and reflections on power research in history.
Given that it has been a year since the revamp of the site, we thought it might be a good idea to pull together some of our and our readers’ favorite posts over the past year. Here’s a list of ten of our most read and well-received pieces since a year ago, in chronological order by their publication date.
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The Hidden History of the SNCC Research Department (May 2, 2017)
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was at the forefront of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But few people know that it had a vibrant research department that aided its on-the-ground organizing efforts to dismantle the southern Jim Crow system.
Mercer family front groups attack universal healthcare bill in New York State (May 24, 2017)
Right-wing front groups attacking a universal healthcare bill in New York are funded – and in one case controlled – by the hedge fund billionaire who helped propel Trump into office and who manages billions of dollars in pharmaceutical and insurance investments.
Research for the Resistance: Map the Power Takes Off! (June 28, 2017)
Map the Power: Research for the Resistance, a new LittleSis initiative to train movement researchers, is taking off across North America.
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Eyes on the Ties’ Fracketeer of the Month: Stephen Schwarzman (September 6, 2017)
Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman has bet billions of dollars on the oil and gas industry, buying interests in drilling fields, fracking companies, major pipeline projects, power plants and export facilities. If Trump continues to make good on his pledge to expand fracking and pipeline infrastructure, Blackstone’s oil and gas bets could prove incredibly lucrative for Schwarzman, whose $425 million 2016 pay package mainly came in the form of stock dividends.
How Seth Klarman, One of Puerto Rico’s Biggest Debt Vultures, Was Exposed (October 10, 2017)
One of the biggest speculators on Puerto Rico’s debt remained unknown until last week. Here’s an inside account of how the Baupost Group was exposed.
Researchers Against the War Machine: The Story of NARMIC (October 24, 2017)
The fight against the Vietnam War was one of the biggest mass movements in US history. But few people know about the crucial role that researchers played in helping organizers to build a strong movement.
Is Jerry Brown Really the Climate Hero He’s Made Out To Be? (November 17, 2017)
California Governor Jerry Brown is sold to the public as a climate visionary. But is this the whole truth?
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Gun Profiteers: Who’s Getting Rich off the US Gun Crisis? (March 1, 2018)
Banks, investors, and retailers are profiting off the US gun industry. They may be good targets for organizers.
Scandal-Ridden Wells Fargo Rips Off Customers While Funding the Gun Industry & Carceral State (March 15, 2018)
Wells Fargo helps prop up everything from the gun industry to private prisons and fossil fuels. Will the scandal-ridden bank ever stop profiting off of injustice?
Exelon lobbyist bragged about profitability of Cuomo’s nuclear bailout (March 27, 2018)
A regulator-turned-Exelon-lobbyist bragged at an energy conference last year about how Exelon’s lobbying investment translated into nearly $6 billion in public subsidies.
Want to support LittleSis and Eyes on the Ties? Consider making a donation today!