See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
Why oil companies are raking in record profits under Joe Biden (CNN)
This year, members of the oil and gas industry have largely donated to Republican candidates and conservative groups, according to OpenSecrets. But, the oil and gas industry in the United States has thrived under the current president, even as the Biden administration has touted its efforts to transition away from fossil fuels and towards green energy sources.
$800,000 wire transfer from billionaire donor to US Chamber raises curtain on dark money (The Hill)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce received an $800,000 wire transfer from billionaire donor Hank Meijer days after it endorsed his son, then-Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), in a contentious 2022 primary, according to previously unreported internal emails reviewed by The Hill. The timing of the donation so soon after the endorsement “raises some serious questions” about the arrangement between the Chamber and Hank Meijer, said Anna Massoglia, a dark money expert at the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
The U.S. wants to crack down on payday loans. Here’s what you need to know (The Washington Post)
The Supreme Court ruling resolved a challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s authority to act — meaning that the agency can come off the sidelines and get back in the game of fighting predatory lending. An array of lenders continue to fight the tougher rules, including ACE Cash Express, Populus Financial Group, Advance America, Advance Financial and Check ’n Go. In total, their lobbies spent roughly $5 million per year from 2021 through 2023, according to the watchdog group OpenSecrets.