Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 26, 2023 at 7:36 PM

when a multinational corporation begs to be regulated

Corporate titan Microsoft just called for the U.S. government to regulate what it and other Big Tech companies are doing with artificial intelligence. And it is not the only major A.I. company that has requested government intervention. A few thoughts: These companies are not wrong. Public …

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May 25, 2023 at 5:40 PM

economic catastrophe

I want to spell out what all the talk about a “debt ceiling” really means. Here’s what Republicans in Congress — under the leadership, if you can call it that, of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — are doing: Every year — through a normal, if often contentious, legislative process — Congress pass…

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May 24, 2023 at 6:49 PM

19 school children killed one year ago today

One year ago today, a man killed 19 children and 2 teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Ten days before that, a man killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. In the year since those slaughters, there have been literally hundreds of mass shootings in our country —…

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May 23, 2023 at 7:15 PM

Republicans are holding us all hostage

I want to spell out what all the talk about a “debt ceiling” really means. Here’s what Republicans in Congress — under the leadership, if you can call it that, of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — are doing: Every year — through a normal, if often contentious, legislative process — Congress pass…

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May 18, 2023 at 7:22 PM

end this national disgrace

A shameful fact: One out every 11 Americans does not have health insurance. Think about the people you know. Co-workers. Neighbors. Folks from church. Your children’s classmates and their families. The school bus driver. Everyone who works at the coffee shop, the grocery store, the movie th…

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May 17, 2023 at 5:54 PM

Medicare. For. All.

A shameful fact: One out every 11 Americans does not have health insurance. Think about the people you know. Co-workers. Neighbors. Folks from church. Your children’s classmates and their families. The school bus driver. Everyone who works at the coffee shop, the grocery store, the movie th…

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May 16, 2023 at 6:09 PM

a significant threat to truth and democracy as we know it

Imagine it is October 29, 2024. The presidential election is one week away. A video surfaces where one of the two leading candidates appears to be seen and heard whispering to his closest aide that he’s been lying about his position on abortion. The video is played around the clock on cable…

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May 15, 2023 at 6:59 PM

candidates must pledge not to use A.I. or deepfakes to deceive voters

Imagine it is October 29, 2024. The presidential election is one week away. A video surfaces where one of the two leading candidates appears to be seen and heard whispering to his closest aide that he’s been lying about his position on abortion. The video is played around the clock on cable…

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May 12, 2023 at 5:27 PM

before the next pandemic

The United States government has formally ended its classification of COVID-19 as an emergency. We are a different country than we were before. We have lost more than a million people to the disease. With hundreds more dying each week. Many others are struggling with Long COVID. Many busi…

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May 11, 2023 at 7:54 PM

how little we seem to have learned is itself an emergency

As of today, the United States government is formally ending its classification of COVID-19 as an emergency. We are a different country than we were before. We have lost more than a million people to the disease. With hundreds more dying each week. Many others are struggling with Long COVID…

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May 10, 2023 at 7:42 PM

the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned

A long-ish note today. Stick with me — I want to talk about why we’re hearing things like “debt ceiling” and “default” so much right now and why it is absolutely critical to understand what’s at stake. First, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution plainly states (among other thi…

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May 8, 2023 at 5:13 PM

convicted of seditious conspiracy

Last week, four members of the so-called Proud Boys — including the former leader of the neo-fascist group — were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Their crime, of course, was conspiring to keep Donald Trump in the White House — despite his loss in the 2020 election — by leading a violent atta…

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May 6, 2023 at 7:25 PM

this is not science fiction, the threat is real

Earlier this week, a man many call the godfather of artificial intelligence resigned from Google so that he can speak freely about the “dangers of A.I.” Geoffrey Hinton is one of the computer scientists who pioneered the neural network technology that is at the core of modern A.I. systems such …

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May 5, 2023 at 6:40 PM

not-so-proud boys

Four members of the so-called Proud Boys — including the former leader of the neo-fascist group — were convicted of seditious conspiracy yesterday. Their crime, of course, was conspiring to keep Donald Trump in the White House — despite his loss in the 2020 election — by leading a violent attac…

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May 4, 2023 at 6:21 PM

hit pause on artificial intelligence before it's too late

Earlier this week, a man many call the godfather of artificial intelligence resigned from Google so that he can speak freely about the “dangers of A.I.” Geoffrey Hinton is one of the computer scientists who pioneered the neural network technology that is at the core of modern A.I. systems such …

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May 3, 2023 at 5:51 PM

Supreme Court and ethical standards

There was a Senate hearing yesterday on ethical standards at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s decisions on voting rights, labor laws, reproductive freedoms, and more impact our lives and shape the direction of our nation. But Americans’ confidence in the integrity of the Supreme Court h…

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May 2, 2023 at 7:26 PM

ethics at the Supreme Court

The United States Senate held a hearing today on ethical standards at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s decisions on voting rights, labor laws, reproductive freedoms, and more impact our lives and shape the direction of our nation. But Americans’ confidence in the integrity of the Suprem…

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April 30, 2023 at 6:40 PM

candidate / president / authoritarian wannabe / national disgrace

This past Thursday, former Vice President Mike Pence testified before the grand jury looking into Donald Trump’s plot to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election. Look, the American people have been subjected to candidate / president / authoritarian wannabe / national disgrace Donald Tr…

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April 29, 2023 at 6:05 PM

his unpleasant visage and his unhinged blather

On Thursday, former Vice President Mike Pence testified before the grand jury looking into Donald Trump’s plot to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election. Look, the American people have been subjected to candidate / president / authoritarian wannabe / national disgrace Donald Trump for…

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April 28, 2023 at 6:52 PM

dang, Mike Pence

Former Vice President Mike Pence testified yesterday to the grand jury looking into Donald Trump’s plot to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election. Look, the American people have been subjected to candidate / president / authoritarian wannabe / national disgrace Donald Trump for 7 year…

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April 25, 2023 at 7:12 PM

this Republican plan is cruel and anti-American

House Republicans — as part of their brinkmanship over the urgent need to raise the debt ceiling — are about to pass an extortionate proposal to slash government spending. Republicans claim this plan shows they are “responsible” and “serious.” That’s a lie. The Republican plan would force a…

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April 24, 2023 at 7:01 PM

Tucker Carlson is off the air

Earlier today, Fox “News” announced that it is parting ways with Tucker Carlson — its most popular prime-time host. Now, Fox could replace Carlson with someone even more racist, spiteful, and obnoxious. Or Carlson could end up shopping his “talents” — and millions of followers — to a rival ne…

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April 20, 2023 at 6:21 PM

paying the price for the Big Lie

Fox News will pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to drop its defamation lawsuit against the network. That’s more than the reported net worth of music icons like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger, or Taylor Swift. More than the reported net worth of beloved movie star…

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April 19, 2023 at 7:31 PM

Fox News forks over 1.2 Bruce Springsteens to avoid trial

Yesterday, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to drop its defamation lawsuit against the network. That’s more than the reported net worth of music icons like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger, or Taylor Swift. More than the reported net worth of be…

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April 18, 2023 at 8:38 PM

there's negotiation and then there's extortion

Republicans in Congress are trying to exploit the debt ceiling to do something very cruel. To get away with their cruelty, congressional Republicans are counting on the rest of us either misunderstanding what the debt ceiling is or not paying close attention because it sounds wonky. It is nor…

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April 16, 2023 at 6:17 PM

American exceptionalism at its most degenerate

This past Monday, a man killed five people and wounded eight others at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. As has become tragically common in America, the killer used an AR-15 style rifle. These and other military-grade weapons exist for exactly one reason — to mow down human beings as rapidly an…

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April 14, 2023 at 5:49 PM

ban assault weapons

On Monday, a man killed five people and wounded eight others at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. As has become tragically common in America, the killer used an AR-15 style rifle. These and other military-grade weapons exist for exactly one reason — to mow down human beings as rapidly and feroc…

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April 13, 2023 at 7:13 PM

we have to fight this insane abortion ruling

Last Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas, Matthew Kacsmaryk, issued a ruling intended to further limit abortion access nationwide — even in states where large majorities of residents support keeping it legal. The ruling purports to overrule the FDA’s approval — 23 years ago! — of a drug ca…

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April 12, 2023 at 9:18 PM

America has more guns than people

On Monday, a man killed five people and wounded eight others at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. As has become tragically common in America, the killer used an AR-15 style rifle. These and other military-grade weapons exist for exactly one reason — to mow down human beings as rapidly and feroc…

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April 11, 2023 at 7:57 PM

somehow it is 1984 and 2023 at the same time

Big Brother really is watching you. The Transportation Security Administration is rolling out facial recognition technology in America’s airports. In fact, the head of the TSA recently said that the agency intends for “biometrics” such as facial recognition technology to eventually be mandato…

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April 8, 2023 at 7:06 PM

what they did in Tennessee is a disgrace

A long note today. Stick with me. In the 2020 election, Donald Trump beat Joe Biden 61% to 37% in the state of Tennessee. No doubt, Tennessee is a red state — the tenth reddest in the country according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. But because of radical and self-serving gerryma…

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April 7, 2023 at 7:16 PM

this is not what democracy looks like

A long note today. Stick with me. In the 2020 election, Donald Trump beat Joe Biden 61% to 37% in the state of Tennessee. No doubt, Tennessee is a red state — the tenth reddest in the country according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. But because of radical and self-serving gerryma…

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April 5, 2023 at 5:58 PM

the felony charges against Trump

Donald Trump was arraigned in a Manhattan courthouse yesterday. Trump was charged with 34 felonies related to hush money he is said to have paid adult actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. He was also fingerprinted. This indictment was issued by a grand jury composed of everyday Americans who loo…

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April 4, 2023 at 7:55 PM

Donald Trump's dirty fingers

Earlier today, Donald Trump was arraigned in a Manhattan courthouse. Trump was charged with 34 felonies related to hush money he is said to have paid adult actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. He was also fingerprinted. This indictment was issued by a grand jury composed of everyday Americans wh…

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March 25, 2023 at 7:06 PM

we must not give in to threats of violence

Donald Trump has been spewing some fresh bile on his imitation Twitter platform, Truth Social. On Thursday, Trump called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is Black, an “animal.” Faced with the prospect that the law might finally catch up with him, Trump said, “THIS IS THE GESTAPO ……

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March 24, 2023 at 6:41 PM

Trump invokes death and destruction

Donald Trump has been spewing some fresh bile on his imitation Twitter platform, Truth Social. Yesterday, Trump called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is Black, an “animal.” Faced with the prospect that the law might finally catch up with him, Trump said, “THIS IS THE GESTAPO … B…

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March 22, 2023 at 5:32 PM

Corporate America has given over $40 million to 'Big Lie' Republicans in Congress

In the early morning of January 7, 2021, 147 members of Congress (each one a Republican, by the way) opposed certification of the 2020 presidential election results. All 147 had seen their own safety — not to mention our very democracy — at risk just hours earlier when a violent mob stormed the…

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March 21, 2023 at 7:58 PM

Pharma CEO testifying to Congress tomorrow

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel is testifying tomorrow before the United States Senate at a committee hearing chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Bancel will have to answer questions about Moderna’s profiteering from the COVID-19 vaccine. A few salient facts: Development of the vaccine sold by Mode…

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March 20, 2023 at 6:35 PM

Big Business bankrolling insurrectionists in Congress

In the early morning of January 7, 2021, 147 members of Congress (each one a Republican, by the way) opposed certification of the 2020 presidential election results. All 147 had seen their own safety — not to mention our very democracy — at risk just hours earlier when a violent mob stormed the…

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March 18, 2023 at 7:34 PM

more banks could fail if we keep rewarding recklessness

The CEO of Silicon Valley Bank — whose recent collapse is our country’s second largest bank failure ever — made $9.9 million last year. The CEO of Signature Bank — whose collapse two days later is the third largest bank failure in U.S. history — made $8.6 million in 2022. And here’s the thing…

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March 16, 2023 at 8:32 PM

being a Big Bank CEO is good work if you can get it

The CEO of Silicon Valley Bank — whose recent collapse is our country’s second largest bank failure ever — made $9.9 million last year. The CEO of Signature Bank — whose collapse two days later is the third largest bank failure in U.S. history — made $8.6 million in 2022. And here’s the thing…

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March 15, 2023 at 6:56 PM

we can't trust big banks to regulate themselves

In case you hadn’t heard of Silicon Valley Bank until it collapsed last week, a few things to know: Before it failed, Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in the United States. If “16th largest” doesn’t sound that big, consider this: there are around 4,700 FDIC-insured commercial ban…

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March 14, 2023 at 8:01 PM

'these bank failures were entirely avoidable'

In case you hadn’t heard of Silicon Valley Bank until it collapsed last week, a few things to know: Before it failed, Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in the United States. If “16th largest” doesn’t sound that big, consider this: there are around 4,700 FDIC-insured commercial ban…

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March 13, 2023 at 4:51 PM

tell Biden not to revive this inhumane practice

As widely reported this past week, the Biden administration may resume the Trumpian “policy” of detaining migrant families who cross into the U.S. from Mexico. Please join Public Citizen in urging President Biden not to resort to such an inhumane practice. This is the most basic thing: Peop…

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March 12, 2023 at 8:24 PM

warehousing human beings at the border

As widely reported this past week, the Biden administration may resume the Trumpian “policy” of detaining migrant families who cross into the U.S. from Mexico. Please join Public Citizen in urging President Biden not to resort to such an inhumane practice. This is the most basic thing: Peop…

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March 9, 2023 at 7:17 PM

major network still spreading Trump's Big Lie

A company that makes voting machines is suing Fox News for broadcasting unfounded allegations that it rigged the 2020 election. With this lawsuit, internal communications and sworn testimony from Fox News bigwigs such as Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity — even the network’s CEO,…

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March 8, 2023 at 10:00 PM

Fox News must fire Tucker Carlson

A company that makes voting machines is suing Fox News for broadcasting unfounded allegations that it rigged the 2020 election. With this lawsuit, internal communications and sworn testimony from Fox News bigwigs such as Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity — even the network’s CEO,…

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March 7, 2023 at 7:26 PM

claw back $100 billion from weapons and waste

Pentagon spending is wildly out of control. U.S. military spending exceeds that of the next nine countries combined. We spend roughly 10 times more than Russia does on weapons and war. Avoidable spending waste — as identified by the Pentagon itself! — vastly exceeds the combined budgets of …

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March 6, 2023 at 7:08 PM

People Over Pentagon Act of 2023

Pentagon spending is wildly out of control. U.S. military spending exceeds that of the next nine countries combined. We spend roughly 10 times more than Russia does on weapons and war. Avoidable spending waste — as identified by the Pentagon itself! — vastly exceeds the combined budgets of …

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March 3, 2023 at 7:32 PM

it would take 353,704 years

Today’s email is about a guy named Ray Dalio. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, stick with me. Ray Dalio is the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates. His net worth is estimated at $19.1 billion. Here’s what that looks like: $19,100,00…

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